Going to florist today. Any advice?

[mary poppins]

I''m going to meet with a florist this afternoon. I''m not really too into flowers and our venue is outdoors, so I don''t think I need much or anything elaborate. FI and I would like this to be an area in which we can save some money by having minimal flowers - just having the usual for the bridal party and parents and simple elegance for the centerpieces. The wedding colors will be burgundy and ivory with accent of celery green. The women in the bridal party will be wearing burgundy dresses.


Do you have any advice or suggestions, especially regarding cost saving tips?

 

[lucyandroger]

I would go in with an open mind and be honest with your florist about being on a budget. Your florist will probably be the best one to advise you on cost-saving tips since he/she will know what''s in season and easiest to get in your region on your wedding date.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

-The fewer varieties of flowers the less the cost
-Go with what''s in season
-The "budget" you should give your florist should be smaller than your actual budget to allow room for negotiation.
-Give your florist ideas of what you like and don''t like, but ultimately let them choose the flower type based on what they can get for a good price (this can change on a daily basis).
-Be open to using a lot of greenery and/or ribbon on bouquets to tie in your colors
-Be open to incorporating non-floral elements like candles or unique vases into your centerpieces to achieve a more custom look and so the focus isn''t 100% on the flowers.
-Pictures of "looks" that you like are great. Your florist might have a different idea of what "simple elegance" means.
-Go in with a list of exactly what you need
Ex:
1 bridal bouquet (let her know the size you want, large, medium, small?)
4 bridesmaids bouquets (again, specify size)
1 grooms boutonniere
4 groomsmen boutonnieres
2 flowers for moms (could be single stem flowers, corsages-wrist or pin on, or nosegays)
2 boutonnieres for dad
10 table centerpieces with candles

Also, find out how much they charge for delivery and set up and what their policy is on taking down or getting the vases, etc back from them if required. Also, are there service charges included, gratuity? These are things that should be factored into the full budget, so let the florist know my budget is $A and it must include X Y and Z.

 

[Prana]

Stick to your guns.


Otherwise, you''ll be walking out of there with a whole bunch of stuff you never even THOUGHT of, let alone that will fit into your budget.

And in season flowers are usually the best way to go!

 

[Future Mrs. Sterling]

Hudson Hawk - thanks for your reply. Sounds like excellent advice!

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

FMS-another suggestion. Depending on the season you can work major non-floral elements into centerpieces. On PS we''ve seen hurricanes filled with cranberries and candles, or gingerbread houses. Tying in elements of the seasons could be a good way of stretching your dollar and they''re usually pretty easy DIY projects.