Please educate me on flowers & photo/ video

majesty318

I have only just started planning and I have no idea what this stuff costs. Can you tell me the typical cost range for North Jersey? What is considered inexpensive and what is considered expensive?

gelaine22

I paid a little less than $2500 for 15 high centerpieces, 6 bridesmaid bouquets, one bridal bouquets, 7 boutonnieres, 5 corsages, sweetheart table arrangement that was all orchids, birds of paradise, blue delphinium, hanging amaranthus, gerbera daisies, and white hydrangea. That was the best quote I got by far and my
Florist was amazing! I had no roses because I hate them...

[Deleted User]

For one florist I was quoted over $4000. The florist I chose was highly recommended on here by other brides, and they are charging me about $1500 for the same thing plus some. So I think that all depends on who you see, and who you know. As far as photo/video, I've noticed most video packages start at 2k, and photography usually starts at like 4k. Definitely research a lot on the boards, it helped me save a lot of money!

AmandaNWP

@gelaine22 Who's your florist?? I'm trying to stay at (or ideally below) $2,500 for a similar number of arrangements and every florist has said they can't do it for anything less than at least $2,800.

majesty318

@allie716 & @gelaine22, could you also tell me your florist info?

One of my friends recommended her photographer who was $3600... so I should consider that a good quote, then?

gelaine22

I used Avenue Flowers in Elizabeth. Yes, the area wasnt the greatest but he did an amazing job and I have lots of pictures. My wedding was at the Grove.

AmandaNWP said:

@gelaine22 Who's your florist?? I'm trying to stay at (or ideally below) $2,500 for a similar number of arrangements and every florist has said they can't do it for anything less than at least $2,800.

[Deleted User]

I used AW Flowers in Kearny.

SewInLoveWithDMB

Florist: $2100.  My bouquet, 7 attendant bouquets (2 of them are MOH and a bit larger), 1 groom bout, 7 groomsmen bouts, 2 ring bearer small bouts, 4 corsages (moms/great aunts), large ceremony arrangement for church (will double as sweetheart table flowers), pew bows, 20 table centerpieces.  (I think that is everything.) Flowers for the centerpiece are bubble vases with roses, gerber daisies and hydrangea. They obviously are not huge  ($45 a table), but they are not small or tiny looking either. 

Videographer: I think $1100. Includes getting ready, ceremony, and editing reception. It also includes all raw footage cause I work with video in my job and can make other videos if I want to/need to.

lovejvnw

That is similar to what I would need from a florist.  Who are you using?

jenmong

For florist I paid around 2500 which include 7 bridemaids, my bouquet, 7 groomens, and 1 for the groom, 2 corsages, and 15 centerpiece.. For photo/video we spend 3800 include 4 location and engagement session..

majesty318

@jenmong you spent $3800 for both photo & video? Who did you use?

@sewinlove, who was your videographer?

jenmong

@majesty we use Elssol Production. We were tight in our budget so they gave us a great deal. You should check them out.

HobokensFury

Flowers are the one thing we saved money on. We paid $1100 for my bouquet, toss bouquet, 4 FM, 1 flower ball, 4 corsages, 9 bouts and 12 low centerpieces. We used roses, belles of ireland, hydrangias and carnations(gasp!).

SoontobeMrs2014

We are paying $2350 for our photography from http://www.justinpedrick.com/ his packages start at $1600.00 his work is amazing.

JMD91986

Who did you use?

JMD91986

Who did you use?

Gordo2014

Like everything in this world, you can pay as much as you want or as little as you want.  Our wedding is small and we're trying to keep it that way.  We even almost DIY'ed our centerpieces but went with the florist instead.  Flowers will come in a bit below $1k.  Our wedding party is just BM and MOH so that helps and we're expecting <100 guests so that helps some more. 

We're spending in the low to mid $3,000 range for photography including a high-end album for us and parent albums.  We looked at doing video, but we really don't want one of those highly produced deals.  All we really want is news coverage of the important moments so we're probably going to let a camera sit on a tripod for the ceremony and a friend getting the first dance and toasts.

majesty318

Gordo2014 , who are your florist & photographer? Both price ranges work for us.

Carladmb

I am so happy to read these posts! I am seeing a florist this weekend and was prepared to tell her $1000 for what I need (my bouquet, three bridesmaids, 7 boutonnieres, three mother's corsages, two corsages for the girls doing readings in our wedding, about 6 flowers per table (we are using candles and just want accent flowers to put on the mirrors in between the candles). I am having 15 tables. I am thinking I am going to give them that number and it's too high. Should I present what I need first? Or a budget first? Seems like flowers are the one area that is so variable!

gelaine22

Carladmb said:

I am so happy to read these posts! I am seeing a florist this weekend and was prepared to tell her $1000 for what I need (my bouquet, three bridesmaids, 7 boutonnieres, three mother's corsages, two corsages for the girls doing readings in our wedding, about 6 flowers per table (we are using candles and just want accent flowers to put on the mirrors in between the candles). I am having 15 tables. I am thinking I am going to give them that number and it's too high. Should I present what I need first? Or a budget first? Seems like flowers are the one area that is so variable!

One thing I noticed when I was booking vendors is that if you tell them your budget they seem to come in right around that number. I stopped telling them or I would give them a lower number. Not by much but it still helps. You tell them $1000 and you will find your quotes to be right in that range.

Carladmb

Thank you. I need to put my game face on!

Carladmb

HobokenBride2012 said:

Flowers are the one thing we saved money on. We paid $1100 for my bouquet, toss bouquet, 4 FM, 1 flower ball, 4 corsages, 9 bouts and 12 low centerpieces. We used roses, belles of ireland, hydrangias and carnations(gasp!).

Do you mind me asking who you used? We are getting married in Garfield so thinking your florist may be close! And I, too, plan on using carnations!

majesty318

Just wanted to thank @gelaine22 for the recommendation of Avenue Florist. They are really close to where we live anyway so it was super convenient. I wanted to be at $1000 for my bouquet, 6 BM bouquets, 2 corsages, 8 bouts, and a flower girl ball. His quote is $996 I will be using Picasso calla lilies, 2 colors of orchids, 3 colors of hydrangeas, hypericum berries, another green with a strange name, and carnations in a very dark purple. I don't love roses but we may use mini ones in the corsages. We are doing small potted greens for the tables so I am sure that helped save money rather than high arrangements. I am so excited about the flowers now!

Dancer2873

Florist we are using A&W in Kearny and are paying 1k for:

1 Bridal Bouquet

1 MOH Bouquet

4 BM Bouquets

and 15 to 18 tall centerpieces.

1 Throw Away Bouquet 

and 2 Flower Girl Flower Balls

We took out the bouts and corsages for now but that would have been only about $200 more for 7 bouts and 3 corsages

for photography we paid in the 3k+ range for epics, day of coverage with 2 photogs, a framed photo and the rights to both the epics and wedding day pics. We were more concerned with style and quality of pictures then pricing and a packaged deal. We are going to make our own album.

Videography we are paying in the 2500 range for 2 videographers, 2 recaps and the raw footage. It will be about 1k more to get a full edited video. Same here, we wanted someone who had a unique shooting style. After the wedding we will decided if we are going to get a fully edited video or play around with imovie and make our own.

majesty318

@Dancer2873 who is your photographer?

Dancer2873

Jessica Oh Photography

http://www.thejessicaohblog.com/

I can't speak for if her prices went up or not because we booked awhile ago but either I believe she is worth it if you want creative and different pictures.