Am I being cheated?

jroznos4133

So my aunt referred me to her good friend who is a florist. She's great at what she does & I love the bouquet she made me for my bridal photos. She was even nice enough to charge me cost for the flowers! I'm having pink roses, green orchids, and stargazer lillies in my bouquet; pink roses & green orchids in my BMs bouquets; single pink roses for my moms/ grandmas; and pink roses for the boutineers. We aren't getting the centerpiece or any other arrangements from her. My wedding is on March 10, 2012 & she just told me it would be $900!!! Isn't that ridiculous?? I could be wrong, but I think I'm being cheated. Now I feel like I don't have enough time to find someone else! HELP!

Maggie0829

Have you thought about going to other florists in your area to see what they would charge you as well?

You also need to remember that you aren't using the most inexpensive flowers either.  Orchids can be especially pricey.

How many bouquets and bouts and such do you need?  If you have 10 girls in your bridal party then yes, the price seems correct, but if you only have 2 girls then I would be questioning the price.

I would go to two other florists and see what they would charge.  However, do not just go with the cheapest, you need to also love the work they do...what is more important to you, saving a few bucks on flowers that may not look the way you want or paying $900 for flowers you know will look amazing?

dogsandfrogs

I agree with PP.  Whether or not that is a fair price depends on the number of BM bouquets you're talking about, as orchids are pretty pricey.  It also depends on the size of the bouquets and the ratio of other flowers to orchids you're talking about.

If you're concerned you might be getting cheated, take your concept/photos to other florists in the area and see what they would charge for the same package.

It may also be worth talking to your current florist.  Tell her you weren't expecting the cost to be that high, and ask if there are any substitutions or other changes you can make to your flowers that might bring the cost down but still give you the overall look you want.

jroznos4133

Sorry, should've specified... 5 BMs, 5 GM, and 4 Ushers. She quotes me $30 per 9 stems of orchids with about 5 flowers per stem Thanks for the input!

Maggie0829

Well then yes, the $900 makes sense.  The larger orchids (phalaenopsis orchids) are quite expensive.  Have you thought about using dendrobium orchids instead...they also come in a green color but do not cost as much as the larger ones.

I am guessing (I used to work in a florist for about 8 years) that the BMs bouquets cost about $100 or so each and that your bouquet will be about $200-$275.  And then the leftover costs will cover the bouts and roses for the mothers.

dogsandfrogs

Ah, yes, with that number of bouquets and whatnot to do, $900 does make sense, especially if they are the larger orchids as Maggie said.  I doubt you're going to get a better price from a different florist.  If you're concerned about the cost, I feel like your best bet is going to be to talk to the florist about how you can either make substitutions (like the dendrobium orchids instead of phalaenopsis) or scale back the size.

boo his

I am having a destination wedding in Florida. I ordered my flowers, my MOH (thats my only attendant), all mother and grandmother's coursages(8), and three tall centerpeices. My total was only $550.00. I would really check other places and let them know of your budget. Flowers are not that important to me, but I really feel like my florist worked with me. Please check other places...$900 is a very steep price in my opinion. OH...and I'm having Calla-lillies and roses...not the most inexpensive flowers you can get. I'm sure you can find a florist who can try and give you what you want without raping you on prices. Good luck!

dogsandfrogs

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_flowers_am-i-being-cheated?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:28Discussion:47eb4f2d-cd35-4def-b7f1-fa926e4a9403Post:7ed82366-9819-46e2-b7e6-1b176be890f0">Re: Am I being cheated?</a>:
[QUOTE]I am having a destination wedding in Florida. I ordered my flowers, my MOH (thats my only attendant), all mother and grandmother's coursages(8), and three tall centerpeices. My total was only $550.00. I would really check other places and let them know of your budget. Flowers are not that important to me, but I really feel like my florist worked with me. Please check other places...$900 is a very steep price in my opinion. OH...and I'm having Calla-lillies and roses...not the most inexpensive flowers you can get. I'm sure you can find a florist who can try and give you what you want without raping you on prices. Good luck!
Posted by boo his[/QUOTE]

Calla-lillies and roses aren't cheap, but the're not orchids either.  For what OP is asking for, both in terms of flower type and quantity, $900 does sound like the reasonable price.  I agree she should still check other places just to be sure, but unfortunately that number doesn't sound outrageous for the type of flowers she's asking for.

kmclean29

You have some great feedback here, My thought was green cymbidium orchids.  The last time I ordered them, they were 18/stem, but they had about 12 blooms on them!!  They were beautiful, huge and I was able to create all bouquets with just one stem.  There are good substitutions.