Guess Im adding this to the DIY...

Baesmom

So, we aren't rich. We are putting our wedding 2 years out so that we can pay for it ourselves without having to cut corners in what we want.  Im sure our family is going to help but we are not depending on them know what i mean?
Well, with that being said, i emailed a florist here in town last week to get a quote for the center pieces, our bouquets, the boutineers, and the coursages.. and she sent me back a price of 3500!! OMG now, i realize that to some that isnt much but we are paying 13,000 for the venue (this includes alot so it breaks down pretty well) We are trying to keep it under 20,000 and that price didnt help at all.  So i sent her back some adjustments on the centerpieces and also let her know that we would provide our own vases (she was also charging rental of her stuff)  as well as our own candles..
However, i have priced flowers in bulk at Sams club as well as other on line sites and i believe i can do this cheaper on my own.. Soo this now means that my diy projects will be the runner, the broom, and all of the flowers.  Well, i might have her do the bouquets and i'll do the rest.  
I just needed to vent and get opinions.  We are 772 days out and this is the 1st stressful moment i have had lol!!!
Thanks for reading

djscat

Don't be stressed.  The only flowers I will have at my wedding are the bouquets and boutineer and those will be silk instead of real.  Remember you don't have to do flowers for the center pieces.  There are many many options to choose from.  But if you want flowers you have plenty of time to nail down exactly what you want and execute it.  I say try Youtube for flower design.  It can't be that hard.  Also use your resources.  Do you have any friends or family who like to garden or arrange that can help?  Shoot you have enough time to plant a flower garden of the flowers you want if it comes down to it. LOL  Take a step back and breath.  You can do this and it will all work out. 

Since I am making my own bouquets I am going with silk flowers so I can make them in advance just in case they don't come out right.  Check out afloral.com  (the real touch silk flowers look and feel real but you can keep them forever.) 

Good luck!!!

Baesmom

Thank you very much! lol we do have enough time to grow our own flower garden dont we   
I honestly sat and thought about it.. I am going to have her do the bouquets, boutineers, and the coursages and i will do everything else.  Im already buying the material to do the stairs so i'll just add this to my to do list.  I'll have the bridesmaids help me put it all together the night before and then go to the facility to setup before the wedding.  Since it's going to be at 4pm i'll have time to do it. 

MarryingmyKnight

I was MOH for my friends wedding and I helped her with every thing!  I flew in town a few days early just so I could help.  I said that because we made the BM's flowers and her bouquet.  It looked nice and she was happy and it wasn't hard at all.  We used hot glue and some ribbons.  Girl you have plenty of time to come with a beautiful design and figure out how to put it together.  It seems as if as soon as people hear the word wedding prices go up.  Anyways no stress!

dlthompson22

You can also check Craigslist in your area under services and search for flowers. You can also find items for your centerpieces like flowers and vases. This tends to be way cheaper.
I'd also check your local grocery stores,some of those ladies may want to do a side hustle and create flowers for you.
$3500 is ALOT of money to spend on flowers. This is half of my wedding budget.

HTH

2010Bride2be

That seems a bit steep. I'm not sure what the prices are like in California though. We got married in New Jersey (where everything is overpriced) and we paid about $3k for flowers. I believe we got a hell of a deal though. The only additional thing that we paid for was the seaglass for the high centerpieces. For our price, we got:
bride's bouquet/groom's bout
6 BM bouquets
2 Flower girl Pomadour balls
12 bouts
7 wrist corsages
Rose betals for aisle runner
9 tall centerpieces
9 low centerpeieces
Mock bouquet
Mock centerpiece
Bridal throw away
Delivery and set up

Also, take into consideration what kind of flowers you are using. We wanted big full centerpieces and bridesmaid bouquets, so we went with a lot of hydrangeas because they take up so much space. The other flowers we chose were white mini callas, yellow mini callas, jade roses, white dendrobium orchids and yellow dendrobium orchids

Baesmom

Thank you ladies..
I talked to the FI last night and he was so supportive.  He assured me that everything would be okay and that We would make this happen.  I also emailed my bridesmaids and let them know that we would be doing flowers the night before the wedding.  lol  they were all excited and said we could turn it into a " slumber flower party" My mom and future mother in law said that we would all sit around doing the flowers, watching girlie movies, drinking wine and having girl time.. Everyone is so excited about it it kinda made me think "why didnt i just do this idea in the first place" lol 
 i am so blessed.  

JloveB

I was going to DIY flowers but realized I didn't want to work that last night before my wedding  doing fresh centerpieces that wouldn't die in heat...(still ending up finishing up a few projects)

but since I didn't want to do flower duty I went with parasol, my bridesmaids and groom were worried about the lack of flowers but loved them when everything came together in the end and they were great props for pictures and the girls looked great with them...I am a lover of flowers and always thought I'd have tons at my wedding but I didn't miss them at all...don't give yourself to many DIY projects and there are other options that look just as great as flowers..I've seen clutches carried in replace of flowers..which not only is cute but doubles as a gift...regardless of what you choose..I wish you much success and a beautiful outcome.