Florist price question

gamingangel · August 2010

Hi everyone! I've posted about this before, but I cannot believe how much we are getting screwed by florists! I get that we're in a sort of destination wedding area, but jeez, you'd think that these people have no idea we're in a recession. Our wedding will only have 60 guests at most. At first her quote went from 1830 to 4000. Now we're in the process of deleting items until it comes down to something we can pay.

Question for all of you that are buying your flowers right now, is $850 too much for flowers on a Gazebo? For the ceremony only?

thanks for your help!
Trina

jagore08 · August 2010

I was married in FL so I know the prices are a bit cheaper but we paid $1250 for all of our flowers. Gazebo, bouquets, centerpieces, everything and we had about 80 guests. Unless your flowers are all being imported, your arrangement are very intricate, or you're covering everything in flowers you're being overcharged.

[Deleted User] · August 2010

One of the ways I saved money on my wedding was by doing the flowers myself. However, due to certain vendors I had hired who didn't do the job they were hired to do in the last month of my wedding, the flowers(which are a last minute project always) ended up talking alot more work and time than originally intended. Our total cost on flowers was $850. I enlisted the help of Trader Joes for my Star Gazer lilies, Home Depot's floral department where I ordered 20 mixed pink and purple bouquets(accents and greenery was included), along with Mayesh which is a local flower importer.

When I look back on it, I would have still done all the personal flowers: bouquets, boutonierres and church flowers, but I would have hired a florist to do the centerpieces just telling them it is a "party type gathering at xyz location."

Sadly it is true the minute you mention wedding to florist they dream of dollar signs on angel's wings. If you are a crafty bride, do your personal flowers--hire out only for the reception flowers and call the event anything but a wedding: family ruinion, happy birthday party--just be solid on your theme and look. If you can separate the needs of each part of the wedding and break it up into parts rather than the whole, all you have to do is tell a vendor where they are needed without volunteering information and the rest is none of their business.

Another word of advice with regards to wedding decor though: flowers don't tell the whole story. If you can, intermix candles, mirrors etc.

They all give you more bang for your buck. When thinking about your wedding, the next thing to cross off in the decor department is the lighting in your reception area. You need to visit it constantly after you have booked it, especially around the times your wedding reception will take place: this will give you an idea of the lighting of the room. Lighting is absolutely the most important thing in all decor whether it be wedding or anything else. You can spend $1 or $1,000,000 in a room and if the lighting is good in the first room it will still look better than the million dollar room.

Factor in lighting first, bring swatches of your colors, and then decide on your decor and flowers. The most expensive inproperly lit orchids will look ten thousand times worse than a bunch of common daisies under the right light.

Some of the most well-spent money I put into my wedding was lighting.

By the way, If you are in the Woodland Hills area and want to get flowers from Home Depot go to the one off Victory at 6345 Variel. The person in charge of their floral department is Martha and she did an awesome job when it came to planning, and pick up.

xxquemirasxx · August 2010

WOW!!! $850 for a gazebo seems a bit high to me. I was complaining about $300

Flowers can be very expensive, I decided to go with a florist in the flower district hopefully my plan works out in the end.

GL!

TurtlesAllTheWayDown · August 2010

FI's coworker recommended a friend to us, and with the referal discount, we're getting a steal. She even offered to do simple low centerpieces for us for $30/each.

I'm not doing ceremony decorations, so I can't really help you there, but for all our personal flowers (us, WP, parents, siblings), plus cake flowers, petals for the tables, and possibly a mantlepiece arrangement, we're paying $750. So $800 seems high, but I guess it depends on the dimensions. (Also, we're using roses and mini callas, so not the cheapest flowers.)

ellefirst1980 · August 2010

My flowers are coming in at about $2300 for my smallish (100 ppl) wedding. Flowers are very important to me and I chose really nice arrangements. I guess everyone puts importance on different things. I just find it odd that no one on these boards every says they are getting "screwed" by photographers or DJs who also charge quite a bit. Strange...I have a lot of respect for great florists...because bad flowers look like cheap crap from the grocery store. Just my 2 cents.

BTW, why did the bid go up so much? Did they say?

gamingangel · August 2010

Thank you all for your help. The bid went up from $1800 to $4000 after we put down the $1000 deposit of course. And now she's refusing to do any work within our budget. Like to use cheaper flowers, or alter the look of things. I know we can't demand the best or tons of flowers for the price we want. But we also told her our budget.

Now she's told my fiance that she "won't do flowers for anything less". Because it messes with her artistic integrity. augh

I have such a headache and anxiety about this! We're contemplating telling her to just do the ceremony and we'll figure out the reception (basically groups of floating candles in various hights with flowers in them). I don't know.

Could use any advice! I'm in MDR, but we're getting married in Santa Ynez.

gamingangel · August 2010

Yep just got confirmation from the wedding coordinator that the gazebo should take $250 flowers at most, not $800 and our rose petals shouldn't cost $450 instead should be $150. I don't get her insane rates!

[Deleted User] · August 2010

Did she give you a firm quote when you plunked down the cash?

Because if she changed her numbers after you gave her the money, there is no reason you should be paying more for less flowers. If she's this much of a hassle right now, just think of what could happen the last two weeks before your wedding when you're totally depending on her! I would demand my money back, becuase you shouldn't get screwed over a small wedding and find a florist. Check with the local community college that teaches floral design they have really good and talented students that would be happy to work for way less that what this piece of work is charging you most of the florists that start out barely break even on their flowers.

I'd report her sorry rear to the Better Business Bureau for shady business practice and write a lousy review for her on Project Wedding.

lala90 · August 2010

That seems wrong to change the price so much...strange. I agree that if this is not what you had discussed before, then it is unethical. I love my florist but I don't know if she would go up to Santa Ynez. If you want to check her name is Amy from Bride and Bloom Flowers. I hope this situation ends well. (((Crossing Fingers)))

gamingangel · August 2010

Now in the latest correspondance she attacked my fiance!! I can't believe this is happening. Can you demand your deposit back? I think deposits are non-refundable.

God, now flowers are the worst part of my wedding. I'm dreading it. I'm dreading dealing with her. It's been such a horrible experience that I'm so upset over it.

Florist price question

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