Ame Soeur Events Coordinating
www.amesoeurevents.com
Flower Planning Help

So it’s time to start planning your flowers for both décor and personal use!  What fun, you have a huge pallet of colors and textures to choose from…sounds pretty easy right!?  Well sometimes it can just lead to overload.  The information below will educate you on the realm of the flower….which means you can make wise decisions on flower choices and how it will all fit in to your budget!  (Remember these are just guidelines….price and availability varies and is dependent on climate and region).

Things to take with you to a floral consultation:

• Know the numbers!  How many bridesmaid bouquets, mother’s corsages, boutonnieres, etc.  will you need?  Take those numbers with you so that your florist can easily come up with a proposal for you that will reflect true numbers.  You’ll have a pretty clear idea of what your overall vision is going to cost you and might not have to make many changes before signing a contract!
• Get the big picture!  Search magazines and websites for pictures that you like.  It doesn’t matter if the pictures reflect your overall theme, if it catches your eye then cut it out and take it to your  consultation. 
• Know your flowers!  Florists are great at picking flowers from thin-air based on “it’s little, round and green; kinda shaped like a button?!”.  Be kind to your florist and bring the names of flowers you like and dislike with you.  It makes the entire process go much smoother!

Flowers for the Bridal Party
You want flowers that will not only accent the color theme of your wedding but that will also set your bridal party apart and easily identify them as a person of interest!  Not only does this make them feel special but it also helps to set the mood of the wedding.  Thankfully there are thousands of flowers out there that help evoke the overall feel of your event from bright and lively to more subdued and elegant.  

TIP: Don’t compromise on your taste but be open to suggestions if something is not available or may be cost prohibitive!

Brides Bouquet (Cost Range: Anywhere from $100 to $500)
Even the most demure bride knows the wedding is pretty much all about the bride!  Your bouquet is the one most important element of your overall appearance.  You have many color, scent, size, shape and style choices to make.  Nowadays the hand tied bouquet is all the rage, but many brides choose to go outside that little box and have cascading or even free form bouquets to set the mood.  If you are a traditional bride you might want all white flowers such as Stephanotis, escimo roses, white orchids, gardenias, and that ever popularly romantic lily of the valley!  All very traditional flowers that can take on a very non-traditional look if you like!  Now that colorful bride that really wants to draw attention to herself, she might choose Lipstick or Black Magic Roses, Colored Gerbera daisies and tulips, freesia (who doesn’t love freesia?) and those lisies (lisianthus that is)!  All the flowers listed above come in various colors and are hearty for the most part meaning that your bouquet will last quite a while if you put it in water.

Brides Toss Bouquet (Average cost is $45.00)
You might be thinking the florist uses left over flowers to create this “throw away” bouquet.  Truth be told, there are no “extra” flowers in your floral order!  If the florist is creating this bouquet for you then there is labor involved and since the florist purchased the flowers to create the bouquet there is a cost attached to the flowers!  It’s rare to receive a no charge toss bouquet unless you have a huge wedding and the florist is getting a great deal on your product!  Expect to pay the $45.00 for a bouquet that is a much smaller version of your own bouquet…it’s a fair deal and you’ll be glad you have that picture of the gal who caught it smiling from ear to ear…planning her big day!

Bridesmaid Bouquets (Expect to pay $50-$150)
You want your supporting cast to look great!  Their bouquets need to compliment your bouquet but be a little smaller in scale.  Coordinate the size and color with their dresses and style of dress.  You can be creative and have each bouquet created with a different flower but same color or make them all identical.  It’s your choice!

Maid/Matron of Honor (Expect to pay $50-$120)
After all this is the lady you wouldn’t think of getting married without being at your side!  She deserves to have something a little different, a little flashier, you know, MAID OF HONORISH!  This bouquet can be very similar to the bridesmaids or completely different.  Most brides will choose something a little different than the bridesmaids either in size, color or type of flower. 

Corsages (Expect to pay $25 or more for pin-ons, $30-$45 for posies)
These are the things that say “Thanks Mom for being there for me” or “Thanks Grandma for imparting your words of wisdom on me every day of my life”! J  You get the opportunity to honor each of the special ladies in yours and your groom’s life by giving them a corsage of some sort.  You can choose a pin on corsage, a wrist corsage or even a little posie made up of every flower in your entire wedding (one stem each though-you want them to be able to carry them!).  They need to coordinate with the overall style of the wedding and should be made to compliment any outfit since you won’t really know what everyone will be wearing for the most part! 

Boutonnieres (Expect to pay $15.00-$25.00)
They guys are so easy!  One bloom with lots of punch and your done…they look awesome!  Orchids, spray roses, stephanotis and freesia are great flowers for boutonnieres.  Think outside of the box…you can use feathers, leaves, billy balls (yes, it’s a real flower!) and Kermit mums for these small little hits of color!  Make sure to include your dads, granddads, ushers, groom and groomsmen in the count.

Ceremony Altar (Expect to pay $250 to $750)
The point of altar arrangements is to make sure all eyes are on you and your groom!  These arrangements need to be large and tall so that guests seated in the back can enjoy their beauty!  You can dictate the style of these arrangements based on the overall theme or style of your wedding. 

Arbors or Chuppas (Expect to pay $275.00-$1200)
Arbors and Chuppas are deserving of that “voila” and “wow” factor.  They will be in every picture you have taken at your ceremony.  If you are going to be married under an arbor you need to give it the respect it deserves and doll it up!  Use flowers from the overall theme of your wedding and ask the florist to beef up the design with greenery and filler flowers…add some twinkle lights and “magic”!

Aisle or Pew Markers  (Expect to pay $10-$50 each)
You should use a combination of flowers, ribbons and possibly candles to line your aisle.  This is all dependent on what venue you are holding your ceremony but any combination will give you a beautiful setting for the most important part of your whole event!  Ask your florist to give you some ideas on clusters of flowers, greenery that might be pretty without flowers, or maybe even incorporating ribbons with a little bundle of flowers, in a jar hung on a shepherds hook!  Lots of possibilities…

ON TO THE PARTY!!!

Your reception should reflect your style and color scheme.  It’s more cost effective to use the same flowers throughout your whole event, so make sure that you are not choosing many different flowers because this will drive up the cost of your entire floral budget.   Keep in mind that you want the reception to be inviting and complimentary of the entire theme of the wedding.

Guest Table Centerpieces (Expect to pay $50-$300 each)
Your guest table centerpieces should compliment the overall floral décor of the reception area.  They also need to work with your linen selections and any china, glassware or flatware that you have chosen.  You want your guests to be able to talk to each other so plan on keeping your centerpieces lower so they don’t have to look around the piece to talk.  If you really want the drama of a taller arrangement make sure that the floral part of the arrangement begins above eye level, you can look through glass much easier than through foliage!

Buffet Tables (Expect to pay $150-$700 each)
Floral arrangements add beauty and color to food displays.  A nice buffet can be a great buffet if you just make the presentation appealing!  If you have a table for appetizers you might want a smaller arrangement to accent the look of that table as well.  Make sure these flowers are in keeping with your design and color scheme, it’s the pre-cursor of what is yet to come!

Cocktail Tables (Expect to pay $20-$50 each)
Cocktail tables are a great way to encourage conversation among your guests.  You can use flowers and light to draw attention to these tables.  Keep the floral display minimal but enticing and make sure that any candles used are not directly around the petals of your florals….you might have an unexpected pyrotechnic display if care is not taken!

Wedding Cake Flowers (Expect to pay $35-$150)
Your wedding cake can be enhanced using fresh flowers.  Bear in mind that not all flowers are considered “edible” and your florist should be able to guide you as to what you can and cannot use on cakes. 

LABOR!
Florists are skilled in their trade!  They take pride in their work and often times will go above and beyond what is stated in their contract to ensure that your wedding flowers are MORE than what you expected.  That being said, expect to pay for their expertise and labor.  Overall, 30% of your floral total will be tied into labor…don’t flinch at this because as easy as it looks, floral design requires skill, patience and creativity. 

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