Things Learned: Flowers

Flowers can take a huge chunk out of any wedding budget so it’s important to make sure that you’re getting what you want before you pay for it. In order to save money, the only flowers we used were for the bridal party (no ceremony flowers or centerpieces) and we used the florist at a local supermarket. I think we made a great choice with the supermarket flowers, the boutonnieres, corsages, and bouquets were lovely. They weren’t exactly what I’d asked for though, and that is why I’m writing this “things learned” post.

My bouquet: so close to what I wanted, but too many extras

I wanted a very simple, all-carnation bouquet. What I got was a carnation bouquet with little jewels in it, plus filler-flowers resembling small daisies and lavender, and greens. Also, I asked for it to be tied with ribbon: ivory for mine, sage green for the bridesmaids’. The bridesmaids’ bouquets had the proper ribbon, mine had pouffy tulle around it. It wasn’t terribly off so I went with it, but if I could go back in time I’d have brought a photo of the ultra-simple, super-minimal carnation bouquet I’d envisioned. The lesson learned is that the florist can’t read your mind, and in her mind your idea may seem too plain or like no one could want it. Bring photos off of the internet to ensure that you properly communicate your ideas. This is further helpful in case you’re using a florist with many different employees like we did; if the staff member who took your order isn’t working on your wedding day, the photo of exactly what you want may be kept with your order.

A few more tips I shared in my earlier post on flowers is that I highly recommend checking out your local grocery store for floral options; that hydrangeas wilt too quickly to be in a bouquet; and that carnations are a frugal, hardy, cute flower that come in a variety of colors.

All in all, my bouquet worked. It was still simple, green, and very cost effective (my bouquet was $20, all of the flowers together came to just under $150.) I had a very pleasant experience with the florist I used; all of the staff was very nice, they allowed for changes to my order (my mom decided she wanted a wrist corsage instead of a pin at the last minute,) and they did a good job. So my one big important tip is that if you know what you want, bring photos to your florist to make sure that it’s exactly what you get.