In
my experience in the wedding industry I find over and over
again a very unrealistic view of how much money is spent on
wedding flowers and how much one can actually get for their
money.
Many wedding
planners and articles in major wedding magazines typically
budget 5-10% for flowers. For an average wedding of
$19,000 this leaves $950-$1900 for flowers. What is
not said is what this includes. If a bride is looking
for the fantastic look featured in those same wedding
magazines, she can only hope for the basics for the ceremony
and reception .
Another
misconception is that he total budget described by wedding
experts may not include delivery charges. Doing flower
setup oneself is usually not an option given the time
constraints on most rental venues. Delivery can be
about 10-20% more depending on the location and amount of
time allocated for set-up. With the delivery charge
taken out, this leaves only $770-1710 for flowers.
Another
factor not taken into account in these numbers is
guest counts and locations. The reception flowers are
typically more than half of the flower budget. With
the budget given above, that only leaves $385-855 for
reception flowers. A bride with 200 guests is going to
spend a great deal more decorating for the reception than a
bride with 100 guests. To seat 200 guests usually
requires about 20 tables. This means there is only
$19-43 per table for the budget described above. If you go
to any quality florist and order a $19-43 bouquet, you might
be a little disappointed to find out that this centerpiece
probably does not include many if any premium flowers like
roses, callas, orchids, or lilies.
One good
thing to note though is the cost of the ceremony flowers
does not really go up as significantly with higher guest
counts. If you spend half your flower budget on the
ceremony you can probably get a nice bridal bouquet, 3-5
bridesmaids bouquets and boutonnières and corsages for the
$385-855. You may not be left with any money however
to decorate the aisle or have large standing arrangements.
Typically
you will need to get a quote from a couple florists.
When your budget is over $2,000, you should sit down and let
the florist know everything you want. If the quote
comes out higher than you can start subtracting the little
line items. If you are starting off with a smaller
budget of less than $2,000, take the opposite approach of
starting with a quote of the necessities (such as the
bride's and bridesmaids'' bouquets) than slowly adding on items
that you may want.
When a bride
gets a quote from a couple of florists, she may wonder why
one florist charges more for the same bouquet. Brides
fail to understand that flowers prices are not materials
based. The design is large percentage of
the costs factored in. All flowers include a
markup that reflects the designers' skill level and
expertise. If the bride thinks that the skills of one
florist surpass the other, than the price difference can be
justified. The truth is even though the line item may
read "50 rose and 50 stephanotis bouquet," a comparable
style may not be achieved through different florists.
Here are some tips on "getting real" with
flower costs:
-
be sure hire a florist based on their
affordability to you and on the relative value of their
design skills.
-
Keep guest counts down to keep budget
down. A smaller
guest count usually requires a smaller venue to decorate and
less centerpieces.
-
Be sure to factor in the cost of delivery
and taxes to meet your budget.
-
Choose a location where the delivery is
easy and make sure there is enough time allocated for the
florist to set-up when signing your rental agreement.
-
Quality is usually better than quantity. Start with the necessities such as the
bride's bouquet, bridesmaids' bouquets, boutonnières and
corsages. After that list, slowly add-on other items.
-
Decide whether or not flowers are a
priority to you and then determine what percentage of your
total budget you would like to allocate to flowers.
10-20% is the most realistic.
Finally, remember to balance your desires with what is pragmatic. If you cannot accept a tight flower budget,
try allocating a little more of the overall budget to flowers.
Just remember that you will have to sacrifice something else!
Flowers can determine the ambiance of your wedding, so just
ask yourself what that is worth to you. Weigh your
priorities!
Don't be discouraged! I hope that this
article did not make every bride feel like they were not going
to get their dream wedding for their budget. My main
goal is to educate. I honestly believe that a
realistic view will keep you from being blindsided on your way
to your dream. Most importantly, regardless of how much
you spend, if planning is done with practical knowledge, attention
to detail, and a sense of creativity, you can achieve your
heart's desire!
KAK
