mrs2be.ie

[Wedding Flowers Ireland]

1. Chose flowers that are in season, or that are always available.
2. If on a tight budget, have an open mind on the type of flowers you want, go for fewer different types and colours of flowers, this will mean the florist doesn't have to order large quantities of different flowers just for a few of each, wastage has to be paid for too! So, top tip- one or two different flowers in the bouquets in one or 2 colours.
3. Handtied bouquets are more economical than shower bouquets as they are less labour intensive, shower bouquets take a lot more time to create
4. If you have a lot of Bridesmaids, see if the florist can make smaller posies for them, or even just 3 blooms can look well, also, wrist corsages are a possibility.
5. Spend the bulk of your money on the bouquets, these will be in the photographs forever. Church flowers, unless they can be taken with you, are left in the church, and are seen for 1-2 hours, your bouquets will be in almost every photograph and need to look well for many hours.
6. Ask the florist if they can use more economical flowers for the church, for example, carnations will be cheaper than roses.
7. If on a very tight budget, and having unity candles, I advise brides to spend the money on a a large floral display for around the candles, as they will again be in the photographs, and are an important part of the ceremony. A large unity candle display, when placed on the altar, will act as a focal point for all the guests. Otherwise, put the candles on a nice stand, and get 2 pedestal arrangements for either side of the church.
8. Ask your florist if they rent out items, sometimes, this is a cheaper option than buying them.
9. To save more money, you can collect and setup the flowers yourself, but bear in mind that you must have someone reliable to do this for you the morning of the wedding, with many churches, there may be a funeral the morning before you get married, which will leave very little time to dress the church.

Here are some FAQs I often get:
1. Why do wedding flowers cost so much?
While there are some florists who really do charge too much for flowers, the simple fact is that wedding flowers have to be premium, that means they are expensive. Also, when the flowers come in from a wholesaler, they have to be conditioned and stored. A wedding order can take anything from a few hours to a few days to prepare, generally, it takes a full day to create the bouquets and displays for an average wedding order. Then, if the florist is delivering and setting up, they would have to either close their shop or get someone in to run it whilst they are away. As most weddings are at 1 or 2 PM, again, almost a full day is lost loading, delivering, setting up and collecting any rental items from a wedding ceremony.

2. Who wears buttonholes? In general, the groom, groomsmen, fathers of bride and groom, ushers and pageboys would wear buttonholes, corsages are worn by mother’s of the bride and groom, however, some couples also want to include other close relatives, and grandparents, brothers and sisters wear buttonholes and corsages to show that they are important guests. It really depends on the wishes and budget of the bride and groom.

3. Can I have candles in the displays? I find that most churches will only allow unity candles to be lit, they also will only allow lit candles that are enclosed (i.e) in a lantern. So, my advise is, check with the priest/ sachristan first. If they don’t allow candles to be lit, then leave them unlit, or use led candles.

4. What is an aqua packed bouquet? This relates to the mother’s thank you bouquets, which are handtied, and then placed in a small pack of water so that they will live throughout the wedding day, and last well. We also box our aqua packs for better presentation, security and transportation.

5. What colours go well with black dresses? Well, you name it, and it can go with black, white, pink, red, green, yellow, purple, orange, black is one of the easiest colours to harmonise with.

6. What colours are popular? The colour for 2012, seems to be navy. Purple was the big colour for 2011, and will still be popular for 2012, but the most popular coloured flower choice in 2011 were ivory and pink, and we are seeing this again in 2012. Jewel tones are the summer colours this year, and we're seeing cerise pink, and bright red. And, of course, deep red at Christmas.

7. Why are flowers so expensive at Christmas? Well, just like at Valentine's and Mother's day, it's a case of supply and demand, these 3 times of the year, see the largest demand for flowers worldwide, and so, the prices go up. In winter, most flowers are grown in greenhouses which have to be heated, and so, the flowers cost more to grow also. At christmas the most popular and consequently, most expensive flowers are red, white/ ivory and green, so my top tip for Christmas wedding flower savings, would be to avoid these colours if possible!

If there are any other questions you'd like answered, PM me and I'll put them up here.
G.
http://www.WeddingFlowersIreland.net

[cheeky monkey]

Thanks for the tips much appreciated

[MrsEL10]

Great post

My sister is a florist and am getting her to organise my flowers for me - she said also to spend the money on a fab arrangement that holds the candles - and the bouquets - I don't know if getting anything else apart from corsages

[Stary Em]

great advice... thanks

[Wedding Flowers Ireland]

Bumping this post up, for new Missies, and as I've been asked a lot of the FAQs lately, it might help a little.

[june2012bride2be]

Great thanks for the tipps

[Angel_D_08]

great tips thanks

[Wedding Flowers Ireland]

Bumping this post up as there have been so many new missies joining lately, I hope it helps a few of you with your planning!

[Eims]

My friend shared the costs of the church flowers with 2 other couples who got married in the same church on the same day! Talk about money saver... the fact that 3 couples pitched in for the flowers meant that they were able to get more for their combined budget.

[Wedding Flowers Ireland]

Yep, it's one way to save money Eims, but it is rare enough that situation would arise, let alone get 3 brides to agree on flowers, colours etc..... but when it does work out, of course it saves money!

[Eims]

Well I think these days people are finding they are able to cooperate when it comes to saving money. My friend and the other girls were obviously easy going and well meaning. It worked out great in the end and 1/3 of the price for everyone!

[Nearly Married]

Thanks for the tips..they are great, will definitely be in touch nearer my date

[Wedding Flowers Ireland]

I just got asked a question by a missie regarding gerberas:
"Are gerbera good for bouquets, I've heard they don't last"
The answer is, yes, they are good for bouquets, but they do need some extra support. Any florist worth their salt will know how to do this, and even though they may look delicate, they aren't, remember they originated in South Africa, and that is hardly the easiest of climates. Gerbera are lovely, and can be mixed with other flowers. Another question I was asked was, do gerbera and roses combine well..... I've attached an image of a sample bouquet to show you all that yes, they do.

Sample

rosegerbera.jpg (17.56 KiB) Viewed 783 times

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Any other questions, let me know!

[Wedding Flowers Ireland]

Oh i love that bouqet!

[mrsm2b2011]

thanks for the advice very useful as im in the middle of deciding on my flowers have so many flower books and they all look the same ahh!!!