April showers bring May flowers…or so they sayHappy almost Easter! How is it already April - a month filled with rain, prep for wedding season, the Eclipse (the last one for like 20 years), and the start of the blooming of flowers? I visited the New York Botanical Gardens two weeks ago - it was GORGEOUS!! It reminded me of my past life when I worked in venues. I miss it, but I love planning and designing and am excited to one day produce something unique there! Have you checked out their event spaces? If not, you should - give Nina a ring! Weddings are a luxury. How often will someone have live music, curated water goblets, and gourmet meals for an event? Flowers are one of the many luxury “products” that make an event feel extra luxe and unique. A florist will use the best flowers to convey the best result. The prices can increase because flowers are expensive, even for the vendors. This is part of my love/dislike of Pinterest—it does not come with a price tag! A big misconception is that just because a flower is in season, such as peonies in May, doesn’t mean it’s local. And local does not equate to cheaper. Flowers have always been one of my favorite elements in wedding design; to that point, they can also be one of the more significant price points. Why? They are a fresh, natural element, but more importantly, the production of flowers for a wedding goes way beyond just the flowers themselves. Being a floral designer is a highly labor-intensive job that requires many different people and types of labor. Cutting flowers, filling buckets, hauling boxes- and that’s before any of the flowers have made it into the arrangement! Then, it's the days and hours of designing every element. When you hire a floral designer, unlike ordering a quick arrangement online, everything is 100% custom, handmade! The centerpieces take time to create because designers create one-of-a-kind pieces for their clients, never replicating the same design twice. Then it’s on to the wedding setup itself, the strike/breakdown, hours and hours and hours of many hands doing physical hard work. Everyone is always shocked to see the labor line item, but this is what it is for! Now, not to ruffle feathers, but have you ever seen the difference between a store-bought rose, or even one bought in an everyday flower shop, and one at an event prepped by a designer florist? Not to be dramatic, but the extra prep makes a huge difference. When considering your floral budget, consider this: Your wedding has three main parts: Ceremony, Cocktail Hour, and Reception. If your ceremony is happening in a place of worship, your need is most likely minimal. However, if you’re at a wedding venue or outside, you probably consider an arch, which costs around $2,000 at minimum. Cocktail hour comprises bud vases, tea lights, and ESCORT CARD DISPLAY - my favorite! Why? Because this is a place to make a statement! Check out my favs below. Then you have your reception room. Sweetheart table or Head table? Rounds, rectangles - or a mix? Regardless, this is where the magic truly happens. Are your ceilings high or low? Either way, you need a nice mixture of tall and short to give the room flow, texture, and an atmosphere. Does it need to be all flowers - nope! Consider candles - floating or candelabras (Note: these can also be just as expensive - it’s just a different way to enhance the space). You can even put some branches in there. I always say to mix it up with 2 - 3 different centerpiece designs. If you can mix different types of tables, this also creates more dimension. Again, there are many ways to design your wedding, but flowers are a significant line item that sometimes catches people off guard. The best way to avoid the shock is to hire a Wedding Planner who can walk you through the process from the start. We can discuss your vision and create a realistic budget that focuses on your needs and wants!
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