These were the flower center pieces we had at our wedding, in 2010. I wanted them as full as I could without spending lots of money. It cost about 30 Euro each, exactly as you see it in the pictures, vase included. From all my experience in the wedding industry I knew that tall and full center pieces will make the reception place look amazing and they will have a great impact on our guests. Well, they did, because when they left in the morning, some of our guests asked if they can take the arrangements home. 🙂 They did, and I was so happy because it meant they really loved them.
Now, how did I get to pay less for those flowers?
1.I searched the Internet and decided how I wanted them to look and what was the color scheme.
2. I contacted some florists and asked what their offer was for what I wanted. Then I got really scared. 🙂 The prices were high.
3. I searched some more… and found an agency that could take care of all the reception arrangements, and because it was a bigger contract and they were not subcontracting another florist, there was some room for negotiation.
4. I chose long flowers: opened roses, freesias, Orchids Dendrobium, Lisianthus and a lot of green leaves to complement them. Choosing the ones with multiple flowers on a single stem was a smart move because it made the arrangement look fuller, and we were receiving more from just one flower. The Orchids were strategically placed so the arrangement looked taller and bigger. Just imagine how it would’ve looked without them.
5. We chose flowers that were available all year round, nothing too special.
6. After deciding on the flowers and the details, I asked the florist to make one to see how it would actually look. That was a month before the wedding. I paid for that arrangement, of course and took it home. It was fuller than the one at the wedding and more expensive.
7. Finally, we gave the wedding planner a budget/piece and told her to follow the design but choose the right amount of flowers to stay in that budget.
She did and we were very pleased of the center pieces.
For the bride and groom table, we went for a different kind of design, but with the same type of flowers. Also, we had 2 side arrangements with candles.
Of course I dreamed of a wedding filled with lots and lots of flowers, but I had to work with what I had and tried to do as much as I could. The florist helped a lot so together we chose the best flowers and calculated a lot to be able to stay within the budget. She did the best she could and I really appreciated her for this.
The best way to do this is to choose a style you like, than choose the right flowers that can replicate your dream arrangement, in the right budget. It’s all about planning and smart choices…
If you have any more questions just send me an e-mail and I’ll gladly help.
PS. Our agency was J’adore Events, but I think they moved to Alsace, France.
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