25 Apr Yes Wedding Flowers can be expensive! Your Flower Budget explained!
Congratulations on your Engagement! Now you need to find a floral stylist!
Wedding flowers form a major part of your wedding day! Not only do they add to the overall look and feel in a big way but they will also be captured in your heart, memories and print forever! It’s the first thing your guests will see, before anything else and sets the scene for your Day! Flowers and greenery arranged at the ceremony, adorned over stair cases or arranged on tables, they create an ambience and atmosphere that nothing else can.
Do you have a decent flower budget?
For some, the costs associated with having fresh flowers on your wedding day can be a difficult decision yet for others it’s a no brainer. What it really comes down to is how much you want fresh flowers to be part of the overall experience and what you are prepared to pay, so really think about your budget. Flowers and styling can cost anywhere between $600 to $3,000 so think about how your vision for your dream day might look like and really start to understand the costs associated with this.
Should I go fresh or artificial?
Now that is a loaded question but what it really comes down to is your budget. You can get an amazing look with artificial and it can be done within a tighter budget. We always suggest to most people on a budget to choose to combine the two, choosing the right stylist to integrate fresh and artificial is equally important. At Driftwood Blue Floral Events, we always have options for artificial so consider this next time you are thinking it’s all too expensive! Go for fresh bouquets and a main bridal table arrangement and event think about re-purposing the arrangement we’ve already designed for your arbour! It’s always a good option!
Why are fresh flowers so expensive?
Well, to start with you aren’t just buying a bunch of flowers, there’s a whole lot more to it! There is a process that begins right from the day you start to engage a floral stylist like us. Rather than walking into a supermarket where everything is laid out in front of you with pre-packaged boring same same bundles, there are many different providers each with their own personal style, ideas and designs and associated costs with providing fresh flowers, so finding someone that suits your style is paramount. From the ordering, collection and transportation to the preparation and storage, it all has to be done right to ensure your fresh blooms are at their best for your special day! The pain staking hours of preparation behind the scenes that you don’t see, the all nighters and the early mornings, it’s all part of making sure everything is just right for your special day!
The consultation process
Once you’ve made contact, the engagement and communication process begins which usually involves a face to face meeting with your stylist! This meeting is crucial in your decision making process. Meeting a stylist for the first time, can either seal the deal or leave you running for the hills! So make sure you’ve had a good look at their social media pages, websites and Pinterest accounts to get an idea of who they are and what they can offer you.
If yon engage with us, we usually meet at your favourite cafe and even shout you coffee! These meetings usually last about an hour and everything that you’ve been thinking of from flower styles and colours, bouquets and arrangements, to centrepieces and table runners and styling are all be laid out on the table for consultation. These meetings are always fun and relaxed and offers a great opportunity for everyone to really get to know each other better and vice versa!
You’ll receive our proposal within 24 hours detailing exactly your requirements as discussed with your inspiration images and anything you need to be aware of including booking requirements, disclaimers and cancellations. All we ask of you at this point, is feedback. It means a great deal to us to receive feedback from you, our potential clients. It not only to supports what we do, but it also helps us to better engage with our clients.
How to choose your stylist
If you are looking for someone you can trust and who can always be there for you along the way, ensure you are getting ongoing communication and engagement throughout the process. How well your stylist does this for you, is also a reflection of their overall services and value to you. Also consider what you need and the things you are looking for. Do you need someone hands on, responsive, creative, personable, easy to get along with, relaxed or someone who is intense, insanely experienced, highly professional and also very strong in their ideas and opinions?
Ask any one of our previous or current clients and you’ll get the same response, we are with you every step of the way and we are always relaxed, responsive, personable but also professional! We believe these are the four most important things you need when choosing a floral stylist, and ultimately it then comes down to their style and design. Who do you like the look of? Who can you most relate to?
The Booking Process
Once you’ve booked and confirmed with a deposit, this is where things start to get real! If you choose us, we begin to work on the design to create your vision. How we get to this point is mostly from our conversations, time we’ve spent getting to know you and your inspiration pieces from places like Pinterest and other images. We then spend some time checking on what flowers are in season to the greenery and foilage choices, styling items, wires and ribbons and any other adornments and casings, working out ordering time frames, liaising with flower growers or markets, arranging collection and delivery time frames, the list goes on and on. Quite often, our clients book us 6 to12 months in advance, so there’s also lots of communication back and forth over this time, changes and amendments, and of course our ongoing communication with hints and tips guides along the way!
Your Journey with us and your final consultation
It’s important to us to give our clients our focus and complete attention leading up to their Wedding Day, so we are always in touch with you some way or another. We know how stressful things can be, so we try and make sure you have nothing to worry about when it comes to your styling and flowers. We invite our clients to a final consultation about 4 weeks prior to their Wedding Day. Everything from hire items to specific flowers and arrangements are discussed, to ensure that everything is covered and to provide an opportunity for any last minute items to be added.
Your Wedding Day
By the time you’ve received your flowers on your wedding day and see your floral designs in place , we’ve already spent countless of hours of work, all nighters and early mornings in order to deliver your vision. Not only do we have to make sure the flowers have adequate storage and hydration during and after delivery, work quickly within tight time frames, create our designs onsite, liaise with venue co-ordinators and function managers, work side by side with function or venue staff, but we also must create the perfect arrangements and styling you’ve asked for, which is always our ultimate goal of course!
Most times we will have worked through the night, but in the end, what you should see is the beautiful result and creation not what goes on behind the scenes, this is all part of what you are paying for. All the organisation and planning is already done and the better this is the better the outcome will be! So the next time you ask for a price, make sure you find out about all the other value you’ll receive. The value that we bring to help you create your dream day is worth every cent.
Wedding flowers are certainly not cheap but if you work with us there are always a way to create something beautiful and personal within your budget! And remember, above all else savour those moments your wedding day brings and really take some time to enjoy your flowers!
Congratulations on your Engagement! We’d love you to consider us for your styling team!
Contact us today and tell us about your Dream Day!
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