I suppose that choosing a favorite flower is similar to choosing a favorite child. It can be difficult to decide between all the wonderful wedding flowers available, but I have to admit that hydrangeas are swiftly taking over as my go-to choice.
First of all, a simple arrangement can be made with just two Hydrangea stems. I recently purchased two white hydrangea stems from Trader Joe’s, chopped the stems to a length of around 6 inches, and then arranged the flowers in a small circular glass vase. They lasted MORE than a week and looked stunning wherever I placed them, from the kitchen to the dining room. They were also $6.99, which seems outrageous for just two flowers, but given how fluffy they are, it would have taken a lot more flowers—at least a dozen roses—to achieve the same effect.
Hydrangeas look stunning in a bouquet, centerpiece, wedding arch, or even as a table runner (I don’t care how much it costs; it’s stunning!). Here are some of my favorite uses for hydrangeas. As you can see, sometimes the most basic presentation is the most beautiful.
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Do hydrangeas make nice wedding flowers?
When it comes to wedding flowers, hydrangeas have always been and will continue to be a perennial favorite. They fit practically any wedding theme, from romantic to formal, whimsical to modern and even rustic. They are rich and beautiful. Hydrangeas are in bloom throughout the summer and come in a range of colors and forms. The typical hydrangea most people are familiar with would be white or blue, but there are many varieties with petals that are green, pink, red, and even purple.
What is the typical wedding flower budget?
2020 has definitely made you more aware of the time and money that go into organizing a wedding if you’re one of the people who will be getting married in the upcoming year. Consider what is actually important to you and your fiancé during the first few weeks of your engagement. If you want to get married at the city courthouse, go for it! We would adore to witness your perfect wedding, complete with all of your closest relatives and friends. In either case, using flowers in a wedding ceremony is practically a given.
The most fundamental query is therefore raised: How much do wedding flowers cost? It seems like a relatively straightforward query that calls for an equally straightforward answer. but not really! The price of bridal flowers differs significantly from bride to bride. According to the common wisdom, couples should allocate 8% of their overall wedding budget for flowers, however this guideline can easily be broken depending on a number of different aspects.
Therefore, let’s go over some of those factors. Do you prefer Premium Silks over fresh flowers? Your preferred flowers—are they in or out of season? Because, let’s face it, it will be expensive to include fresh peonies or ranunculus in your bridal bouquet at a winter wedding. If so, how many pieces of fresh flowers will be used for the ceremony and reception, respectively? Will the florist need to place flowers before the wedding or on the day of the wedding? The list of inquiries never ends and it gets more until you encounter the dreaded price point.
We have a fantastic alternative option for you if spending hundreds of dollars on flowers that will be thrown away at the end of the night makes you queasy. Beautiful, high-quality silk flowers are available from Something Borrowed Blooms for a fraction of the price of real flowers. Our exquisite silk wedding flowers are always in style, smell amazing, and look real! Our selection of bridal bouquets, bridesmaids’ bouquets, boutonnieres, floral garlands, aisle markers, and other wedding-day rentals is continuously growing. Compared to the typical price of real flowers, consider the potential savings associated with renting silk wedding flowers from Something Borrowed Blooms:
Saving hundreds of dollars on wedding flowers is undoubtedly a YES for many of our Brides! However, we observe a careful compromise for others. If your budget and your desire for fresh flowers conflict, you might choose to mix the two. We’ve seen several brides combine fresh and silk for a stunning appearance. The fresh white and green bridal bouquet of one of our SBBlooms brides was complemented by our Jane Custom Garland in the photo below. When genuine and silk are combined, the possibilities are unlimited. In addition, silk florals go really well with fresh flowers and are a fantastic way to reduce total costs!
For the reception, switching to silk flowers might also result in significant savings! Every bride falls in love with lavish fresh floral garlands and complex floral installations—until they realize the cost. For fresh florists, creating these components requires a lot of labor, thus the price reflects that. The potential savings on reception flowers are significant when evaluated side by side!
Garland Something Borrowed Blooms is pleased to provide ceremony and reception flowers that stand out from the competition. We have a wide selection of decor items, greenery garlands, centerpiece sets, and custom garlands in our product range.
Who knew such a lengthy answer would be required for such a straightforward question? We’re delighted you persisted in reading to find out how to save money on flowers and why floral budgets vary so widely. And perhaps we gave you the knowledge you required to decide on your wedding floral costs while sticking to a spending plan that is ideal for YOU!
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How long does a bouquet of hydrangeas last?
The lacecap and mophead varieties of French hydrangeas are depicted in the blue bowl, respectively (galvanized bucket). We adore these options for gorgeous color: The first three are “Bluebird,” “Big Daddy,” “Endless Summer,” and “Nikko Blue.”
We love beautiful French hydrangeas just as much as you do. These impressive blooms virtually arrange themselves, but if you cut them prematurely or improperly prepare them, they’ll deflate quickly. Take our suggestion and gather flowers in the morning for arrangements that will last for a while (approximately two to three days for fresh cut flowers). Choose ones that are transparent and vibrant. The strongest blooms are mature ones that have a little papery texture. The stems should be cut at an angle and placed right away in a pail of water. Place them right away or keep them for up to two days in a cold, dark place (like a garage). Try one of these suggestions as soon as you notice the flower heads starting to droop.
Bathe in alum In order to arrange hydrangeas, Kathy Thomas, a floral designer with KSR Designs in Macon, Georgia, uses the following technique: To aid in promoting water uptake, she coats the bottom 1/2 inch of each stem in alum powder, which can be bought in the grocery store’s baking section.
Take a Bath Blooms should be submerged in water for 45 minutes, stems and all. The best technique to revive previously arranged flowers is to do this.
Calm Down Fill vases with two parts ice to one part water to cool flowers as the temperature soars.
Which wedding flowers are the priciest?
There are so many various kinds of flowers, which is why the average cost of bridal flowers varies so much! Peonies, gardenias, and hydrangeas are some of the priciest blooms. Utilizing a lot of greenery is an inexpensive (and trendy!) option to decorate your reception if you have a limited bridal floral budget. Freesia, baby’s breath, roses (but not garden roses), daisies, and carnations are some other low-cost flower options.
How do you calculate the cost of wedding flowers?
Yumiko Fletcher, owner of Hana Floral Design in Mystic, Connecticut, argues that COVID upset the supply chain in the floral industry, as it has in so many other sectors. “The flower farms had to take severe measures to maintain their operations when we were unable to hold major parties and weddings were postponed all over the nation and the world. Cut flower harvesting had to stop as a result, which led to job losses and other consequences. It’s not a quick repair because flowers and leaves require time to develop. When weddings resumed a year later, there were insufficient flowers to match the demand, which resulted in a significant price hike.”
Couples will need to reevaluate their wedding floral budget in light of these ongoing supply chain challenges, and keep in mind that the typical cost of wedding flowers will vary depending on the flower varieties chosen and how they are arranged.
In order to determine what your flower budget will get you, Fletcher advises being practical about it. “For example, a couple planning a wedding for $75,000 can anticipate their florals would cost around $7,500 because that is the accepted industry rate. But if you have high expectations and flowers are a priority for your big day, then perhaps you truly need to allocate 15 percent because today’s $7,500 is not the same as two years ago.”
Some couples decide to line the aisles for the wedding and the reception with countless fresh flowers. If you want that style for your wedding, be prepared to spend significantly more than $2,300. There are several options to adorn your space without going over your wedding floral budget if fresh flowers aren’t your main priority. Using more greenery than pricey flowers helps save costs. Trendy options like branches or pampas grass (or even spray-painted greenery) can change any setting.
Flowers. They’re expensive.
The price of flowers by themselves might fill a whole blog page. Flowers are costly. Additionally, social media is supplying you with pictures of the priciest flowers (King Protea, garden roses, Japanese Ranunculus, peonies in September, etc.). The Walmart display is deceiving. Near the cash register, there may be a sign advertising a dozen roses for $15, but look at the quality. Are those the flowers you actually want at your wedding?
Additionally, flowers are frequently utilized as a loss leader in grocery stores. Loss leader pricing is a brazen tactic where a store sells a few products below cost in an effort to draw customers who would make up for the losses by buying more products that are lucrative. Your fianc purchases the card, the chocolates, the roses—you get the idea.
For your wedding, the professional florists use more superior flowers. Additionally, we aren’t using them as a deterrent!
Vases, Candles, and Structures
So. Many. Vessels. To suit the needs of our varied clientele, we as florists must own a wide variety of vases and containers, including votives, bud vases, tall stands, arbors, chuppahs, bowls, compotes, cubes, and cylinders. When you finally believe you have it all together, Pinterest informs you that couples want a Harlow stand that is impossible to store without expanding your studio.
Rent
Nine years ago, I used the number of folding tables I needed to make and store all of the designs to determine the size of the wedding I had reserved. The subject of how much would fit in my cooler later came up. I’m sure I’ll be wishing I had more space now that we’ve upgraded to a 1200 square foot studio with a 100 square foot walk-in cooler! In addition to the space needed to process, create, and store finished designs, we also need space to store all of the other things we require. Space is expensive. It still costs money to live there, even if a florist designs in their kitchen. The emotional strain of having to remove flower stems from your garbage disposal each night before you prepare dinner also has a cost! Don’t forget about the utilities either.
The Van
Delivery cars are a substantial investment for a florist, whether they are their personal vehicles or ones they rent to bring your wedding flowers. After a certain number of years, one can no longer deliver weddings in the back of their Subaru hatchback (approximately three in my experience). Even then, they must deduct the cost of their vehicle’s wear and tear as well as their mileage. We adore Sally, the name of our van. She is very tall and long, allowing us to carry all the large treats!
What does the hydrangea represent?
Symbolism. The hydrangea stands for appreciation, beauty, and grace. Because of the profuse number of blossoms and the wide spherical form, it also exudes abundance. Its hues stand for peace, love, and harmony.