Spending for Bridal Bouquet Decreasing?
I know, it may have seemed like we dropped from the face of the earth. Let’s just say Each & Every Detail has been undergoing some fabulous changes and with all of our wonderful brides to attend to, we got caught up in the craziness of life and forgot to keep you posted! I hope you’ll forgive us! We have very exciting news on the horizon, so please keep checking back as we’ll have some announcements here shortly.
In the meantime, here’s a fun little statistic for you. According to The Wedding Report (a wonderful site for wedding statistics), spending for the bridal bouquet has decreased from $154 in 2008 to $136 for the second quarter of 2009.
This could mean many things. Do you think florists are lowering their prices because of the economy? Or are brides buying less expensive bouquets? Or are flowers in general less expensive right now? Please share your thoughts as I’d love to know what you think it means!
Details Video from E&ED
Enjoy!!!
Flowers and Books
I was working with one of my brides today and she said something that I thought was so perceptive. “What woman doesn’t love flowers and books?” Now, it was probably one of those you had to be there moments, but I loved it! I adore Barnes & Noble and would probably spend my entire life’s earnings there if I didn’t have to eat. What made me think this appropriate to blog about was that one my most recent acquisitions from this grand place is a book…. on flowers! I thought I’d share for all as it is a wonderful resource, not only on different types of flowers used for weddings, but it gives great ideas based on colors, theme or by budget! It’s called “The Knot Book of Wedding Flowers” and of course I’ve linked that to B&N. It was written by Carley Roney, the editor of The Knot. I have found it to be a great tool for working with my clients in describing flowers and familiarizing them with what they like/don’t like. It’s definitely a must have on the bookshelf!
Bet you can think of a way to use these…
One of my fave brides told me about this website. (Thank you Jennifer!) Check out FiftyFlowers.com for bulk purchase of fresh rose petals. I really mean bulk ladies! You can get 6,000 petals for only $139.99, which is a great price, as any florist can probably tell you. Of course, you can use them for all sorts of decorating, like the aisle of your wedding, on tables, floors, window ledges, tossing for your exit, and I bet you’ll even have some left to decorate your hotel room!
PS. Ladies, when you visit sites like these, compare prices! I highly recommend the petals here because the ones Jennifer ordered were wonderful and at a great price. I checked other prices on this site and know you can get some items for much cheaper and at a great quality at your local wholesaler. Just another tip!
Florist criteria
Your florist is one of the most crucial vendors you choose, yet I feel most brides pick their florist without looking at qualifications, references or even portfolios. Florists are key to framing the look and style of your wedding, so please be careful! Most brides choose their florist by word of mouth references, which is a great tool, but is not the only criteria one should look at. Here are a few items that are important to myself when evaluating a florist:
Experience - How long has the florist been doing this and how much of their business comes from weddings? Many florists offer wedding services, but this may not be their main interest or priority. You want a florist to WANT to make your wedding special.
Creativity – When you look at their portfolio, do you see the same thing over and over? Is it simply a book from 1800Flowers? Or is it pictures from the weddings they’ve done? Are there fun, creative and unique ideas or is it only traditional items? If you want something different and unique, you want a florist who has done something different in the past. This shouldn’t be their first attempt at something new.
Proposal – Your florist should have a written proposal to explain their offer. The proposal should include specific flowers to be used, possibly a sketch of the most important items, and specific pricing and payment terms. This is for both you and your florist to know what the expectations are and is your main communication tool.
Curiousity – Your florist should be curious! They should ask questions such as: What does your dress look like? Where are you getting married and what is it like? What’s your favorite flower? What flowers do you not like? If they aren’t asking you questions, they are not going to put together something that is meaningful to you and it may not even fit the surroundings.
Florists are wonderfully creative people and I think you’ll find most fit these criteria. Word of mouth is still the best way to find your florist, but these tools will help you to narrow down your choices.