Why Do Wedding Flowers Cost So Much?

 

Engagement Ring with Coral Tulip Cost of Wedding Flowers

He or she has put a ring on it!  Yay!  You have been shopping around for vendors, going to different shows and in the back of your mind, you are thinking why do flowers cost so much?  Most couples often experience sticker shock over the price of wedding flowers.

You ask yourself why don’t “I go to Trader Joes or the grocery store to get my flowers?”  Simply put, flowers are expensive.  Why?  Let’s use an example of a bridal bouquet.  A bouquet has a number of individual blooms and they can be very costly.  While we can help you pick out flowers that are your style and theme, it’s important to be clear about your floral budget in the beginning. It also helps when you have a consultation with us that you have some understanding of the costs associated with specific flowers.

Below, is a break down the factors that contribute to the final cost of a bridal bouquet.

  1. The bouquet requires an extensive amount of design time and care.  We usually allot one to two hours of design time to perfect each bouquet.  However, it is not always just the labor that that contributes to the final cost of the bouquet.  If you want expensive, out of season blooms, like peonies in October, the cost is going to be higher because peonies aren’t available and would have to be imported.  A lot of brides choose a premium array of flowers to make a statement in their bouquet.  The most popular premium flowers are orchids, peonies, garden roses and calla lilies.
  2. Even though premium flowers attribute to the cost of the bouquet, the number of blooms will matter too.We have to order more flowers than we intend to use; some stems are not in perfect condition while designing or because the potentially of having to replace a broken or wilted bloom on wedding day.
  3. What else is included in the cost of a bouquet? Our overhead.There is a great deal of expenses that come with running a floral business.  Expenses like prep time, storage of the flowers, labor, production, supplies and transportation have to be added.
  4. You are paying for our expertise.If you want to DIY your own flowers, you can but DIY isn’t really for everyone and can be stressful if you are relying on friends and family to help you and they don’t help you out.  If you have never arranged flowers before, your wedding day isn’t the time to start doing that.
  5. The size of the bouquet doesn’t always impact the cost of the bouquet.  There is also a myth that using a lot of greenery or keeping it simple will drive the cost of the bouquet down. Unfortunately, since the wedding of the Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the cost of greenery has skyrocket and some greenery costs as much as flowers.

Basically, there are a number of factors that drive the cost of your wedding flowers up.  If you are trying to save money, we can recommend choosing more affordable blooms like carnations, mums and standard roses, to name a few.  There are so many gorgeous varieties and colors to choose from.

Don’t think that you can’t have premium flowers.  When brides want to cut costs we suggest to have a premium flower as a focal point and the rest of the bouquet with affordable flowers.  When you are walking down the aisle, most guests are looking at the color of the bouquet, not what type of flowers are in the bouquet.

Love is Love – An LGBT Wedding in the Woods

An LGBT Wedding at UC Davis Arboretum

We have had the opportunity to plan and design a number of LGBT weddings over the last couples years.  Last October, Inspirations by Gina was contacted by Angela who was looking for someone to create florals and decor for her wedding to Cassie.  Yay!  We were so excited because our philosophy is that Love is Love and we do not discriminate against anyone who finds love.  Angela met with us and we immediately clicked on the design and what she was envisioning for her wedding day.  The UC Davis Arboretum is such a serene and special place that we wanted to capture the organic elements in our design for Angela and Cassie.

We decided that we would use lots of greenery such as sword ferns along with a single echeveria succulent, seeded eucalyptus to represent the woods in Angela’s bouquet.  The pop of colors of cream roses and purple burgundy florals tied into the design of Angela’s gown and her desire to bring in the color burgundy for the wedding.

Credit: Oh Snap Photography

We continued with the design of the woods throughout the reception decor and the centerpieces for the guest tables were wooden boxes filled with florals, pots and succulents.  We decorated the simple wedding cake with cream roses to compliment the rest of the design throughout the reception.

Angela was overcome with so much emotion when we presented her with her bouquet!  Also, when Angela and Cassie arrived at the D Street Steakhouse, they were both blown away when they saw not only the florals but the reception decor.  This is why we do what we do because we love it when our clients are happy with what we create for their special day.

For more info on Angela and Cassie’s wedding day, check out their wedding on Equally Wed:

Here’s a toast to both Angela and Cassie:  Cheers and we wish you much love and happiness!

Vendor Credits

Photography: Oh Snap! Photography
Ceremony Venue: UC Davis Arboretum
Reception Venue: D Street Steakhouse
Cassie’s Florals: Bloom and Vine
Officiant: Tan Wedding & Events
Angela’s Bouquet and Reception Decor: Inspirations by Gina
Entertainment: Steve Millington
Dress: Haute House Couture
Vest & Tie: Elegant Designs Bridal
Suit & Shoes: Express

Five Tips for Designing a Vintage Tuscany Themed Wedding

Have you ever dreamed of having a Tuscan themed wedding in the Tuscany countryside but don’t have the resources to travel all the way to Italy?  Well, you don’t have to travel half way around the world to make your dream wedding a reality.  Here in California there are so many great wineries complete with rolling hills and sunset views that you can have your wedding at and the great thing is you do not need a passport!

The following are six tips to help you get started in creating a Tuscan vintage themed wedding:

  1. For us here at Inspirations by Gina when we think of the word vintage it makes us think of soft lace, beautiful details and rustic abandonment.  Also, we envision Tuscany with rolling hills, wine barrels, Italian cypresses and sunflowers.  When creating your Tuscan vintage theme, make sure that you mix earthy rough elements with softer fabrics and vintage pieces so that your wedding doesn’t look like a bad garage sale.
  2. Pick venue a that has an Old World vibe to it; it can be a winery, a hotel that is near a vineyard or even a private estate.
  3. Don’t overdo it with florals. Remember to have balance and that your venue’s landscape will probably speak for itself in terms of beauty so why over compensate?
  4. When you are figuring out how to decorate for your wedding, you don’t need a whole lot to get the look you want. Every detail doesn’t have to match exactly; it’s called mismatch perfection! You want to pair your décor with the surroundings.  Try pairing your tables with flowy fabrics and mix them with materials such as rustic wood, metal and/or brick to have contrast and texture.  Too much of a good thing makes everything look overdone and harsh.
  5. Pick a range of colors and don’t feel like you have to choose a maximum of three colors. Look at what the venue offers both interior and exterior, you will be surprised by what inspires you. Don’t be afraid to experiment.  You will know what is right when you see it.

 

winery wedding tuscan inspired wedding

Photo Credit: Cameron Ingalls Photography

 

winery wedding tuscan wedding lavender themed wedding

Photo Credit: Cameron Ingalls Photography

 

winery wedding lavender themed wedding herbs and lavender

Photo Credit: Cameron Ingalls Photography

Rentals by Botanica Events and All About Events, Venue Villa San Juliette Winery, Floral Design by Noonan’s Wine Country Designs, Photo by Cameron Ingalls Photography

 

 

 

Awesome Alternate Names for Your Wedding Party

The last two months we are proud to have had some very unique and fun weddings with some awesome couples. A trend that we noticed with a great deal of the weddings this year is the rising popularity of gender-neutral wedding parties and weddings without wedding parties (Gina had this for her own wedding this year). More and more couples are using terms beyond “bridesmaids” and “groomsmen” to refer to the people that are loving and supporting them throughout the wedding process and the actual wedding day. We have heard

Here are a few creative names that we have heard this year:

Bromaid
Man of Honor
Maid of Honor being called a “Bridesmaid” instead of a Maid of Honor
Brother of Honor
Best Sister
Wedding Entourage
Wedding Posse
Best Brother
Wedding Crew
Woman of Honor
Partners in Crime

There are a bunch of reasons why you might want to rethink the term “Bridal Party”. It sounds so archaic and outdated and here are other reasons why you might not want to use the term:

  • You are two grooms who don’t identify with the term “bridal” anything.
  • You don’t want to listen to your parents and want to be an off-beat bride/groom.
  • Your besties/crew are a mixed gender and you don’t have the traditional evenly split, brides side and groom’s side.
  • Nobody likes to use the term “Maid/Matron of Honor or Bridesmaid”.
  • You want to reduce the stress of your crew fighting over who will be “Maid of Honor”.
  • You might want to be looking for ways to personalize your wedding and want to throw tradition out the door.

Whatever your reasons are for using alternate names for your wedding party, rest assured that it is okay! The possibilities are endless!

What other names have you thought for your most favorite peeps in the world?

Inspiration by Gina