Everything you need for a California wedding

I’m backing what silentpuma28 said here.
Ladies, do yourselves a favor and go take a stroll through some local shops to see for yourselves; my first friend had an auntie handle everything from the home decor and boutonnieres to the bouquet, the venue, the Church • tablecloth, and even the car decorations, and she was charged $2.50 for the whole setup. Meanwhile, another florist who works out of her own home took just $1333, and honestly, I think that’s a massive gap—I know the home-based lady does amazing work, but such a huge price difference feels a bit much, doesn't it?
Don't get mad at me, but that's just how I see it, especially since this other florist also made her a keepsake holder that’s actually built to last forever.
Then there's another friend of mine getting married tomorrow; she handled the invitations, thank-you notes, home decor, the Church • tablecloth, the venue, boutonnieres, and the bouquet herself, and then $1500
will be helping out too. It all really comes down to what you decide to outsource, but if you ask me, I've heard from plenty of reliable sources that some flower shops will absolutely rip you off 😍 if you aren't careful.

Michael Davis21 said:Ugh, I still didn't manage to make it out to the flower shop today... I really meant to—I had it all planned out in my head—but then things just sort of spiraled and the day totally got away from me... such a bummer!🙄

Wait, what exactly does that "5" actually cover? I mean—is it just the base price, or are we talking about everything... like taxes, service fees, the whole nine yards? I always feel like there’s some hidden catch with these kinds of things—you think you're paying one amount and then suddenly you're looking at a receipt that looks like a phone number... anyway, I'm just curious! $0.00? 4 $0.00 I mean, I guess it’s still somewhat doable, but honestly... 5 just feels like way too much to me...🤷 Someone please feel free to set me straight if I've got this all wrong... I mean, this is my first time ever getting married, so I'm definitely still figuring things out...😁...

Color: purple + butterflies

• Wedding bouquet + boutonnieres (groom, best man, maid of honor)
• Bridal car

• Flower girl bouquet + toss bouquet

Home decor

Church

• Church • tablecloth
• Small altar arrangement
• Stand 2 pcs
• Pews ???

VENUE

Two hearts
Head table - 4m long arrangement
Candlesticks
Aquarium with floating candles

BOUTONNIERES (250 pcs)

A private decorator asked me for the same thing $2333 , but like, I get to keep all the vases anyway👍

Megan Reyes73, what on earth are you actually doing?

David King72 said:Megan Reyes73, what on earth are you actually doing?

At Jack's newsstand over in Radunica.

Megan Reyes73 said:Color: purple + butterflies

• Wedding bouquet + boutonnieres (groom, best man, maid of honor)
• Bridal car

• Flower girl bouquet + toss bouquet

Home decor

Church

• Church • tablecloth
• Small altar arrangement
• Stand 2 pcs
• Pews ???

VENUE

Two hearts
Head table - 4m long arrangement
Candlesticks
Aquarium with floating candles

BOUTONNIERES (250 pcs)

A private decorator asked me for the same thing $2333 , but like, I get to keep all the vases anyway👍

Well, looking at that list, there's actually quite a lot... I'm hoping my list is at least half as long as hers... hopefully...🙄 😁

Here's what I think I'll need:

• Wedding bouquet + boutonnieres (groom, best man, maid of honor)
• Decor for the wedding car

Home decor/arrangements (for my place and his)

CHURCH—NOTHING

Head table arrangement
Candlesticks - for the head table
Tall arrangements for every table (maybe 20 total?)

And boutonnieres, maybe around 170

Still, it might end up being more than I thought... $1000 😁

But honestly, until I actually get there, I can't really say for sure... 🤣
That’s just my own takeaway and how I’m crunching the numbers based on what was listed above...🤣 😁

Look, everything is subjective... don't just go copying what someone else did... it all comes down to the flowers themselves. Is it peak season? Are they even in stock? What kind are we talking about? Will there be one lone stem in a vase or a massive explosion of blooms?

For instance, I once hunted down these specific white and green roses and some lisianthus that were just disappearing from the market right when I needed them—availability really dictates the final bill...

If you ask me, everything you guys listed above... you actually need more than three of those elements $0.00 :nezna:

I mean, there is no way a four-meter floral arrangement isn't going to cost a fortune $167... it's obvious that your own preferences are what drive the price!

Hey silentpuma28 and David King72, what were you guys using?
I'd appreciate any advice you can give. 🙂

Raymond Brooks7 said:Look, everything is subjective... don't just go copying what someone else did... it all comes down to the flowers themselves. Is it peak season? Are they even in stock? What kind are we talking about? Will there be one lone stem in a vase or a massive explosion of blooms?

For instance, I once hunted down these specific white and green roses and some lisianthus that were just disappearing from the market right when I needed them—availability really dictates the final bill...

If you ask me, everything you guys listed above... you actually need more than three of those elements $0.00 🤷

I mean, there is no way a four-meter floral arrangement isn't going to cost a fortune $167... it's obvious that your own preferences are what drive the price!

Your decor was a total 10/10 😍👍

If you don't mind, could you shoot me a DM? I'd love to know where you picked up those table runners—what the fabric is and how much they set you back 🙂

Michael Davis21 said:Your decor was a total 10/10 😍👍

If you don't mind, could you shoot me a DM? I'd love to know where you picked up those table runners—what the fabric is and how much they set you back 🙂

Thanks,

I picked up the fabric at a HomeGoods over in a suburb outside of Phoenix—just one of those shops that specializes in curtains. I think the width was about $6.25 feet, but I grabbed 20 yards of it. I ended up trimming it and making the runners myself. Honestly, I can't remember if it was polyester voile or organza—don't judge me, my textile knowledge is non-existent—but anyway, it’s basically just curtain fabric.

By the way... I still have everything. If anyone's interested, you can buy it or rent it from me.

Raymond Brooks7 said:Thanks,

I picked up the fabric at a HomeGoods over in a suburb outside of Phoenix—just one of those shops that specializes in curtains. I think the width was about $6.25 feet, but I grabbed 20 yards of it. I ended up trimming it and making the runners myself. Honestly, I can't remember if it was polyester voile or organza—don't judge me, my textile knowledge is non-existent—but anyway, it’s basically just curtain fabric.

By the way... I still have everything. If anyone's interested, you can buy it or rent it from me.

Well, I'm a total amateur when it comes to materials too🙄 so I'm just asking so I know what to look for... I'll probably show a photo to some ladies over at the local craft store and maybe they can help me out😁

You did the hemming yourself? Oh man, I definitely don't have two lives to spend doing that!🤣

If I decide to go with green, I'll let you know👍

Actually, if you're renting out those Candlesticks and I can't quite recall what else you had (assuming it wasn't green), we might be able to work something out🙂
I haven't settled on a color yet, but if I go with green, I'm taking the ribbons too😁

Karen Cruz2 said:Hey silentpuma28 and David King72, what were you guys using?
I'd appreciate any advice you can give. 🙂

I haven't actually bought any myself,
I've just been using my old ones from when I used to visit florists.

Raymond Brooks7 said:Look, everything is subjective... don't just go copying what someone else did... it all comes down to the flowers themselves. Is it peak season? Are they even in stock? What kind are we talking about? Will there be one lone stem in a vase or a massive explosion of blooms?

For instance, I once hunted down these specific white and green roses and some lisianthus that were just disappearing from the market right when I needed them—availability really dictates the final bill...

If you ask me, everything you guys listed above... you actually need more than three of those elements $0.00 :nezna:

I mean, there is no way a four-meter floral arrangement isn't going to cost a fortune $167... it's obvious that your own preferences are what drive the price!

Well, I'm pretty sure I already mentioned that it all boils down to what you want; my whole point was just that if you take a stroll and really look, you'll see the difference

David King72 said:I haven't actually bought any myself,
I've just been using my old ones from when I used to visit florists.

Fair enough, but where on earth did they get theirs!?🤷

Karen Cruz2 said:Fair enough, but where on earth did they get theirs!?🤷

Sorry, I just sent you a DM—it turns out those were actually made by that woman who does local handiwork from home.😍

David King72 said:Well, I'm pretty sure I already mentioned that it all boils down to what you want; my whole point was just that if you take a stroll and really look, you'll see the difference

I wasn't targeting your specific data... I'm talking about the big picture here. Supply and demand, plus whatever the customer is craving, is what dictates the price.😘

I mean, obviously, it all really comes down to what you’re looking for... some people might want a massive 4-foot arrangement, while others would prefer something a bit more low-key, and then there's the flower choice—some go for classic roses, others swear by orchids, and so on... so yeah, the price can swing pretty wildly depending on those details...

Raymond Brooks7 said:I wasn't targeting your specific data... I'm talking about the big picture here. Supply and demand, plus whatever the customer is craving, is what dictates the price.😘

Look, it’s all good.🙂

You’ve got a point, but honestly, the reputation of the shop matters just as much as the actual flowers...
I went with Knight because I know I can swing by whenever I have some crazy new idea or a random request and she won't give me any grief. When we were talking, I mentioned I wanted some little butterfly accents since they're on my invitations, and the woman literally went out that same day to hunt down butterflies...
😍

Megan Reyes73 said:You’ve got a point, but honestly, the reputation of the shop matters just as much as the actual flowers...
I went with Knight because I know I can swing by whenever I have some crazy new idea or a random request and she won't give me any grief. When we were talking, I mentioned I wanted some little butterfly accents since they're on my invitations, and the woman literally went out that same day to hunt down butterflies...
😍

😁 She’ll pull off whatever you ask. For instance, she was hunting down candlesticks for me... 👍 and I ended up breaking one anyway. 😢

Michael Davis21, sorry, I missed your comment above... the candlesticks, the vases... all of that came from the florist. My own ribbons and, obviously, I bought the candles myself... though she could have sourced those too if I'd asked.

Karen Cruz2 said:Hey silentpuma28 and David King72, what were you guys using?
I'd appreciate any advice you can give. 🙂

I actually picked up all my flowers from that little shop near Whole Foods...
for the bouquet—$117
plus about 65 table arrangements--$23piece by piece
the bridal table—$167
and then two bouquets for the family back home$100

I didn't really decorate the church myself since I got lucky—there was another bride getting married the exact same day who had already gone all out decorating the pews and our chairs... so, as my own contribution, I just rented some covers for the church seating and gave a little donation toward the altar decor...

Since we ended up walking instead of using a wedding car, I didn't even bother ordering an arrangement for the vehicle... anyway, hope this helps!😉