Fabulous Flowers at fabulous prices...

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Let me just start off by saying that my flowers were stunning. The exact colors I wanted, the variety and the price, they were absoluetly perfect. When I first started looking for flowers I was shocked. The prices were horrendous, and I was completely overwhelmed. I felt like I was never going to be able to afford anything decent. Maybe a single rose for the whole wedding party and that was it. Well, let me tell you what I did get, and how much I paid. I got 1 bride's bouquet, 1 maid of honor's bouquet, 3 braidsmaid's bouquets, 1 flower girls bouquet, 2 Mother's boutonnieres, 2 Grandmother's boutonnieres, 1 groom's boutonniere, 1 best man's boutonniere, 3 groomsmen boutonnieres, 1 ring bearer boutonniere, and 2 Father's boutonnieres, 4 alter arrangements, 1 sign-in bouquet, 1 cake table bouquet, 4 wedding table arrangements and 12 table arrangements( for the guests tables). Price I paid... a breath taking $482.58, a price I couldn't have even gotten the brides party bouquets for.

Where to begin...

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Taking on the flowers is a big committment and I definately recommend getting some help. Doing it completely on your own would be painful. So, if you are planning on doing your own flowers get a couple of very devoted family members or friends that will not leave you high and dry. Once you have your faithful following begin by finding vases. You can purchase matching vases at most craft stores. Or if you want a more unique look you can buy them mix and match where ever you can find them. Try looking at Cost Plus World Market, Pier 1 Imports, Discount Store, Dollar Stores etc. Also you could start thrifting. Figure out how many you will need by considering all the places you will want flowers. If you are getting married in a church you will need alter flowers, your wedding party, the groom's wedding party, the mothers of bride and groom, the fathers of bride and groom, the grandmothers of bride and groom, the flower girls, the ring bearer, the tables, the sign-in table, the cake table, and the gift table. Those are the most traditional, however, that is not neccessarily what you have to do. So figure out what you like and start from there. The hunt for vases can be fun especially if you yard sale or thrift, you can come across some really beautiful, expensive vases that appeal to your taste. Also, reusing vases, is very eco-friendly, something we all need to consider these days.

Just the right flowers...

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After you know how many arrangements you want, find your flowers. There are a lot of really great flower wholesalers, that have great prices and a marvelous selection. Depending on time you may want to have the flowers delivered, or send a friend to pick them up. Having them delivered is probably your best bet considering they are usually kept in a temperature controlled truck. Choosing flowers that are in season will help lower cost, also adding green folage to your arrangements cuts down on price. The best place for quality and selection is Costco (the absolute best quality) hands down. They allow you to customize your delivery date, and time and have an amazing. They came right to my door, and the flowers were absolutely amazing. Each head was individually wrapped for protection, and the bunches were tied up in boxes. However, there are other places such as American Floral Distributors at www.weddingflowersofamerica.com that have great prices and selections, and The Flower exchange at theflowerexchange.com who's web site is very well put together and very user friendly. You are going to need to know how many flowers you want for each arrangements, so do your homework. Figure each arrangement and then order you flowers, don't over do it, otherwise you might get more than you bargained for.

Putting your arrangements together...

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Once you have received your flowers, re-cut the ends, and soak them immediately in water. You can fill up your bath tub and completely submerge them, this method is very effective in keeping them fresh. Make sure the water is cold, and leave them in there until you are ready to arrange them. Re-cutting each end again as you start to arrange. Putting together your arrangements requires the most time. You are going to need to set yourself up a decent sized work area in the colest room in your house, basements or lower levels are ideal. Decide how you want your arrangements to be put together, either by tying all the flowers with ribbon, or purchasing a bouquet holder with water holding foam. Start by wrapping the bouquet holder with your wedding color ribbon. Wrap all the way up and down the handle and through the base. Once this is done soak the bouquet holder foam side down in water and continue until all the holders have been wrapped. Then start arranging. You might try several times before you get the hang of it so don't be afraid to practice. You will also need some green florist tape, pins for the boutonnieres, gorgeous ribbons, and whatever accessories you may want to add, such as jewels, beads, feathers, whatever makes your bouquets as unique as you.
If you are going to wrap the boutiques, which is less time consumming, just get some great ribbon and wrap away. For the boutonnieres use the smallest flowers and just simply wrap them together with the green florist tape. Adding thin ribbon to the boutonnieres is lovely. Then pin them on the men's lapels.