Thursday, May 14, 2015

Why It Pays to Research: How I Saved $700 at the Florist




You may have read my post on Ways to Save at the Florist and thought I was over-exaggerating. That would be totally fair, because I over-exaggerate all the time. Well, I have a personal experience story to show how research saved me over $700 at the florist.





I have gotten price quotes for exactly two florists. I asked them both for the same thing. Using my handy-dandy Wedding Flower Checklist, I told each florist that I would need: a bride's bouquet, six bridesmaids' bouquets, flowers for my hair, roses and succulents to float in bowls on my cocktail tables, and a garland for the sweetheart table.   


Some inspiration from Pinterest

When I received the price quote from the first florist, I felt kind of like Elle in the opening scene to Legally Blonde. You know, the one where the shop lady tries to con her into buying a dress from last season and Elle totally shuts her down? You don't? Okay, go re-watch the movie and come back to me. 


Anyways. I knew, based on my research, that the price wasn't right. We decided on a bouquet of garden roses, a pretty little flower that looks like a peony, but costs a fraction of the price. I sent an email back to my florist, asking her how many stems of each flower she was pricing out in my bouquet. I highly recommend you do this! Let me say it again, bigger, in pink. 

Make sure you ask your florist how many stems of each flower will be in your bouquet. Not only will it let you know what to expect on your wedding day, it's the best way to know if you're getting a good price. 

Okay, are we on the same page? The first florist wanted to charge $280 for a bouquet of 10 roses, 1 hydrangea, and fillers. Since I did my research, I knew the average price of each stem would be $10....so how does 11 stems go from $110 to $280? I understand that there's a labor fee, but that's a little ridiculous. The second florist asked for $135, for 20 stems. Much better, wouldn't you agree? All told, the first florist's quote came out to over $1,670! 


Yikes! I am so glad I didn't go with the first florist I found because the second florist quoted me at $950....A savings of $720! Simply because I knew the average prices per stem. I'll also be saving money by using by bridesmaids' bouquets as centerpieces for the reception, saving me another $400.00. For our altar, I'll be using silk flowers, since no one will be close enough to know the difference (unless they read this blog post). That's another $100 I'll be putting towards the honeymoon instead! 

By using the tips in my previous post, I'm saving over $1,300! Now that makes get married merry!




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