Well, brides we are into June and the traditional
"wedding month" of the year. For some, my budget tips
may be too late, but for those of you who still have planning
time remaining I hope you can take some of these ideas and use
them to the best advantage of your pocket book.
The
one item that can make or break the ambiance of your wedding
is the flowers. It can also be a large ticket item of your wedding.
You have a full range of choices in tackling this item. You
can hire a florist to do the flowers for the entire wedding
or you may wish to do some arranging yourself. Perhaps you wish
to do the reception table arrangements yourself and have the
florist provide the remainder. You can buy flowers directly
from a grower and give your own creative abilities a try. If
you are not quite that brave or industrious, you may have some
willing friends or family who are. When you choose to do all
or some yourself or have friends and family helping, be sure
to take into consideration the time involved in an endeavor
such as this. This wedding is not only a celebration for you
as a couple but for those you have invited to share it with
you. Don't overload yourself or friends and family with tasks
to be done. You want your friends as well as yourselves to go
away with happy memories of that day!
Select
flowers that are in season and locally available. The less shipping
involved the better the price. Your florist can be a great help
in selecting the locally grown flowers in your area. They have
their local sources to draw from and will be able to make suggestions
that you might not have thought of. Pictures of your favorite
arrangements, bouquets etc. will help the florist determine
what flowers would best suit your wedding and/or theme. Choosing
to have your attendants carry a single flower will save some
money and perhaps allow you to put more money toward other areas
more important to you.
I
will address briefly the idea of silk flowers as opposed to
fresh flowers. If you prefer silk flowers, be sure when selecting
them that you compare "apples to apples" with the
fresh counterpart. The thought process behind some deciding
to go with silks is cost and it is not always less expensive.
The quality of silks varies and you want them to be as elegant
as fresh and you don't get the lovely smell you get with fresh.
If you are making this decision, shop wisely and you may discover
you can have fresh flowers after all!
I
hope I have given you some helpful ideas in this very important
part of your wedding. Good luck, have fun with your flowers
and bouquets to you!
Cheers!
Janet
