16/07/2015
The flower shop,....
When putting together your wedding budget one of the items is flowers and décor. Everyone has a budget, it is just that some budgets are smaller than others, and while you may think your budget is really small or on the flip side, pretty big, it is still a budget. So, what does the florist do with that money you give them to create your wedding day flowers? The simple answer is a lot of work, but that doesn’t really tell you what that means. Perhaps this will help you see the bigger picture into why a professional florist seems to charge so much for their services.
It is often very tempting to just do the flowers yourself when you see that you can spend less than if you would have a florist do it all for you until you look at all that goes into creating your wedding day flowers. We will focus on just one aspect of your flowers, your bouquet, but multiply this example by how many floral items you will need and you will just how much goes into the creation of your wedding day flowers.
First, we meet with you to discuss your flower wishes. This meeting can take anywhere from an hour or more when you take into consideration phone calls and emails that took place before we even see you face to face. Once the initial meeting is done and you have hired us, we then sit down and figure out exactly what we need to order in terms of not only flowers but all the supplies that go with creating what you need: Tapes, wires, ribbons, floral foams, containers, candles, LED lights, pins, boxes, bags, and more. So, not only is time invested at this point, but also money in the terms of flowers and the supplies that go along with it.
Once the flowers arrive via our local wholesaler, we have to process and clean each and every flower, greenery, twig, and filler that comes in. This takes buckets, water, floral foods, hydraters and of course, a cooler. Time, supplies, and now a cooler, which also takes electricity and a temperature gauge that is set to hold at a perfect temperature which we watch like a hawk constantly to ensure that your flowers are held in the perfect conditions possible.
After the flowers are ready to use, we then set to work putting together your bouquet. This involves handling each and every stem; stripping off leaves, cleaning off thorns, taking off bad petals, until each stem is perfect on its own. We then put together all the stems in a way that is not only pleasing for you to behold, but also fits with our own rigid standards of what constitutes the perfect bouquet. After this we wrap the stems in a way that we know will please you. This could be something as simple as a length of pretty ribbon or as elaborate as an intricate design using ribbons, beads, wire, and more. The finished bouquet is then sprayed with a special solution which will ensure that it looks as fresh as possible for not only your big day but after it as well. It is then placed in the cooler to await delivery.
Wedding day is delivery day. We then load up your bouquet in a special container so that it will not be harmed in transit, drive it to your location which can sometimes mean a mountain location on less than ideal roads depending on the weather and bring it to you. But, our stress is not done yet. We still need to see if you like what we have created for you. And if you do, our happiness is most defiantly part or your big day.
If you were to add up all the above, including the time, stress, flowers, supplies, electricity, gas, and more you would find that the floral bill that you thought seemed so high, suddenly seems, well, rather small. Now, imagine doing all that for yourself. And add in all the other details you have to think of on your wedding day. Yes, it is our job, but we love what we do and we are here for you.
