I am trying to work through wedding costs and there is a huge range of prices for flowers. They seem like a waste of money to me but I have to cooperate a little. I saw the average price for wedding flowers nationally is something like $600. What is a reasonable budget for a civilized couple?
Budget for Wedding Flowers
- Thread starter Jorts N Jordans
- Start date
I'd budget about $2500 for flowers. The flowers for the wedding party will be close to $600. Also, you will puke when you see how much the cake costs. You are in for a world of pain. Unless you are getting married in West Virginia. I got married in Princeton. Massive ripe off.
NickleDimer
Post 'Til Your Fingers Bleed
They're not a waste of money. Spend a few extra bucks and spruce up whatever lodge or firehall you're hosting the event at.
You can go crazy with flowers or you can get by for less but it will likely be in the thousands not hundreds.
One tip which should be a given but isn't is to go with in-season flowers, they will be a lot cheaper than out-of-season South American flowers. The other things you can do are to reuse flowers for different locations during the day. Flowers from the ceremony can get used for the cocktail hour, etc. You can also use non-flower additions to centerpieces to cut down the cost. eg. stones, water, spray-painted branches, etc. Your florist should help you figure this out.
For a decent sized wedding, the band, food/booze, flowers and photographer can all easily cost more that $5k each. I'm glad I'm finally done writing those checks. The best advice I can give is set a firm budget then stick to it or be forced to make tradeoffs. If you budget $4k for flowers and spend $4.5k, you now need to save $500 somewhere else.
One tip which should be a given but isn't is to go with in-season flowers, they will be a lot cheaper than out-of-season South American flowers. The other things you can do are to reuse flowers for different locations during the day. Flowers from the ceremony can get used for the cocktail hour, etc. You can also use non-flower additions to centerpieces to cut down the cost. eg. stones, water, spray-painted branches, etc. Your florist should help you figure this out.
For a decent sized wedding, the band, food/booze, flowers and photographer can all easily cost more that $5k each. I'm glad I'm finally done writing those checks. The best advice I can give is set a firm budget then stick to it or be forced to make tradeoffs. If you budget $4k for flowers and spend $4.5k, you now need to save $500 somewhere else.
NickleDimer
Post 'Til Your Fingers Bleed
Nice flowers can make a shitty venue look half decent. Shitty flowers can make a nice venue look like crap. I'm not a man of style and sophistication but it's something that always seems to catch my eye if done very well or done horribly.
A little off topic - but my parents own a funeral home so we would always have to do something with the flowers after the service. Most of them we would just take to nursing homes or give to a church. It was always my job to drive around and do this. I f*ing hate flowers. Always water spilling out making it look like I pissed my pants. The weird foamy green stuff sticking to my clothes. And for funerals people always pick boring colors/arraingements - I guess because they don't want to make it seem like too much of a party near the recently departed. As a fill-in pallbearer, I think I have placed over 200 roses on the caskets of people I had never met before they were lowered into the ground. This just got real depressing so I'll stop there.
NickleDimer
Post 'Til Your Fingers Bleed
Does anyone here actually plan to reserve a piece of land and pay someone to bury them in it after death?
i'd say the cost of a cemetery plot is far more cost effective than 2,000 bones spent on flowers.
If you think about it, based on a 20% down payment, $6,500 can get you an extra $32,500 worth of house if you want to buy a house. That type of opportunity cost is remarkable. The wedding industry is incredible...I wish I could weasel my way into it, because there is a ton of cash to be made.
NickleDimer
Post 'Til Your Fingers Bleed
Weddings pray on emotions and the prices reflect as much. Cakes, flowers, the band, I recall my father-in-law dropping over a grand for seat covers that were rented. The entire thing is a rip off because they know they have you emotionally. Entering the process, know this and don't let it bother you or you'll drive yourself crazy.
Just cut out the middle man and give that money to a lawyer as an advance on hourlies.
I think we only spent 1.5k on flowers, but that was also because my ex wanted to make the centerpieces herself. Blessing and a curse because I saved money on that but had to spend hours shopping for vases, putting stuff together, transporting them to the venue myself, pay for a few parking tickets because the PPA is horrible, etc.
In my mind, it comes down to the look you're going for. Sometimes less can be more if done in the proper manner. I think if you have a crappy venue you have a crappy venue. No reason to put lipstick on a pig. If you have a nice venue, then you shouldn't be covering the place in flowers.
Plus as Burrs mentioned, wedding party can also dictate the cost of flowers. If she's got 8 bridesmaids then you're probably already shelling out a shit ton of cash anyhow for the wedding.
NickleDimer
Post 'Til Your Fingers Bleed
U really think that's any cheaper? My sister got married Cabo, and it cost her just as much for a wedding with 40 people on the beach as a country club wedding with 150 would have back home. You end up having to pay for a bunch of people's rooms or entire travel, resorts soak you in every way possible, and you still pay for the band, cake, flowers, photog, etc. just like you would have at home. The vendors are just as sophisticated down there as they are in the States. Now, if you're truly going to just set a weekend in Costa Rica, see who shows up and have a nice dinner, you're probably saving real money, but most people want more than that if only because their (her) sister, cousin, bridesmaid, etc. had such a nice wedding.
If I ever get re-married it is going to be on a beach and I don't give a shit who comes besides family. We can all eat dinner and get hammered at an all inclusive resort. Whoever wants to take a vacation can come.
It's pretty common in a destination wedding to pay for your bridal parties' rooms. You're already asking a lot of them to travel on top of all of the other bridal party expenses (bachelor/ette party, tux rental/dress, shower, etc.).
NickleDimer
Post 'Til Your Fingers Bleed
I told my wife whatever we spent on flowers was money that came out of who she could invite to the wedding...
We spent a grand total of $0 on flowers.
We spent a grand total of $0 on flowers.
NickleDimer
Post 'Til Your Fingers Bleed
officiating a wedding in vermont next weekend. my "date" is a 40 year old swedish divorced mother of 3 who is an animal in bed and likes to be choked to near the point of unconsciousness whilst in bed.
i'll ask my buddy how much he spent on the flowers, though.
i'll ask my buddy how much he spent on the flowers, though.
NickleDimer
Post 'Til Your Fingers Bleed
Do these estimates also include flowers for the church?
Getting married at Villanova. They include flowers at the church with the "donation" to have your wedding there. So i'm just looking at flowers for the wedding party and at the reception. Flowers/Transportation/Invitations are the main things i havent booked/priced out yet. I feel like any vendor hears wedding and adds an extra 1-2k over what they normally charge
Too, probably not. Sure I was off by a factor of 1.5-2. However, I was afraid nd would submit a snark comment. I didn't pay for my wedding but had incentive to hold the line. In hindsight, it was a mistake as it wasn't my battle to fight. My engagement was the worst time of my relationship with my wife. The wedding was about everyone but us. However, we didn't pay so don't cry for us. What I learned was they are a giant rip off. Regardless, we were lucky not to pay the bill.
for one weekend at least. i introduced the happy couple at eagles/raiders in 2013. my buddy knocked her up 3 months later. decided to see if they wanted to make something work, ended up going for it, had the kid (1st bday is day after the wedding), picked the wedding/venue, and then got engaged. about as a$$ backwards as you can get, hence my involvement.
I think this must be delved into a little bit more...
She a SF lady?
Do u know the kids?
Is she an immigrant?
So many questions.