This is a thread that was started in our old BlissWeddings.com forums by SkyeCPHT on 05/05/2004 .
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posted by SkyeCPHT
I've been stressing about the cost of flowers lately and figuring out where I can cut costs in some places and I just got a fabulous idea ... how about I DON'T have flowers on every table at the reception? Has anyone ever seen that? Every wedding I've ever been to has always had a vase of flowers in the center. I've already determined that my "centerpieces" will be the table name stuff that I talked about in another post. Do I need to have flowers accompany that? Blah. Money.
cristin
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posted by Amanda
flowers are way too expensive! I personally feel that the whole wedding flower thing is the biggest scam going!
have you considered fake flowers? I mean they are only for one day and who care's if they are fake, and some people like the fake flowers beucase they can give the centerpieces away and the flowers won't die.
but if you want to have no flowers on some tables that can work. it will just look like you ment to do it that way.
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posted by SkyeCPHT
well hallelujiah! You know I haven't even really found out a concrete cost estimate yet, but I'm already scared about it because I've heard what other people have paid. I thought I might be okay since I'm really only going to have like 5-6 tables, so I'm thinking "Okay well that's like $50 per table for a vase of flowers", thinking, that's what I would pay if I had them sent to my mom. But well that's still quite a lot of money that I can cut out and use somewhere else ... I'm just glad to hear you wouldn't think it would be stupid. Thanks Amanda!
cristin
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posted by Amanda
not a problem,
$50 per table? that's way too much!
don't tell anyone but i'm using grocery store flowers for my centerpieces! there like 6 bucks for a nice boquett and a dollar store vase! it't will look like i'm spending alot but i'm not...i'm cheap, i get that from my dad
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posted by SkyeCPHT
That's a great idea! In fact I had thought about doing that too, but I wanted a specific flower, and didn't know if they'd have them in stock that day. I also thought about just doing random bouquets, like wildflowers, but I didn't want them to clash with my color scheme. Good for you for having cheap sense!
cristin
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posted by Amanda
what kind of flower were you looking for? beucase if it's in season it's alot cheaper. I wanted lilies for my wedding in july but apparently they go out of season and the cost was almost double. you can save some ching that way too. or you can try to grow your own. daisys are really easy to grow and they keep comming up year after year. my mom planted daisys when we moved into our house (17 years ago) and they still bloom, infact they have grown so much that she has transplanted a bunch to the back, but if you grow them yourself you gota be carefull with ants, especially pioniees (or as my mom called them pee on me's) they always have ants running around in them,
wild flowers would be nice what are your colours? you might get lucky
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posted by SkyeCPHT
uh oh. My flower is stargazer lily... and unfortunately I'm absolutely insistent on it, that's one thing I won't budge on. Maybe it's a good thing I won't be doing flowers on every table then! Everyone keeps telling me to use roses, but they are so cliche when it comes to weddings, and besides, I'm allergic to them and can't stand the smell of them. Plus I think they would just be expensive because they ARE the traditional wedding flower. I've always been the one to want to do everything different ... sway from the norm ... oh well maybe I'll get lucky. I was only going to have a bouquet for me; I was going to have my girls carry a few stems of lilies, tied with a ribbon ... Now I'm worried all over again that my flowers won't be in season! lol
cristin
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posted by 6amandaf6
We didnt have flowers on each table. In fact the only ones we had were the bouquets and buttonholes. We just had candles on each table as a centre piece, with bright blue organza round the bottom. THeres all sorts of decorative alternatives so don't stress Cristin!!!
TO cut costs, I have seen really simple skinny vases with like one flower in each. Then scatter something around the bottom. My sister-in-law used bright orange gerberas in a white single flower vase, with river stones in a square round the bottom of the vase. It looked really cool. THe stones were free and the florist bought the vases off her after the wedding, so it worked out really cheap!
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posted by SkyeCPHT
Well that sounds like a nice idea -- one flower on each table. Nice and simple, just my style. Maybe I'll consider it. It's tricky with lilies though because I'd have to make sure they were bloomed ... they take a long time to bloom ...
cristin
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posted by Amanda
maybe you can get a deal if you get lillies already in bloom, most people won't want them beucase they want to have them for a long perriod of time, you only need them for one day.
I also like the one flower idea, it's very zen like and it's very modern and non-cliche. and you can get nice tall vases for them for a good price. I went to Ikea a few days ago and they had tall vases for 1-2 dollars or you can hit a dollar store or wal-mart they always have deals on stuff like that.
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posted by feb-bride
If you want flowers on every table, you could use bud vases and just have one flower with a sprig of fern or babies' breath on each table. You still have the effect of flowers, but you can save LOTS of money.
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posted by syringa
Place a mirror tile on each table (you can rent them at rental centers) and then place a grouping of candles on the mirror or place a floating candle in a wide, shallow bowl. The bowls are available at rental centers as well. No need to use flowers at all.
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posted by SkyeCPHT
Thanks for all the ideas ladies! Now I have a lot to work with. Maybe I'll combine some of them.
cristin
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