Peonies Are Here!

Oh, be still my beating heart! I so love these frilly, fluffy, voluptuous flowers. They are without a doubt one of my favorites. Are they yours?

Their full romantic blossoms,intoxicating fragrance and limited season (May-June) also makes them a popular choice for many brides - and rightfully so.

If it isn't Peony season but, you still want the full and romantic look - try David Austin or Cabbage roses. While they're not Peonies, they are a great substitute.

Posted by Cindy

When Do I Give Up My Bouquet?

One of the helpful tips Julie and I like to give to our brides is when to give up their bouquets during the wedding ceremony.

And since many brides give up their bouquets to soon (probably out of nervousness), I thought I share this tip with our readers.

While the order of ceremonies does vary, what is consistent is the exchange of vows and rings. So we advise our brides to keep their bouquets until they turn to face each other to exchange vows (often holding hands for this). The exchange of rings then follows. You can either give your bouquet to your maid of honor to hold, or place it in a vase on a small table (today's bouquets can be heavy - so for her to mange hers and your may be to much). If you use a table, make sure the vase is weighted down with stones or glass marbles, something to keep it upright with the weight of the bouquet.

Remember, pick up your bouquet or have your maid of honor hand it back to you before you exit down the aisle as Mr. & Mrs. for those beautiful photo ops!

Faves

Although most couples have picked many of their wedding vendors by the time they come to Julie and I for their wedding flowers, we occasional get asked for vendor referrals.

So from time to time I'll post some of our favorite vendors in a post titled "Faves". We are so blessed to work with some wonderfully gifted and nice people!

This post is all about an amazing photographer - Susan Yee of en pointe photography. Susan's background is in graphic art which may explain her eye for composition (or maybe she was just born with it!) . Susan switched career paths and then moved from San Francisco to San Diego about 5 years ago. She choose photography as her new business and art form. She is also the sweetest person, low keyed - (she won't stress you out on your wedding day) and mega talented photographer you want to meet. Here are just a few of her photos from her blog. You need to go to her website to see the rest of this wedding and loads of her other wedding & engagement work.

If you have any vendors that you'd like to share with us - send an email with their info and why you think they're so special - we'd love to hear from you.

Posted by Cindy

Flower Pricing Category Part II

OK, now let's take the categorized flowers from yesterday's post to the next level as we look at the overall visual size of the bloom.

A rose will classically take up anywhere from 1" to 3" in diameter in a bouquet. This is the same amount of space that a carnation will take up but, the carnation will cost about 1/3 of what the rose cost (garden roses are even more) as noted in the yesterday's 3 different price point categories. On the other hand a hydrangea will take up 7 - 12 or more inches (yes some are 12"+ in diameter!) depending on the grower and the variety of the flower. So where it might take 25+ roses to make a small hand tied bouquet, you could have a bouquet of 1 hydrangea with a few roses that would make a beautiful mid-range bouquet for 1/3 to 1/2 the price. In this situation the hydrangea is actually a better value per inch than the roses are.

In yesterday's post you'll notice that a few of the larger flower heads were marked with a * to let you take a second look at them. Below is a picture to show an illustration of what I'm talking about. Notice the size of the hydrangeas, they are some of the smaller hydrangea heads. You can see the size difference between the roses and hydrangeas in this picture.

The flowers from yesterday's post marked with a ** are to draw your attention to the accent flowers. While they may seem like they are in the more affordable "premium" class on a per inch basis they are very expensive.

There has been a trend away from floral fillers over the years - which is not all bad (I personally can't stand baby's breath!). Today's bouquets have a cleaner modern look. However, while you may want a large bouquet of all roses or French tulips, your budget may say otherwise. If you consider a mixed floral bouquet not only will you get a better dollar value, you'll also get a more interesting bouquet!

As you can see flower choice is about more than just color and style, it also about the price point of your flowers. This is also a good example of why you want to work with a florist/floral designer that is knowledgeable and one you can trust.

He or she should be willing to work with you to determine the best value for the look you are trying to achieve.

Posint by Cindy

Flower Pricing Categories

As you begin to plan your wedding, the question of how much do wedding flowers cost is sure to come up as you begin thinking about a budget. Understanding how to prepare for this expense can help you prepare and manage you wedding floral budget.

The cost of you wedding flowers will be in part based on the types of flowers used. It is important to understand there are two primary factors that drive price; labor and materials (flowers, etc). Because beautiful flowers are a part of our everyday world, we tend to forget that they are a product. One that takes time, care and labor.


We have divided the more popular wedding flowers into 3 separate categories: High Premium, Premium, and Value. Remember prices will vary due to the quality, season, your location and availability.

High Premium - $10+/stem

Gardenias, Delphinium hybrid, Hydrangea*, French Tulips, Calls Lilly, Dahlias*, Cymbidium Orchids, Peony*, Lily of the Valley **, Casablanca Lily*, Magnolias

Premium - $4-$10/stem

Rose, Asiatic Lily, Glorsia Lily, Sun Flowers, Freesia**, Marguerite Daisies, Stephanotis**, Bells of Ireland, Larkspur, Spider Mums, Tulip, Phlox, Dendrobium Orchids, Solidago, Bouvardia**, Thistle, Stock, Star of Bethlehem, Gerbera Daisy, Lilac, Snap Dragon, Gladiolus, Lisianthius

Value - $3/stem

Baby's Breath, Carnations (mini and full size), Wax Flower, Chrysanthemum, Alstromeria, Sweet William, Queen Anne's Lace, Asters, Lavender

*Large size flower head, better value per inch

**Flowers may seem like they are in the affordable "premium" class, but on a per inch basis they become more expensive

Posting by Cindy