Sarah's Lesson on Tight Budgets

Sarah's wedding is a lesson in budget. Sometimes a wedding budget can be pretty tight. Considering our current economy, this is pretty normal right now. Sarah chose to focus on color and a few simple but fun flowers. Take the groomsmen boutonnier's for example. Rather than chosing a more expensive flower she decided that an all berry look with a touch of greenery would be just as fun while still saving some money. And she was right! To help make her groom stand out, we simply added in a few fiddlehead ferns. Again, a fun flower that really stands out and makes a statement without costing a fortune! The next hurdle we needed to overcome was the bridesmaids bouquets. Originally she was thinking of doing these herself. Now, in my experience, this works out maybe a 1/4 of the time. Consider this, the day before your wedding you are going to be tackling a LOT of last minute details, not to mention arriving out of town guests, rehersal and rehersal dinner. All in one day. Do you really want to be up most of the night before your wedding arranging flowers when there are professionals who can do this for you while still making sure your budget stays intact? Most people would say NO! But, there are those few who can and do arrange their own flowers and they look great! No, they are not designer, over the top florals, but they aren't bad either. Sarah, after thinking this idea over, decided to check in with me to see what we could do. The biggest problem was that she had 7 bridesmaids. Here is another lesson on super tight budgets. Cut the bridal party down to no more than 2-3 bridesmaids and 2-3 groomsmen. The more people you have standing up there with you, the more money you will have to spend on everything from the flowers to the food. Yes, I know you have good childhood friends, sorority sisters, etc. But, simply being invited to your wedding is an honor in itself and most people would be delighted with the invite. So, how did we solve Sarah's dilema? Easy! Gerbera daisies are a very cost effective flower. They are a great size and come in all kinds of fun colors. 5 stems of hot pink gerbera daisies, some green hypericum berries and ribbon tying the stems and you have a bridesmaid bouquet for a lot less than if you would have chosen multiple blooms. Remember: multiple types of blooms in a bouquet will equal to a higher costing bouquet in the end.

Congratulations to Sarah and Corey!