According to national industry averages, the floral bill for most weddings is $1100. Los Angeles' higher cost of living can boost average wedding flower prices to $2000 - $3000 or more. A well planned do it yourself strategy buying bulk flowers from the Los Angeles Wholesale Flower District can discount wedding flower costs 75 percent, and still produce a beautiful day.
Instructions
1. The Downtown LA Wholesale Flower District is a six block area of wholesale flower growers, and importers within the Los Angeles Fashion District. Located between 7th and 9th, San Pedro and San Julian/Wall Streets, the main business of the district is wholesaling flowers to florists. Identifying the DIY friendly wholesalers is important to your success. Some sell to the public and others do not. Vendors trading in the older Wall Street markets between 7th and 8th Streets, that collectively brand themselves the Los Angeles Flower District, cater to the registered floral trade, limit public access, charge public admission fees and require unregistered buyers show a resale license to receive wholesale prices.
2. The newer markets in the four block area around San Pedro, San Julian, and 8th Streets are DIY friendly. Most vendors in DIY friendly markets extend true wholesale prices to those making volume purchases, whether one is a trade or DIY florist. The 50 vendor California Flower Mall, the largest new market in the district, leads the trend in catering DIY florists. DIY friendly markets are open seven days a week, have later closing times, free parking, no admission fee, offer meeting rooms and an on-site ATM. All sales are cash, so plan accordingly.
3. Designate a trusted friend or relative that you know you can count to be your DIY wedding florist.Be realistic about what you can do on or before your wedding day - do you really want to make your own bouquet on one of the most important days of your life? A retail florists training, artistry, and labor make up a significant portion of the wedding floral bill. Enlist your DIY florist team by hosting a gathering with your most creative friends and relatives. Who among them has the time, talent, and taste to purchase flowers 24-48 hours before your wedding, make bouquets and arrangements, keep them cool, deliver and place them properly at the ceremony, and reception sites?
4. Decide what you want to purchase. Set a budget range. Decide who, when, where, and how wedding flowers will be made and delivered to multiple sites. Visit DIY friendly flower vendors, find one that you would like to work with, do pricing, and purchase practice flowers one month in advance. There are three basic categories of flowers to buy. Personal flowers include the bride's, and bridesmaids' bouquets, corsages for the mothers and boutonnieres for the men. Ceremony flowers include arrangements for the alter, or greenery and flowers for an arch or Jewish Chuppa, and aisle arrangements like ribbons, candles, pew markers. Reception flowers are needed for table centerpieces, the cake table, and the guest book table, don't forget rehearsal dinner flowers, house party, and other pre-wedding party flowers. Details count. Once decided write down all floral specifics, and give a copy to your floral planning team. www.DIY bride.com has a free floral organizer template down load for this task.
5. Keeping flowers simple will translate into savings and less stress. Select a general color scheme and types of flowers that work with your wedding theme. Simple elegance is in. For you that may mean a hand tied collection of calla lilies wrapped at the base with a color coordinated satin ribbon that works with the bridal gown, and bridesmaid dresses. For bridesmaids hand carrying a single rose can be a simple, elegant evening floral.
6. Get design ideas from the Southern California based style maven http://www.greylikesweddings.wordpress.com or Martha Stewart's site but be happy with the most affordable flowers available the week of your wedding. Rule out flowers you don't want but try to remain flexible. Seasonality affects availability, and price, so pick flowers in season. The Society of American Florists catalogs hundreds of flowers by season at http://aboutflowers.com. Wedding bouquets, and arrangements with one or two flower types will be much easier to assemble, and less expensive than arrangements with four to six different flowers. Purchase bulk flowers and greenery in bunches, and trust your DIY florist team to pick the best bargains if you can't be there. Remember to price bargain. Don't accept the first price offered. Start at 30 percent below asking price and settle at 20 percent to build your bargaining muscles.
7. Check out floral arrangement books at the library or bookstore to educate yourself and your DIY florist team on types of flowers and good design tips to produce a professional look. Invest in a good book on this subject, one favorite is The Frugal Florist: Do-It-Yourself Flowers on a Budget by John Klinger http://www.frugalflorist.biz.
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