Why You Shouldn't Do Your Own Flowers For Your Wedding

I have noticed that a lot of brides these days are taking the hard road to planning and designing their wedding so that they can save a few dollars.  With the economy the way it is right now, it is understandable that a bride would want to have a beautiful wedding without breaking the bank.  One of the ideas that a bride has to save money is to "Do It Themselves".  The bride puts her self in charge of all of the planning, decorating and set up of their own wedding.  This is a hard job.  Here are a few reasons why it is so hard to design and set up your own wedding.
1.  You have to find a floral wholesaler who is willing to sell you flowers at a good price.
2.  You have to be able to find a place that you can assemble all of these flower arrangements.
3.  You need to clean and process the flowers the right way or they won't last very long.  This will take approximately 2-4 hours depending on how many flowers you order.
4.  You need all of the proper floral materials to help you create these designs correctly.  This can be even more expensive than hiring a professional.
5.  It will take approximately 8-10 hours to assemble all of your arrangements.  It takes at least 1 hour just to put a bridal bouquet together.
6.  You have to assemble the flowers the day prior so that you can have enough time to get ready for your own wedding the next day.  This means that you will have to find a sufficient cooler to store all of your flowers so that they do not wilt over night.
7.  You then have to find sufficient transportation to get the flowers to their destination.
8.  You need to arrive to the ceremony site first to put all flowers in place and be able to deliver the bouquets and boutonnieres to your wedding party.
9.  Then you have to be sure that you get the centerpieces to the reception site and place all of the pieces onto the tables and then get back to the ceremony site so that you can walk down the aisle with composure and grace.


Wow, I am tired just thinking about all that needs to be done, and this is just the flowers.

 Now, most brides are smart and ask friends and family to help out by doing all of the items above.  This is a good strategy as well, but you need to consider the possibilities that your friends or family might want to be able to enjoy the day as well.

Most brides ask their mothers to help out.  I see a lot of this, where the mothers are in the kitchen and in the background working really hard to help their daughter with all of the wedding details.  Then they look at the pictures after the wedding with a little sadness.  They don't remember the wedding at all.  They were too busy helping out with food, decor, etc... They felt more like the help instead of the Mother of the Bride. They didn't get to relax and really be there with their daughter.  They didn't get to witness her happiness and memorable day with her.

This is why vendors are out there.  We are a third party who doesn't have any connection to you, like family or friends.  We are there to help your day go smoothly and be able to do all of the hard work for you so all you have to do is relax and enjoy everyone around you and your wedding day.

 These days, the average wedding in Las Vegas, Nevada is about $35,000.00.  WOW! that is really expensive.  So, here are a few ways that you can save money and time.

1.  Don't invite so many people to your wedding.  Only invite close family and friends.  You don' t have to invite everyone from your workplace, your fiance's work place and your parents workplace.  You don't have to invite the mailman, or Uncle Joe's best friend.  These people really could care less if they come.
I have heard many conversations at my work place or social functions where a couple was invited to their boss's daughters wedding or someone that they work with, etc....  There complaint is that they don't know this person, but they feel that they are obligated to attend because if they don't, they will  lose respect of that person.  They also don't like the fact that they have to purchase a gift for someone they really don't know.
2.  You don't have to have a 10 course meal.  Every bride that has come to me says that they don't think they are going to have enough food at their wedding.
When I was a coordinator, I was always there at the end of the event making sure the bride and their party didn't leave anything behind.  I made sure everything was being cleaned up by the proper people.  I would notice that there was a lot of food left over.  This food goes to waste.
If you want to enjoy your night, serve light appetizers, then a nice buffet dinner that consists of two entrees and some sides.  You can even do a sit down dinner.  This way no food is wasted.  You don't need a dessert buffet, candy station and a wedding cake.  Just do one or the other.
3.  Party Favors can get really cheap and guests always seem to throw them away.  The best thing to do is do a mini survey.  Ask your friends and family members what they would actually take home with them.  Would they want an edible item or something that they could stick on their shelf when they get home.  The best favor out there right now is the candy station.  I love this idea.  Your guests can fill up a bag with your name and date on it and take it home with them.  The candy might not last long, but the memory of them being able to choose what they want will.  This is also an inexpensive way to give your guests a thank you.
4.  When you choose a venue, make sure they don't have any hidden fees.  This seems to be the one problem that many brides face when their date is coming near.  They arrive at their venue for the final planning stages and notice that a lot of hidden fees have been added to their contract. This can cost upward of thousands of dollars extra that you weren't planning.   Make sure you read that contract carefully before you sign it.  I will have another article on this matter alone.
5.  When you are choosing your design elements, make sure that you meet with many vendors.  At least three.  Give them a budget.  A designer is going to give you the platinum look, because their passion is design.  They are going to tell you what they think will look great at your wedding.  They don't think of price when they are designing.  Give them your budget up front.  This way they know what their limits are.  You can always get what you want when your budget is out in the open.  The vendors can work with your budget, but they can't work with someone that doesn't communicate what the can and cannot have money wise.

When you are planning your wedding it is smart to make appointments with all of the vendors that you need. All vendors that I work with always spend at least 1 hour with their brides on their first consultation.  This is your opportunity to grill them. Find out everything that you need to know.  Make sure that your budget stays on track with them.

The best investment in your wedding is a wedding coordinator.  A coordinator will help you make the right decisions, keep you on your budget and make sure that your event goes well.  Also, you and your family will be able to remember your special day and not be exhausted trying to work the wedding and be the host.  At the TOP of this blog page, I have some wonderful vendor links.  These people will help you create the perfect wedding.  I trust them, you should to.

























                                                                 

This Blog is for Kim H. On Wedding Wire

I am not very good with computers, so I have to send these pictures to you through my blog page.  These are some pictures from the terms that you were not familiar with.  Let me know what you think.

For all who are wondering. Kim H wants to do a Alice In Wonderland Themed wedding from the inspiration of Tim Burton's new movie.  I suggested that she use Curly willow with bright colored orchids hanging from the branches with also a hint of crystals and hanging votives. A clear glass cylinder vase can hold the curly willow and she can make colored mushrooms from a little food coloring and glitter to fill the vase up. 

Kim, here are some pics of the curly willow with hanging flowers and crystals.  Also here are pictures of flicker votives.  These are battery operated and can be used in trees because they are flame proof.  Let me know what you think.

Flower of The Month For April 2010

I want to start a chat forum of your favorite flowers for the month of April. You can write a little comment of why you like this flower and even download a picture of it. I would love to hear from you.

Here are a few flowers that I like. If you see the flower.

 Blue Iris' are one of my favorite flowers.  They are so regal looking.  Mixed with a white rose with a silver accent is a great look for a blue and white wedding.

CANDY BARS - Yes J&E Floral Designs them

J&E Floral doesn't just create beautiful floral creations. We also specialize in Candy Bars. We just started doing this and it had really taken off. The fee is $5.00 per guest. This feature includes, 10 vases full of candy in your color them. A custom linen to match your theme, Custom candy bags with either a printed seal for the bags or paper bags with print on them. This print can say anything you would like on it. I have done a few of these great party favor tables, but don't have the pictures back yet. As soon as I get some pictures, I will attach them.

Nina Wedding at Alexis Park March 27, 2010

Nina was a beautiful bride with the colors of Yellow, White and Black. Thank you to Debra from Alexis Park for referring me to this fun bride.

It is amazing that I am in a career that I really love

I am a Floral and Event Designer. I have always known that I was going to do something creative. I just didn't know what I was going to do yet.

When I got married 9 years ago, I didn't get much say in my wedding plans. This troubled me, that a bride could not get what she wanted on her wedding day. I wanted to change that, so I started an event coordination company named "Dream Makers" I started this company with about $100.00 in my pocket.
I grew overnight. I didn't realize that so many brides were in the same situation that I was. One day I was browsing through websites because a bride was in need of a caterer. I found Lisa. We hit it off right away. We decided to merge our businesses together. Lisa was a very talented designer and caterer, but she didn't want to do the catering any longer. She became the designer and I was the coordinator. Lisa's Mother was a very talented floral designer. Together, the three of us became "E'lan Events"
Our company grew so fast that we didn't know what to do with it. It became a bit overwhelming and our lack of experience in the ownership of a business got the best of us. We ended up signing a few contracts that gave way to our ignorance and it eventually closed us down. Lisa decided to move to Utah with her husband and start her floral design business there. A new start. I took some time off and worked for some designers and flower shops to start my perfect job as a designer. Lisa and her mom taught me a lot, even though they didn't know it. I fell in love with designing because of their passion for the business.
When my skills were polished, I decided to open up my own design business "J&E Floral" This was my fresh start. So far so good. I have been open for almost 2 years now and am growing by leaps and bounds. Brides call me and love what I am about, so I get great business.
I am really looking forward to the next few steps that my business is going to take, and I look forward to sharing it with everyone.
Read my title page, this is what I am about. I will create the perfect look for your event because I listen to what you want and create the perfect vision for you. When someone listens to your dream, that dream can come true.
I look forward to working with all of my brides in the future and am thrilled to create your perfect event.
Please view the next few posts with pictures so that I can get a better sense of what a bride wants for her special day.