"Why are wedding flowers so expensive?" This is a question I get a lot, and I wanted to take a quick moment to break down the different factors that contribute to a $$$$$ flower proposal.

5) The venue is over an hour away. When you choose an amazing location like a vineyard, chateau, or private estate, the extra costs of transportation, work space and on-site labor just add up.  

4) You don't want an in-person or detailed phone consultation.  Florists are people too, and, just like you, we are looking for meaningful connections and want to like the people we are working with.  If we can't meet or at least have a good phone conversation, it is impossible for us to form a personal relationship with you.  If there is no relationship, then there is no reason to want to give you the moon and the stars (at your budget).

3) A complicated or popular color palate. It may not make sense, but certain colors of flowers are more expensive than the exact same flower in a different color. Crazy, right? It all has to do with supply and demand.  During the height of wedding season, white peonies can be four times as expensive as fuchsia and the same goes for a Juliet Garden Rose.  Also, to create an arrangement of all red, there are relatively few "high end" filler flowers, so each flower is more expensive.  If you are on a budget, seriously consider white and green. You can be sure to get the most bang for your buck with that combo!

2) Out of season flowers.  Please, please, please don't ask your florist for Lily of the Valley in August or Dahlia's in February because even if we can get them, they will be so expensive, puny, and lacking of Life Force that we will all be disappointed:(

1) Pinterest! Yes! I love Pinterest.  In fact, it is one of the first things I ask my couples, "do you have a Pinterest board?"  However, with the rise in styled shoots, photos that have gone viral are usually really, really expensive. Truly, they are done only for the photos and it is a vicious (yet beautiful) cycle.

Here is where your in-person consultation comes into play. . . if you show your photo to your florist and are willing to be flexible with the flower choice, a good designer will be able to look at what you like and find the essence of the bouquet to make you happy:)  

While there remains no good substitute for those black and white anemones, chances are that you can still have the bouquet of your dreams without starting your new life in debt!

If you have made it this far, I hope you have found my tips and suggestions helpful!  I would love any comments, questions or feedback you feel like sharing!  

Send me an email at atelierashleyflowers@gmail.com, I would love to hear from you!