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Devoted October 2022

diy Bouquets - Cost and Logistics

Jennifer, on November 1, 2021 at 10:14 AM Posted in Do It Yourself 6 14

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I’m going to preface this with my least favorite wedding cost is flowers. So overpriced and you can’t even get money back by selling them to someone else. It’s literally just throwing money away. All local independent florists are quoting $150+ for the Bridal Bouquet and I’m just like No. Right now, my best option (without DIY) is Bouqs.com at $80 for a Bridal Bouquet (with 20% off coupon). Btw, the pics I showed the independent florists are from bouqs.com so I have a fair comparison.

So now, I’m exploring DIYing since I know that’s probably the cheapest option. However, it does seem like a lot more hassle than what it’s worth since it’s not something you can do ahead of time and will have to be done super close to the wedding for FRESH FLORALS. Fake florals aren’t an option for me. My questions are, how much does it cost to create a bouquet like this DIY? Is there a way to make these ahead of time? If it’s a really significant saving, I might just suck it up, but if it’s like only like $20, I may just do Bouqs. Florals are listed in the pic. diy Bouquets - Cost and Logistics 1

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14 Comments

Latest activity by Jennifer, on January 26, 2022 at 12:22 PM

Expert October 2018
Janet · on November 1, 2021 at 10:39 AM
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I ordered Flowers in bulk from Sam's Club, I know Costo does the same thing,
I looked at there premade bouquets and wrote down what floral and greenery was in them, then estimated how much to buy them made vs buying the flowers in bulk and it was about a $300 difference. So I bought all the flowers for my bouquet, bridesmaids, boutonnieres, and my centerpieces for around $500. They were delivered 2 days prior with a weeks notice, but my venue was my Grandmothers property, so we had the fridge spaces to store them in. Then I went to hobby lobby or joanns and got the flower tape and some decorative ribbon.
Also, whether or not flowers are in season will have an affect on the price
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Devoted October 2022
Jennifer · on November 1, 2021 at 1:19 PM
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Thank you so much for sharing your experience! May I ask how many bouquets you had to make? I have zero experience in putting bouquets together and that's my biggest concern. For centerpieces, I'm just doing submerged flowers so that should be super easy to do and I'll probably buy flowers and silver dollar eucalyptus from Sam's Club for the centerpieces.
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Champion December 2022
Michelle · on November 1, 2021 at 2:06 PM
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Costco.com sells bridal bundles. Not sure what the color customization is. Fiftyflowers.com is the cheapest for DIY with tutorial videos. Grocery store florists are very inexpensive and high quality. Another option if you are in a major city is a local floral wholesale district which will assemble flowers at cost and prices vary by individual vendors.
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Super July 2022
Shannon · on November 1, 2021 at 6:33 PM
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I agree with you on flowers. The quote I received from a florist for bridal bouquet was $200. I find this to be absurd. I’m considering buying 2 bouquets from a grocery store (Shoprite) for $12.99 each and making my own one day prior.
Working on centerpieces using silk flowers from Michael’s as they have a nice selection. I know you don’t want fake. I’ve heard many people using Costco’s real flowers too.
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Devoted October 2022
Jennifer · on November 1, 2021 at 7:18 PM
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The issue I have with fresh flowers is that they have to be done like the days leading up to the wedding and I think that’s the last thing I want to do going into the Welcome Party and Wedding. I’m okay doing 1 or 2 of them but to do ALL the bouquets, boutonnières, and corsages would just kill me haha. My centerpieces are just going to be submerged roses so it won’t be too bad to do. I did try them with faux florals and it turn the water red 🤣 My plan right now is to have The Bouqs do all of the bridesmaids bouquets, groomsmen boutonnières our mom’s corsages, and our dad’s boutonnières. I have a $75 credit at our local florist so I’m going to use that for my bridal bouquet and our matching boutonnière since we want them to standout anyway.
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Super July 2022
Shannon · on November 2, 2021 at 11:34 AM
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Agreed that arranging fresh flowers is too much on an undertaking and prepping.
I love the look of submerged flowers with floating candles. Smart that you tested it first. I saw these on Etsy where you can buy components all in one my. I wonder if their faux flowers leak color.
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Devoted February 2022
Chloe · on November 2, 2021 at 12:10 PM
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I know what you mean, each and every quote from florists we've received seems like a total rip off! So I kind of "cheated" for bouquets and boutonnieres - I figured out what flowers I wanted and asked a florist for a quote for one bouquet and three boutonnieres without mentioning that it's actually for a wedding (luckily we only have one groomsman and one "man of honour" in our party). The price was half of what we got quoted for bridal bouquets... We have to pick them the day before as they don't deliver, but still, shows how crazy this industry is. Our centerpieces are DIY and don't have to be kept fresh, sort of like this picture (it's a winter wedding), so luckily this isn't a problem and we can set them up the day before
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Just Said Yes May 2022
Brittany · on November 2, 2021 at 1:53 PM
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I am dealing with the same issue and I am unsure on where to actually start.
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Devoted October 2022
Jennifer · on November 2, 2021 at 2:48 PM
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Omg! That is so beautiful! I love it! The quote would have been more if you said it was for a wedding?! Ugh... That's just wrong... That's totally crazy!
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Devoted October 2022
Jennifer · on November 2, 2021 at 2:57 PM
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Oh also, I tried to make my own boutonnieres (that I was quoted $15 for each). I bought the roses and silver dollar eucalyptus from our local florist for less than $15. I already have floral wire, floral tape, and white organza ribbons. It was so freaking easy to do. I may just do the boutonnieres myself.
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Devoted February 2022
Chloe · on November 2, 2021 at 3:01 PM
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Not sure, but bridal bouquets were all quoted at between 100-150€, and the "normal" bouquet from that florist is 70€... So you know, the word "bridal" seems to up the price by 100%
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Super July 2022
Shannon · on November 2, 2021 at 5:04 PM
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That is crazy. I’ve considered telling the florist it’s for a party, not wedding but they would have to deliver to the wedding venue. Why should the cost vary by event?
Just love your centerpieces and crystals.
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Devoted February 2022
Chloe · on November 2, 2021 at 5:15 PM
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I guess it's the same for weddings and babies - both are driven by emotion and people want to get the best they can afford, and vendors know it, so they price accordingly...

Thank you! To be fair, it's a Pinterest picture, not ours. But we will try to duplicate the look!
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Just Said Yes February 2023
Jennifer · on January 26, 2022 at 12:22 PM
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This thread was exactly what I was looking for! I was wondering if anyone had any updates on their decisions? I am just starting to price compare a lot of the above options.
I'm also considering sola wood flowers? (Anyone with experience with those?) Or I'm not opposed to artificial flowers if it's a really big tall arrangement, like in a pilsnar vase or tall trumpet vase. That way they're not front and center but big enough to make a statement in my large venue. There's just no way I can (or will) pay wedding florist prices for the large centerpieces in our venue. (How tacky is it to try and sell yourself to a florist? Like the wedding will be at a new venue in a bigger city than my hometown where they are located.)
I am going to look into the use of artificial branches with the crystals! I like that! I was going to use a lot of floating candles in taller vases as way to make a statement and cut costs, but I was informed that this would not be an easy option due to the venue layout and getting the water to the vases.
This post has definitely helped me start to think of some different approaches to making this happen. I hope everyone is having success with their floral journey!
Thanks all!
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