Supermarket Wedding Flowers: Share Your Experience? NJ/NY

Actually, the flowers will be one of the few things that will still be around the next day. Besides photography, your gown, and the rings -- everything will be a memory the next day. Even the food you paid for will be gone (and in northern NJ, you're paying a hefty per plate charge for that food). I would visit a few florists. Most offer free consultations. If you're in Bergen County (a pricey county), try florists in surrounding counties. Just give them your budget and if they can work with you, they will. If you go the grocery store route, there is a difference between Shop Rite and Kings in general. Kings is a more upscale grocery store, so I would tend to think their floral department might be a step up as well.

I've heard of grocery store floral departments arranging flowers, but not delivering and setting up.

We used Wegman's and they were AMAZING. They delivered, but did not set up. My DOC took care of that for me. I was in awe of the fantastic job they did. That being said, I'm not sure we saved a whole ton of money vs. going to a florist. I had very small (4") centerpieces on 10 tables one 5" centerpiece on the sweetheart table, 2 bouquets, 2 bouts, and a corsage for my Mom. The total cost was about $850.

Duplicate post.

KarenM, those are really, really nice! Yeah, my concern is who will set everything up? Also, I have six bridesmaids, seven groomsmen (although I'll probably skip boutonnieres for them), at least 15 reception tables, plus a very plain lawn with a plain arch way that will probably need some flowers or fabric. I will definitely check out Wegmans, though! Thanks!

No problem! Check to make sure that you're local Wegman's provides the service. Not all of them do. You can find out through their website.

Flowers bring so much joy to the atmosphere and they DON"T die the next day; you can donate them to Repeat Roses, a great charity that one of the brides here introduced me to. They will pair you with an engaged couple who will pick up your arrangements and rearrange them so they can be brought to nursing homes and shelters.

You need a lot of flowers, and you need someone to set them up. I have a bunch of great florists that I work with,but I"d highly recommend floral expressions by Maria and Larry, in Washington Township. I've been referring them for years, they're lovely to work with, not expensive, and their work is gorgeous. One of my officiants got married last year and she used them; the did wine boxes as the centerpieces and they were gorgeous.

A tent wedding is a completely different animal than a ballroom wedding. You're right; you will need decor beyond the centerpieces and bouts/bouquets. The difference in price between a florist who will manage the whole day and ordering flowers that you have to manage is totally worth the extra dollars (and as the days tick down, you'll feel more and more like doing less and less). But definitely call now; you're in peak season, and your options will get less and less as you get closer to January.

Hi Celia - It's Erin K., your client getting married at Oakeside with Cari :-) You are confirming most of my suspicions - I just promised my mom I would follow up on the supermarket idea because she is so concerned about the cost (my parents also don't think I should spend virtually ANYTHING on a wedding but that's a whole other issue haha).

I love the idea of that charity... that is so great! Also, I will definitely check with Maria and Larry. I realize I am getting close to the date here and need to start locking down options, soon.

Here's another idea to continue using floral centerpieces after the reception is over.

One of my clients had their wedding planner (or florist?) take the centerpieces to various quasi-public venues around town (Starbucks, Panera, coffee houses, cafes/restaurants with outside tables, park benches, etc.) and leave them for others to take home. A note was attached to each explaining where the flowers had come from, encouraging the finder to take them home and enjoy them, and asking that that they take a picture with the flowers and post it to Instagram.

The couple had a wedding hashtag already set up, and several of the new "owners" followed through and posted pictures, with thanks and good wishes to the newly weds!

Oh cool! Hello there!! LOL! They are so fun to work with! One thing I am seeing a LOT of is centerpieces doing double duty as ceremony decor, then moved to the dinner tables. A smartly constructed archway or arbor can totally be moved to be a frame for the head table. The good news is that at Oakside, the setting is so pretty and intimate that not a whole lot of decor is necessary. I think you could totally do something like lanterns with candles or candelabras wrapped with ivy and a flower here and there.

I don't think the supermarket route is entirely out of the question if you're doing something simple like bunches of hydrangeas in bubble balls (but hydrangeas are not exactly hardy) or giant bunches of tulips in ginger jars, but you personally will have no time to do it yourself. (I did this. It was horrible....)

Since it is an antique setting, you could absolutely do a melange of little vases/jars and candlesticks too, but again, the key is YOU do not want to do this personally!

I'm going to use Sams Club. I'm a little nervous about timing, but it will all work out.

I will be picking them up and setting them up when I set up my own venue.