Wedding Forum - Florist Prices (not from online)...

I know I posted recently about an artificial flower quote and some of you commented back... but HELP!!

I have just come back from a consultation with a florist, and she was so friendly, and you know when there's that something about them, you know you have a good feeling? Well we got that from her....however when I mentioned other quotes I have received (dumbed down the price a bit, the way I've been taught to) she seemed utterly shocked at how low they were!
I know sometimes it is a case of spend that little bit more when you feel its right too, or find a decent bargain online...doesn't necessarily mean scrimping on quality or anything like that if spending less, because ideally we want to spend as low as possible, but have no idea what a 'decent' price is! I haven't gone down bay of e route or online based because I don't know 100% what I am after, and prefer sitting down with someone to discuss in detail.
Having never planned a wedding before or been within a florist business we have no idea if we will get a good deal or whether we will be ripped off... my mother and I are completely perplexed by it all!!

Looking at having shower bouquet, 2 bridesmaids, flower girl wand, 2 wrist corsages, 6 buttonholes (Grooms slightly different)
then having top table flower arrangement which will be used for ceremony too, two pedestal flower arrangements to be used in ceremony, reception & evening, and then 4-5 flower arrangements for tables.

What I was wondering is whether you lovely ladies, can give me an idea of what sort of price you paid from your florist and what for ??

We have another consultation tomorrow with another florist so will see what sort of quote she comes up with, but one from today will get back to me by end of play tomorrow or Saturday latest.

Thanks xx

I've paid £500 for (real flowers):
My flowers - hand tied white roses with foliage and sparkley bits
3 x bridesmaid - hand tied
2 x mums corsages on magnets
1 a groom
1 x best man
2 female button holes
5 male button holes
8 lanterns with candles and flowers at the base.
2 thank you flowers
ivy for my cake.
Hope this helps :) xx

We found some florists to be so expensive! but we found one which doesn't have an official shop but was recommend by our venue, its costings us the following :

Brides bouquet 55.00
Bridesmaids bouquets x2 £40.00
Lady Button Holes x 8 £20.00
Male Button Holes 9x £24.50 (H2B costs a little more)
Reception Table flowers £35
Table Decorations x 6 £75.00

Mine costs a bit more then most people

Bridal Bouquet x 1 - £60
Bridesmaids posy x 3 - £75
Gents Buttonholes x 7 - £21
Ladies Corsages x 2 - £16
Top Table arrangement x 1 - £45
Top table garland x 1 - £35
Centre Pieces x 9 - £360
Napkin decorations x 80 - £80
Thank You bouquets x 2 - £40
Main entrance decor - £120
Entrance arch - £70
Hydrangea plants x 3 - £75
Martini Glass Hire x 9 - £108

So total £1105

What flowers were you thinking about having?

Mine is
My bouquet, 6 bridesmaids bouquets, 2 flower girl baskets, 2 mum corsages, 6 button holes, 1 mini button hole, 3 heart shaped wreaths, 2 topiary trees, 13 table centrepieces including all fresh flowers, mirrors , candles scatter diamonds, top table,
All flowers are roses and peonies
Total of £868

X

I think You guys are forgetting your bouquets will be different sizes, different amount of flowers in them etc. It would help I think if someone could put pictures of their flowers up here alongside the prices.

Wow, these quotes make mine sound quite reasonable at 746 (including church decor and 10 tables, 3 bms and bride and button holes, 2 podiums and candle dressing) and I was worried that was too much. Just waiting for another quote and will compare x

MrsK2be your flowers look gorgeous, love the colours :)

well today's one was awful... i don't understand how she is in business...massive shop few bits on the floor and that was it...and the 'consultation' propped up at the till for 10 minutes!! hmmm....
popped into a couple of local ones that mom found on her walk this morning just for a quote idea, and then one that we know is wayyyy too expensive as a very well known florist! But gives us a good variety of prices to work with & hopefully yesterday's will send us a quote asap... have a good feeling about her, but somehow price may let her down :S we shall see!

Was also thinking whats good with our flowers is yes ok the quote may be a bit more than we'd like but as most are artificial, we're paying x amount for a lifetime as flowers can be re-arranged into an arrangement for a vase or something etc. so won't feel like too much as not really going to waste? But still, there is limits!!

Thanks for your help ladies xx

Our flowers were:

Open Brides bouquet - Ivory & Burgundy roses, ivory freeshia, babys breadth, holly & Berries and foliage.
1 double grooms button hole with ivory & burgundy roses, holly & Berries
2 double groomsmen button holes, with 2 ivory roses, holly & berries
2 Mums corsages, same flowers and foliage as above.
14 single ivory rose & foliage button holes
1 baby button hole.
1 Medium table display with same flowers and foliage as my bouquet

Our price was £138

Mine were £203-
I had roses mixed with other flowers (i will put a picture in my albums)
My bouquet
moh bouquet
1 bridesmaid wrist corsage
3 mother corsages
1 groom buttonhole
5 buttonholes
1 top table arrangement
cake topper
I thought my florist was really reasonable, her flowers were beautiful and she didn't charge extra for delivery etc.I spoke to others who were quite literally twice the price...i cannot believe that they would have been twice as nice! xxx

Thanks dreamland I love them! And the best thing is they will last forever. Mine will be ivory though with purple ribbon not the red! Got a box frame for them to go into after the wedding :) x

Helen they are stunning!!!

UPDATE: well we have a quote back for about £700! Mine alone is £169!!! But we are going to try and negotiate a price down a bit, as had gone to a few florists yesterday and averaged out their prices with what some of you have put on here and thought we would be looking at £5-600 max!! so yeh will see what we can do but won't message them until Monday as don't want to look too keen!!!
xx

Wow that's a lot for your flowers. I would try and get the price down.

You could always say that you have got a few quotes and try and play them off each other.

We only got one quote but we both love our florist so we was happy with the quote that she did for us. X

That sounds like a really good approach...good luck x

Well have just sent the email! Have basically asked if can see some photographs and maybe some samples of their work & that as much as we loved their ideas, after looking over the quote, assuming VAT has been included is there any possibility or room for manoevre and if so then they're preferred method of payment - got Dad to help me word it, so assuming the mention of payment method was to see about any price alterations as MrsK2B you have suggested.
So will see what tomorrow brings.

She sent me two emails on sat, one from the email she has contacted me on before, then the quote was from a different account so have replied to the one I have had contact with so I know she will receive it!

Fingers crossed! thanks ladies xx

Well had an email back nice and early this morning, saying she'll send some pictures over later but due to the fact they are artificial they can be made in advance & can be altered to suit but they are 'so confident' that I will love their work and that they would offer a full refund if I wasn't entirely happy with my bouquet.
As they only use the best quality flower stems there isnt much they can do in lowering the quote, apparantly they have already given it at a discounted rate... other than compromising with the quality of flowers in order to lower the quote and that is something they do not recommend. My only alternative is to lower the number of calla's in each piece and reolace with a different and lower priced stem!
Arghhhhhh no idea what to do!!!!!!!

I could do I guess. I have asked around with other florists that do artificial & tried working out prices and quality against each other. But will have to wait to see what they have to send me and take it from there!

that was my problem, we couldn't work on a budget as didn't know what sort of prices we were looking at, hence the post in the first place! but after reading some of the other girls replies and working out averages from other florists we went to we thought we had some sort of quote set and turns out we were a wayyyyy off!!