1. Wedding Flowers
             a. A Guide in Seasonality
             b. Flowers according to Price
             c. Tips in Choosing your Florist
2. The Entourage
             a. Entourage Composition
             b. Price Range
3. The Budget
4. The Reception
             a. Focal Points
             b. A Typical Reception
5. Sample Package Price*
             a. Floral Ensemble
             b. Sample Presidential Table Set-up
             c. Sample Church Set-up
 

WEDDING FLOWERS

What makes or breaks a wedding event

Your choice of flowers for your wedding can make or break the theme and ambience that you are
trying to create for your wedding. A well-chosen mix of flowerplus meticulous arrangements create a perfect harmony that is to be reflective of the future of the newly weds.

It is not necessary to crowd a place with flowers to make it look luxurious or classy. A few flowers, as long as they are properly choosen, conditioned and arranged, can make an even more impressive display than many flowers lumped together. Hence, it is not the volume of flowers you used nor the amount of money you spent on the flowers that speak of your taste and style, instead, it is the choice of floral design, quality of flowers as well as innovative accessories or props. Of course, using rare kinds of flowers, which are usually imported and more expensive, helps greatly (and easily) in achieving an illusion of sophistication in any arrangement. But not to worry, sophistication also comes to the more commonly seen and known flowers such as roses or mums or orchids… if and only if the design is appropriate & the arrangement is perfect.

It follows also that if you are working within a certain budget constraint, you are better off choosing quality instead of quantity. That is, select the areas where flowers will really be noticed and make sure they are your best choice instead of allowing your florist to put many low quality flowers all over the place… consequently cramping your style.

A GUIDE IN SEASONALITY

Not all flowers are available whole year round, some are very sensitive to the seasons, Insisting on a particular flower when it is not in season can be fatal to your budget and the quality of flowers you’ll get.

Flower prices can change depending on the season and the fluctuation is based on the principle of supply and demand. Hence, you should:

• Avoid flowers of the season during its season. For instance, avoid roses during the month before & after
Valentine’s day. And carnations during the month of May (Mothers’ Day)
• Avoid flowers that thrive in cold weather during warm months, like tulips and liliums during summer.

Should these flowers to be available at the same price during its season, there is no assurance of quality because the best harvest by farms worldwide would have already been used for the seasons’ events and orders.

FLOWERS ACCORDING TO PRICE

1. Reasonably Priced flowers

Local flowers: roses, mums, calla lily, vanda/mukara orchid

2. Mid-Priced Flowers

gerbera daisies, carnations, snapdragons, dancing ladies

3. Expensive Flowers

liliums, hydrengea, lisianthus, alstromeria, cymbidiums.

4. More Expensive flowers

tulips, hyacinth, stargazer, Casablanca, peonies, bells of Ireland, cattleya, Columbian roses, lily of the valley.

TIPS IN CHOOSING YOUR FLORIST

1. Your florist must be someone you can trust and someone who understands your needs.

2. To make sure your choices are conveyed, choose one who can illustrate what you have in mind either in visuals, references, drawings, or verbal depiction.

3. Avoid those who start you off with exceedingly high quotation to give you an impression of high value, then let you bargain up to almost half the original quoted price. This has a way of affecting your judgement and objectivity in your choice of flowers. It destracts you from analyzing your needs and brings your attention to your bargaining power & monetary savings. Furthermore, it gives you a mere illusion of luxury. In the end, any reputable florist will give you your money’s worth …. Nothing more and nothing less

THE ENTOURAGE

Your Personal Flowers

The flowers you hold near are flowers that are dear to you. The choice of entourage flowers reflect the personality of the bride. There is an endless array of flowers to choose from, but in some cases, the mere play of colors in one type of flower can say a lot more. Ultimately the choice will depend on the colors & availability of flowers as well as the budget.

Entourage Composition

A typical entourage is composed of around 7-10 friends/relatives of the bride & groom and between 4-8 pairs of Principal Sponsors:

Usually, the composition is:

• Bride & Groom

• Maid of Honor

• Bridesmaid & Groomsman

• 3 Secondary Sponsors & Partners

• 2 Flower girls & 3 bearers

• 4 pairs of Principal Sponsors

Fresh flowers for a simple entourage line-up like this would cost between P6000 to P40,000 (or even more!) depending on the kinds of flowers used. Be wary of the quality of flowers if the package price falls below P6000, most probably, the flowers that would be used are not as fresh as the bride looks on her wedding day.

PRICES RANGES:

To give you an idea:

1. If the flowers are composed of mostly locally available flowers like roses, mums, gerbera daisies, orchids, the package price is
approx: between P6000-PP10,000

2. If you prefer a mix of imported & local flowers like lilies, cymbidiums, or carnations with roses, mums, gerbera The price can go between P9,000 to P18,000.

3. If you prefer all imported flowers or a combination which includes more expensive flowers like tulips, irises, peonies, Columbian roses, or hydrangea, it’ll cost you between P15,000 to P40,000. Here each flower would be counted and the price will be computed on a per stem basis.

The variance in each category is due to the complexity of the design, the props that will be used and the volume of flowers that will be consumed for the kind of arrangement preferred.

The best way to know how much your choice of flowers would cost is to know exactly the kind and quantity of flowers that will be used and ask for a quotation from a florist based on this inventory. But since this is almost impossible for any peson, who is not a florist, to determine, it is better for you to consult a trusted florist or a reputable shop.


THE BUDGET

The florist can help you explore the different kinds of flowers to use and arrangements to make when given a certain budget. It pays to be honest with your budget the first time around so you do not waste your time in wishful thinking or haggling for a more reasonable budget.

Unless your budget is “sky’s the limit,” you should be guided by your budget when you dictate the flowers you want, and the guidelines regarding pricing of flowers ( as seen on page 1) will help you with this. It would be ridiculous, for example, to ask for all-tulip bouquet for the whole entourage when your budget is only P6,000.




TIP for brides who are working within a strict budget: You may be very specific with your own bridal bouquet and allow your florist to work within your budget for the rest of the entourage flowers, giving only a color guide and a general look. Based on your specifications, your florist may determine the price of your bridal bouquet separately and determine the balance that will be used for your other entourage flowers.


THE RECEPTION

Creating an Ambience

The most important thing about a reception is the ambience. There is a special occasion, We dress up, it follows that we would want to dine in style. And given that the guests stay longest during the reception, it is crucial that the flowers in your reception make a lasting impression.

In order to create the ambience, it is not enough to have fantastic arrangements but for these arrangement be placed in the right locations, also that they are spaced properly. Not all reception places are crated equal, some need more flowers than others in order to create a perfect setting. Ceiling treatment is the easiest way to any place into a wedding reception but not all kinds of ceilings suit such treatment.

Each place deserves a special kind of treatment. And the best person to know which treatment is best would be the person in-charge of the place or restaurant. Your florist can recommend a non-conventional set-up or layout, but this will be subject to the approval of the reception manager. The florists’ experience in dressing up your chosen reception is a definite advantage since it precludes the necessity of conducting an ocular inspection of the site.

Focal Points.

The focal point when dressing up a place is the room itself. It is not a particular spot in the room for the room itself should have its own mood…created by lighting, music, flowers, décor, and the right temperature, when the room is set, the beautiful flower arrangements make magnificent accents in the important areas of the room:

Couple’s table/VIP Table

• Stage/Cake Area
• Dining Area
• Entrance or stairway
• Aisle
• Lobby/waiting area

A beautiful centerpiece for each table can light up the whole room, making all the other arrangements seem superfluous. However, it is still necessary to dress up the areas where most photo shots will be taken, the cake/stage area, the entrance or greeting area, and of course the place where the couple will be seated.

If working on a budget, you have two options, stick to your flower choice and place them in the more important areas or go for less expensive flowers or use less volume of flowers but place them all around the place. The safer option is usually to place your flowers in the more important areas. Innovation can do wonders to your budget as well, for instance, placing a rose or a flower head on every other table napkin, along with matching petals scattered all the table can improve a table setting dramatically!

On the other hand, lavish décor has a lot to do with the props and the structural set-up. This includes the draperies, the arches, gazebo, pillars, pedestals, dividers, water fountains, Tivoli lights, artificial trees, and even seat ribbons/accents, and lanterns. Each item will have to be dressed up, put together and accented with flowers. The price will depend on the kind and volume of flowers used.

A TYPICAL RECEPTION

A typical reception would have a floral set-up for at least 3 areas the couple’s table, stage/cake, and entrance. Fro these areas to look real good, one may spend anywhere from P7,000 to up to P50,000+. Again, it all depends on the flowers and complexity of arrangement as well as props to be used.

On the average, ceiling treatment, arches, gazebo cost around P10,000 up if separately billed and could even be as low as P4000 if it offered as part of your package. This has something to do with set-up, transport, and economies of scale



PACKAGE PRICE FOR ENTOURAGE FLOWERS

Sample Floral Ensemble


Bride                                 nosegay
Maid of honor                     nosegay
Bridesmaid                         nosegay
3 Secondary Sponsors         wrist corsage or nosegay
5 Principal Sponsors            corsage or nosegay
Mother of the Bride             corsage or nosegay
2 Flower girls                     basket or pomander with headpiece

Executive Entourage:

Flowers:         Long-stemmed roses, Malaysian mums
                    (with Casablanca, Lilies & Carnations for bridal bouquet)
Price :             P6-8,000

Royal Entourage:

Flowers :         Carnations, Gerberas, Holland Roses, Malaysian mums
                    (with Casablanca, Lilies, Carnations & Gerberas for the bridal bouquet)
Price :             P8-12,000

Grande Entourage:

Flower :         Cymbidiums, Liliums, Gerberas, Carnations, Holland Roses & Malaysian mums or tulips
                    (With Casablanca, Lilies, Carnations & Gerberas for the bridal bouquet)
Price:             P12-15,000


PACKAGE PRICE FOR CEREMONY FLOWERS

Sample Church Set-up

Entrance Door         2 standing arrangements for the entrance door of the church

Aisle                     12 standing arrangements for the aisle

Altar                     3 spray arrangements for the altar

Candle Holder         2 spray arrangements for the candle holder

Tabernacle             1 cascading arrangements for the tabernacle

Executive Ceremony:

Flowers                 Chrysanthemums with Fishtail, Palmeras, Anahaw

Price                     P10-12,000


Royal Ceremony:

Flowers                 Malaysian mums, Gerberas and Roses with Fishtail, Palmeras and Anahaw

Amenities             Tulle & Tivoli lights along the aisle

Price                     P12-15,000


Grande Ceremony:

Flowers                 Malaysian mums, Gerbera, Roses, Liliums, Orchids with Fishtail, Palmeras and Anahaw

Amenities             Tulle, Tivoli lights & Green along the aisle.

Price                     P15-20,000




PACKAGE PRICE FOR RECEPTION FLOWERS

Sample Presidential Table Set-up



Entrance Door                2 standing arrangements for the entrance
                                    Door of reception area

Presidential Backdrop     2 standing arrangements for the backdrop of the presidential table

VIP Table                     1 long & low arrangement for presidential table

Executive Reception:

Flowers                         Malaysian mums, Long-stemmed Roses with Palmeras, Anahaw and fishtail

Amenities                       Swags of tablecloth of the color motif

Price                             P5,000

Additional                      {1,500 for cake table arrangements


Royal Reception:

Flowers                         Malaysian mums, Long-stemmed Roses, Gerberas, Liliums with Anahwa,
                                    Palmeras & Fishtail

Amenities                       Fully decorated arch with semi-ceiling treatment
                                    (if feasible) and swags of tablecloth of the bridal motif.

Price                             P2,500 for cake table arrangements


Grande Reception:

Flowers                         Asiatic Liliums, Orchids, Gerbera, Malaysian Mums with Pinsaray,
                                    Palmeras & Fishtail

Amenities                      fully decorated gazebo with swags of tablecloth in the bridal motif

Price                             P10,0000

Additional                      P3,000 for the cake arrangements.