Until the Last Petal Falls

After the cost of the venue, flowers are the second highest budgeted expense in a wedding. Brides and Groom’s will spend $3000 to $35000 on the production of their event. The fairy tale can be old world romance with lush floral, or a modern stylish design of candles and symmetry, or the current trend of crystals and manzanita branches. No matter what the vision is for you wedding day, when the celebration ends the ballroom is still adorned with the remnants of the glamour that was.

The question on what to do with the flowers after the event is almost never addressed. So, here are few tips and ideas to discuss with your florist or designer:


Can the floral centerpieces be taken home by your guests?
Some floral vases are considered rentals and the floral studio will return and pick them up. You may be charged if all of the vases are not there. So, make sure that the floral staged on top of these vases are portable.


What to do with the flowers?
You can decide to give centerpieces to your immediate family, or friends, who may have been a great asset in planning your wedding. You might want to take a couple of them to your honeymoon suite, or at least have your parents enjoy them at their homes.

How about donating them to local hospitals?
Each hospital, senior center, charity or school will most likely have a policy about floral donations. It is best to check with them to see if they can accept your floral pieces. If they are willing to accept your generous donation, keep in mind you will be responsible for delivering them. In that case, you might want to ask your venue if it is okay to leave the floral overnight. In the morning you will need to assign someone to pick them up from the ballroom and deliver them to your charity of choice.


Still have more?
If you still have floral left after distributing as much as you can, what happens? The unfortunate truth is, they will be trashed. If you want them recycled, check with your florist or designer to see if they offer recycling service. If they do not, contact your local recycling company to see if it is something they can accommodate.

I hope this helps you in planning the end of your floral journey. Your floral vision will live in perpetuity in your wedding pictures and video. Enjoy them for as long as you can.

BBFN (Bridal Bliss for Now),
Olivia

Bollywood Weddings

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Top 5 Wedding Budget Savers

The average wedding in Chicago costs $32,000. This is where you stop and pause and wonder if there might be a less expensive way to go about this. Imagine what you can do with $32,000?? Makes you wonder….. Although the economy is coming back slowly it is still not the time to be frivolous and go overboard on the spending for your wedding.

There are many ways that you can save on your wedding budget but today we are going to focus on what we feel are the top 5 budget crunchers and can make the biggest impact on your bottom line budget.

Cut the guest List:
Each time you add a name to your invitation list, you're increasing your budget significantly. It's not just the catering costs, but also the extra centerpieces, favors, rentals, etc. Don't invite anyone you haven't talked to in five years. Don't feel obligated to let single people bring a date. Avoid feeling pressured to invite all your work colleagues. And don't let your friends bring their children. You can also decide to eliminate categories like "relatives more distant than first cousins" or "friends from volunteer work." By not inviting anyone from that group, you'll help avoid hurt feelings.

Use more greenery than flowers in your centerpieces:
Instead of using all flowers for your centerpiece décor you can also opt to use elegant greenery such as ivy, vines and banana leaves to enhance your centerpiece without the cost of floral. Not only does this reduce the requirement of flowers, but it also adds color to your piece.


Buy Flowers that are in-season:
If you opt for an elaborate floral décor then it is advisable to choose flowers that are in season. Some perennial flowers include roses, lilies and orchids. Out of season flowers, or exotic flowers, can end up costing you double the cost of flowers that are local or in season.

Offer, beer, wine and signature cocktails instead of a full bar:
Full hosted bars can be expensive. Most venues will charge anywhere from $25.00 to $45.00 per person for a 4-5 hour bar, and this is accessed even if your guests do not drink. By offering your guests a choice of beer, wine and signature cocktails versus a full bar you give your guests an opportunity to enjoy an alcoholic beverage during the event, while lowering your bar tab considerably, and you do not appear to be cheap.


Save postage on your wedding invitations:
Forgo the inner envelope and blotter paper, which are leftover relics from times when ink needed time to dry, and people wanted a pristine envelope. The advance in the internet has made it possible to have your guests reply on-line rather than having a reply card. Not only will you save money from the printer bill, it should also reduce your postage expense.

This is a once in a lifetime experience and you should feel comfortable with the decisions made in regards to the budget. If I can leave you with one tip regarding your budget it would be: whether you have $10,000 or $100,000 or more to spend on your wedding, the reception venue and catering services are two items that will cost you the most. No amount of cost comparing and budgeting will save you more money then simply reducing your guest list.

BBFN (Bridal Bliss for Now),
Olivia