What Wedding Flowers Cost →

December 26, 2019 Eliza Gray

Peach Gray Girly Photo Border Wedding Pinterest Graphic (2).png

Congratulations, you’re engaged!

By now, you’ve set a date and have begun thinking about planning your wedding. If you have a budget, there’s a lot to consider if you want to stay on track. Before meeting with vendors, take a moment and prioritize the aspects of your wedding are the most important to you, as a couple.

If flowers are high on your priority list, a good rule of thumb is to reserve 10-15% of your total wedding budget for flowers. (For instance, if your wedding budget is $60,000, then $6,000-$9,000 is a good amount to set aside for floral designs).

Many couples allocate the majority of their budget to renting a venue or reserving a tent, renting tables, chairs, specialty linens and glassware and hiring a fantastic planner, photographer, lighting company and caterer. From there, couples think about flowers, their cake, dessert and small details like place cards, menu cards, Save the Date cards and formal invitations.

If flowers are important to you as a couple and you have a tight budget, keep your guest list small. Inviting fewer guests means fewer rentals (tables, chairs, linens, glassware), plated meals and alcohol. You can treat your guests to a more intimate experience with finishes that are luxurious and unique.

Below is a rough breakdown of what wedding flowers cost:

A Bridal bouquet can cost anywhere from $150-$200+. Much depends on the size and varieties of flowers used and seasonal availability.
Boutonnieres are labor intensive and cost anywhere from $20-$25.
Corsages require detailed work as well and cost $35 a piece, on average. Poseys can cost $35-$50 each.
Bridesmaids bouquets range anywhere from $75-$100+, depending on size and seasonal availability.
Ceremony Flowers can cost $400- $1200+ depending on the scale of the design. Some couples opt for a simpler design of flowers - either attached to one side of the arbor or chuppah. Other couples opt for elaborate arrangements lining the aisle with a grand display at the altar area.
Welcome Table flowers make a great focal point for your guests. Many couples choose to place their escort cards here. Expect to pay $150-$300 depending on the size of the table.
Cocktail Tables are small in size and a comfortable place for guests to stand while enjoying a post ceremony drink. Small arrangements are recommended for these tables, generally costing $25-$40 a piece.
Centerpieces. Reception tables are either 60” or 72” round or an 8’ -10’ rectangular table. Round tables allow for either low and wide or tall and dramatic centerpieces. If a couple has 20 round tables, a florist might suggest alternating the height of these arrangements to add interest to the room. Round table arrangements can cost a minimum of $125 and can easily reach $300+ depending on how full and dramatic the designs are.
If the reception includes rectangular tables (either separated or arranged end to end in a row), flowers can either be arranged in groupings or in a line. Assorted arrangements placed down the center of the table can cost anywhere from $135-$250+ per table. Garland is another option*, costing $20/ft on average depending on the type of greens used. Adding flowers increases that number to $35-40/ft.
*If the dinner service is “Family Style”, a long continuous line of garland will not be possible.
Gift Tables, Bars and Dessert/Cake Tables. For each of these tables, adding floral arrangements can cost about $100 each. If you’d like to save a little on your overall floral budget, you can choose to display bridesmaid bouquets on these tables instead.
Finally, don’t forget about delivery and set up fees* (which include labor, van rentals, travel time, day-of installation and rental pick up the day following your wedding). Wedding florists are service providers, so there will be sales and labor tax as well.
*Delivery and set up fees can vary based on the scale of your wedding.

Pretty Flowers’ complete wedding design starts at $4000.

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5 Ways To Add Blue To Your Wedding →

January 23, 2019 Eliza Gray

Blue is a great color and it’s one of my favorites. Incorporating blue into wedding flowers is a common request among our couples. There are only a few “true blue” flowers- the rest are up for debate. What I might consider blue, another person might consider lavender and vice versa. Another challenge is “true blue” colors can sometimes appear garish on their own. While we always aim to meet our clients’ vision, we also encourage them to think outside the box.

Here are 5 ways to incorporate the color blue in a tasteful, sophisticated way.

1. Add layers of blue flowers and berries to create depth

Claudia wanted subtle color so we used light blue Delphinium, dark blue Viburnum Berries and dark centered Anemones. We also layered in Silver Dollar Eucalyptus, Eucalyptus seeds, purple leaf Acacia and a few ‘Earl Grey’ roses for a soft dusty lavender/gray color. The combination of flowers, seeds and berries created a layered and textural bouquet with soft color.

2. Incorporate blueberries to your tablescape

Possibly one of the simplest ways to add color to your tablescape is to incorporate fresh fruit. Besides, what’s a better blue than blueberries? Adding a few small compotes of fresh blueberries adds just enough color while maintaining a sophisticated look. What’s more-your guests may also appreciate blueberries as a light snack before the first course.

3. Have your wedding party wear the color

These days, we see a lot of Bridesmaids wearing different styles of dress all in the same color palette. With good reason. Combining different styles and patterns adds interest to photographs and allows for each wedding to be truly unique.

4. Rent specialty linens in a unique hue of blue

Dark blue linens can be glamorous, romantic and sophisticated if used in the right way. Adding velvet dark blue linens? Now, we’re talking. Dark blue textiles pair nicely with dark wood, brass, gold and pops of white. When using dark blue linens, werecommend renting walnut cross back chairs for a more earthy and regal look than the standard white chair.

5. Add blue glass goblets and dinnerware for a pop of color

Renting a unique collection of decor items is a cost effective way for couples, planners and designers to add a touch of color and texture to a tablescape. The blue goblets (above) vary in style and height but all have the same deep blue color. Renting colored water goblets adds a lot of sophistication while only costing a few dollars per guest.

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The 10 Best Greens for Event Work →

January 3, 2019 Eliza Gray

Most couples hire Pretty Flowers in the summer as it’s a popular time to get married. Summer in Maine is arguably the BEST place to be June-October. Generally, the weather is perfect but when we do have heat wave, they always seem to fall on the day of an event. As a wedding florist, the weather (temperature and humidity) can have its challenges. Most dramatic floral displays are designed without water- in a sense, that’s what makes them dramatic. They’re defying what’s natural or common. Amy and I do our best to use biodegradable materials when designing with water, but when a water source isn’t a possibility, we rely on some tried and tested greens that hold up-even on hot days.

1. Southern Smilax (Jackson Vine)

This AMAZING vine grows down South (south of Maine, that is!) Lush with a capital L. It’s become one of our favorite choices for event work on a grand scale. We strung this very forgiving and hardy vine along the entrance to Krista and Victor’s clear top tent from Exeter Tents. Even in the heat of this July wedding, this greenery did not wilt (remember, it’s from the south).

2.Olive

Dress it up, dress it down- this gem does it all. Olive branches can make an event casual, light and airy but can also make a wedding glamorous and sophisticated. Olive has a silvery underside which reflects light-creating depth and interest for great photos. We used cases of Olive branches for Allison and Ben’s wedding at The Black Point Inn in Scarborough, Maine. We created a thick base of Olive on our massive Chuppah and then covered it with gorgeous flowers.

3. Gardenia

One of Amy’s favorites- Gardenia foliage is a richly colored green and has a glossy finish. This foliage can also have petite leaves- perfect for Boutonnieres and corsage work. If you want a sharp looking bouquet like the one Amy designed below, pair this greenery with crisp white flowers like Sweet Peas, Garden Roses and Peonies.

4. Sea Star & Umbrella Fern

These are some of my personal favorites when it comes to ferns. They are a wonderfully light in form but rich in texture. Sea Star Fern almost reminds me of the skeletal remains of a fern dug up by some archaeologist somewhere. These ferns are the perfect accent when paired with greens with broader leaves like Eucalyptus or Dusty Miller or in this case, some of Amy’s Japanese Maple branches.

5. Salal (Lemon Leaf)

Lemon Leaf is the first green I became familiar with when I started designing 13 years ago. It’s rugged and dark green and has a nice lemon shape (hence the name). It holds its own out of water and makes a wonderfully thick garland as shown below. Brianna and Aaron chose to have us drape the garland over the arbor at Point Lookout in Northport, Maine so that it could be reused after their ceremony. At the reception, they were able to repurpose the garland by laying it out on their long head table with no trouble at all.

6. Eucalyptus, Silver Dollar or Seeded

There’s a reason why this green is everywhere these days. Eucalyptus has gained in popularity for its versatility and form, beautiful blue gray color, its soft fragrance and how well it holds up with event work. Kate and Mitch’s wedding in Portland, Maine had 18 Farm Tables and required at least 150 feet of ‘Silver Dollar’ Eucalyptus garland. Henry + Mac captured the drape of the Eucalyptus perfectly in this image below.

7. Magnolia

Business in the front. Party in the back. This is a wonderful, thick green, best used for larger pieces, mantles and garlands. Occassionally, you can find smaller leaves at the tips of the branches, that are great for smaller centerpieces. Admittedly, we don’t have enough of an opportunity to use this fine specimen (as evidenced by the random photo I found online) because we book most weddings in the season when Magnolia is not available at the Chelsea Flower Market. However, we do use it in our Thanksgiving floral and winter indoor (and outdoor) decorations.

7. Hanging Amaranthus

I had too many pictures to choose from. All you need to know is that this dramantic “green” is just that. DRAMATIC. Commonly referred to as “Love Lies Bleeding” this plant/flower/accent does the job. It’s best used when it can hang loose. Let gravity do the work! We try and support our local flower farmers as much as we can during the growing season. Lucky for us, Maine is home to…15 flower farms? (Actual statistic pending until I get confirmation from MOFGA).

9. Bay Leaf

The first thing you’ll notice about this green is the earthy, minty scent. This is not the kind for cooking, by the way. This Bay Leaf has long, narrow leaves. A nice alternative to ‘Diamond’ Eucalyptus because it’s more green than gray. I love the structure of this green and how well it holds up out of water. We used Bay Leaf for this little flower girl’s crown. Simple and sweet.

10. Italian Ruscus

The LBD in everyone’s closet. Cost effective. Glossy. Richly colored. Pointed leaves. Holds up without water. Ruscus is versatile. Wonderful for boutonniere and corsage work but also perfect for large designs. Ruscus also makes a great, simple garland*. A few bunches of the long stuff laid along the centerline of your table will create an easy tablescape. *Weight that lightweight Ruscus down- with candles, flowers…something. If the slightest breeze comes through your tent, Ruscus will not stay put.

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A bouquet worthy of Cirque du Soleil →

April 26, 2016 Amy Maloney

What do you do with an old, dirty juggling baton when a couple of crazy circus performers ask if there is any way to incorporate it into the Bride's wedding bouquet?

Never one to shy away from a challenge, I looked at this funny shaped thing for a while. I needed to figure out how its size and shape could work with the pretty flowers of Cheryl's bouquet.

After a thorough cleaning and with the assistance of my trusty "tool guy" we cut up the baton, removed the skinny handle, cut it in half and drilled holes on either side. I sandwiched the stems of Cheryl's bouquet between the baton and laced it back together with lovely ribbon and...voila!