Say it with flowers

In a wedding, on a date, an anniversary or the pink and red extravagance of St. Valentine’s Day, almost nothing excites a woman as much as flowers (except, arguably, shoes). Flowers are pretty, feminine, and perhaps most importantly, flowers are a romantic gesture that serves no other purpose than simply saying: I Love You.

The possibilities are endless: hundreds of flower species vie for your attention: the always classic roses, the cute tulips, or a mix of all of them together. Next comes the color selection: should it match your bridesmaids’ dresses, table clothes or napkins? Of only slightly less importance, how long should you ignore your fiancé’s grumblings about the choice of pink tie to match the wedding color theme? Of course, all of these choices apply to centerpieces (the dining table flower arrangements), bridal bouquet, flower girls and the groom’s lapel, as well as any other surprising locations at the wedding site.

The unbearable cost of flowers

If this seems overwhelming, don’t worry. It’s fun, and many friends, family members or professionals can help you untie your inner designer artiste. There’s only one little catch. If on a regular day flowers are an affordable touch of luxury, saying the word “wedding” at a flower shop turns a modest daisy into the flowery equivalent of a diamond. Prices double and quadruple seemingly inexplicably.  Furthermore, a dozen roses that would be more than appropriate on an anniversary or birthday are barely enough for a single table at a wedding. Before long, you’re dealing with hundreds of flowers, enough to populate a small hamlet in the countryside.

Most couples expect and plan for the high price of dresses, wedding sites or even cakes, but experience sticker shock at the unbearable unaffordability of flowers, often reaching thousands of dollars, and adding up to already ballooning wedding expenses. However, never fear! We have a solution, both fun and affordable, and easier than you think!

DIY flowers

When we prepared for our own wedding, we encountered the same problem: an intense attachment to flowers, but a disapproving, disgusted head shaking at the prices we encountered at wedding flower shops. Not to be deterred, we researched – we Googled, and asked married female friends for advice. Actually, we asked the husbands too, and they invariably uniformly answered: “Ask my wife!”.

If you’re living in New York, a do it yourself (DIY) wedding flower arrangement is easier than you think. As always, New York is full of surprises, and has something for everyone. While we can’t disparage the quality and creativity of many of the wedding flower specialists, becoming your own DIY wedding florist can be both fun and cost effective, often reaching a surprising level of quality and beauty. Best of all, on the day of the wedding, you’ll look around, and the flowers will be uniquely yours, reflecting your own personality and taste.

Step by step DIY

DIY wedding flowers follow a pretty simple premise: browse magazines and flower shops for inspiration, buy vases (more on that on the next post), pick a florist (more on that next paragraph), and arrange it all on the day before the wedding. Up to this point, it’s all fun. On the wedding day, you’ll need a trusty friend, brother or sister to bring the flowers to the wedding site and arrange them. The latter is fun too, but don’t even think about it – you’ll be way too busy.

Let’s start with the inspiration. Believe it or not, Flower Heaven exists, and it’s right here, in New York, in the most unlikely of places. On West 28^th Street, between 6^th and 7^th Avenues, lies New York’s very own Flower District. In yet another unassuming block near Chelsea, store after store is full of flowers, originally exclusively for wholesale, but now most stores are willing to sell retail to prospective brides. Prices are generally significantly lower than at most florists (e.g., $10 for a dozen roses) and the quality is mostly as good as at any other store in New York, if not better – this is where many of the other stores buy their own flowers.

Among our favorite picks are: A Rose by Harvest for high quality roses, Wholesale Flowers and United Wholesale Florists for peonies, and Associated Cut Flowers for its wide selection of just about anything. Many stores specialize in particular varietals of flowers, so pick and choose the top quality and specific color or style you like from the different stores.

More tips for the budding DIY florist

In picking your flowers, research or consult the florist on seasonality. Certain species may be higher quality or cheaper at the date of your wedding (more on that next time). Also, allegedly, quality is better earlier in the day, before other clients have made their own selections.

Remember: you need flowers for different purposes. If it’s a complicated bouquet (e.g., bridal bouquet) you can consider buying ready-made. Artificial flowers are also an option – there’s a huge variety, and the flowers will stay for you after the wedding. However, they’re generally more expensive for equally convincing quality.

Also, note that some stores are licensed to sell wholesale only – you’ll need a corporate card.

Lastly, in season, consider farmers markets as a possibility – the farmers markets at Union Square in Manhattan and at Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn both have florist stands on summer weekends.

We suggest heading out on a scouting mission long before the wedding, talking with the vendors, and returning a week before the wedding for final preparation and pre-ordering. Pick up the flowers a day or two before the wedding.

One last closing thought…

Being a DIY florist isn’t for everyone. It takes work and creativity. However, it can be fun and rewarding.