MyOnlineWeddingHelp.com Blog.
Helping create dream weddings on do-it-yourself budgets.
Wedding Bouquets. Make or Buy?
Hi all. As you know, the MyOnlineWeddingHelp.com focus is giving you the right information to create dream weddings on DIY budgets by going with the online resources that give you the best value. When it comes to products (decorations, attire, accessories, etc.) this usually means a mix of do-it-yourself projects; buying designer and/or full price; using coupons; and buying at discount or used.
In that spirit, I’m thinking you may like to see specific examples of these different approaches. I am beginning with a bouquet example; if you like this one, I will do more in the future. Let’s take a look at Jessica’s bouquet from her real wedding here. (Photography by Judy + Gavin Wedding Photography). I do realize you will also be purchasing flowers for the rest of the wedding party and decorations…the relative costs below should extend to those purchases as well. For more savings, look for wedding collections.
 |
| Jessica’s Bouquet |
 |
| (1) Buy online at retail, $60 ($50 with coupon) |
 |
| (3) Discounter, $20 ($18 with coupon) |
| (4) Auction, around $10-$30 |
As you can see, the bouquet contains a combination of rose buds and tiger lillies. What if you wanted something similar? You could, of course, use a local florist and probably will want to get a quote. If it is beyond your budget or your simply would like to go another route, there are online options as well. In this case–as with most product-related purchases–you can make use of a combination of five specific approaches. (1) Buy at retail price online, (2) Use coupon(s) (3) buy at a discounter online, (4) buy through auctions, or (5) make it yourself. By looking at your different options–which will include both silk and fresh flowers in different size bouquets–you will be better able to choose something that will both fit your budget and fulfill your dreams. You will see in the examples below your cost could range from $15 to $60, depending on which way you go. Let’s explore all five approaches in detail (“alignment of interest” note: the products mentioned and shown are all from MyOnlineWeddingHelp.com partners)…
(1) Buying at Retail Online. $59.99
There are florist websites that do wedding flowers. You choose a package online, order, and fresh flowers will be delivered to your door via courier or a local florist. 1-800-Flowers is one such seller. Order from the Wedded Bliss Collection and one of their premier florists will make the bouquets and deliver to you. As far as individual bouquets, they sell the one at left for $59.99.
(2) Use a Coupon. $49.99
Even when an item is not on sale, you may still be able to find a coupon or other discount. That is the case here. Looking at the 1-800-Flowers deals page, I see there is a current coupon for $10 off a $59.99 purchase and one for 15% off. Excellent! Using the $10 off coupon code would bring this particular bouquet down to $49.99. The coupon approach can work with discounters and already-on-sale items as well. Light in the Box (the discounter in #3 below), for example, currently has a coupon code good for $10 off $100 wedding items on it’s deal page.
(3) Discounter. $19.99 ($17.99 with coupon)
When you shop online the whole world is, quite literally, at your fingertips. Which means you can find discounters and wholesalers–stores that sell well below retail. As it turns out, the above-mentioned Light in the Box has such pricing and they carry silk floral arrangements. The one at left is priced at $19.99 as of this writing. By adding on other wedding items for $100 total, you can use the $10 off (equivalent to $2 off bouquet), bringing the bouquet down to $17.99.
(4) Auctions. Around $10-$30
eBay is another consideration. The selection is large (
as of this writing) and varied, as are the prices. There are some sellers who offer collections for the full wedding party (17-ish pieces), in the $80-$300 price range.
(5) Do-It-Yourself. Around $30+
It is natural to think doing it yourself is always cheaper. Not true. This happens to be an example where DIY costs more than going through a discounter. They have the benefit of being able to buy at quantity prices rather than the small numbers of supplies you would buy.
The main advantage of making your own, however, is you get exactly what you want–your dream color, flower mix, and size. For a rose and lily bouquet similar in size to the discounter’s [(3)], you will need:
- 10 rosebud stems, around $1-$3 each.
- 5 tiger lilies, around $1-$4 each.
- Floral tape, $2-$7.
- Rhinestone ribbon (wrapped around handle of Jessica’s bouquet), around $4 a roll.
Unless you have had lessons, you will also need some kind of tutorial on how to arrange the flowers. Here is one I found on YouTube that will be helpful if you decide to make your own:
So there you have it–five different ideas for how you may go about buying flowers for your wedding. Which approach will you use?
Budget Shopping Tips–Finding Discounts
Most of us know the best time to shop can be around a holiday. Not only THE Holidays in December, but any of the others as well. You can get the largest selection online, without taking extra time to go out shopping. And the deals often run longer than the holiday itself, which means more opportunities to save.
When I’m shopping and want to check for deals, I’ll approach it one of two ways: (1) If I want to shop at a specific store, I’ll look to see what deals that merchant is running or (2) when I have something specific in mind and want to look at several shops with offers going on I’ll look at the specific category. Since Mother’s Day is Sunday, I can probably find good offers right now on other-than-Mom’s-Day items. By using my two shopping strategies above in conjunction with the Special Offers and Clearances section on MyOnlineWeddingHelp.com (my website), I’ll be able to easily find sales and coupons that are good right now.
Checking for offers at a specific store.
First, I’ll check at a couple of merchants that may have something I want on sale–QVC and Shutterfly. Looking for QVC, I first go to All Offers and Clearances and look for QVC down the left column and click. I see QVC has 35 deals today, 31 of those sales or clearance. From there I can see a few that catch my eye: Designer Fashion Clearance ending today, Jewelry Clearance runs through Monday, and a Bedding Clearance through May 21st. When I click any of those, it takes me straight to the correct place on the QVC website, where I can shop and order. I can do the same for Shutterfly’s eight offers.
Checking for offers in a specific category.
What if I know what type of shopping I want to do, but want to shop the sales at several different stores? I can do that, too. Beginning at the same All Offers and Clearances page, I’ll look under “Categories” in the left corner. I want to shop for jewelry, so I’ll click on that to get to the jewelry offers (109 of them today). I can then browse all at my leisure, look at them by deal type, or see what each of the 27 jewelry stores on the list are offering. A few offers I see…
- Limoges (a popular discount jewelry store) has 22% off $20 or more order through the 13th.
- Zales has buy 3 Persona beads and get the bracelet free, also through the 13th.
- My Jewelry Box has a coupon code for 20% off plus free shipping on orders of $150 through the end of the month.
If you regularly use the Offers and Clearances page, you will notice there are always a lot of offers, but they are more plentiful–and usually better–just before and during a holiday. Right now, for example, there are about 1,900 separate offers from around 60 merchants. Some are already publishing Father’s Day deals, so I’m expecting those numbers to continue for a couple months, into the summer.
Got some shopping to do? Get a deal!
How Las Vegas inspired the creation of MyOnlineWeddingHelp.com
I recently had the pleasure of appearing with Karen Hoffman on her iWatchRadio program, Gateway to Dreams. As part of the interview she asked how my own experiences led to what I’m doing today (writing and publishing MyOnlineWeddingHelp.com). One of those was my own wedding to Tim in 2006. We eloped to Las Vegas after being together 22 years and I discovered a whole new online experience. The video is below. (Can you tell it’s very hot in the studio?) If you’d prefer to read, you can find the whole story on my About Me page here.
How to Prevent Last Minute Wedding Vendor Surprises
The months leading up to your wedding are a busy time–for both you and your vendors. You are not only choosing and coordinating details, but taking care of your everyday responsibilities as well. Your vendors are likely juggling several other events–all with different time frames and requirements–in addition to yours.
For these reasons, it can be relatively easy to “drop the ball,” and forget about a deposit due or have a misunderstanding about whether or not you are firmly booked for your day and time. Fortunately, there are preventive measures you can take to avoid stress and, possibly, scrambling to find last-minute replacements.
As you meet with potential vendors–the officiate or clergy, caterer, cake baker, photographer, videographer, florist, band or DJ, and miscellaneous decorative and other rentals–and ultimately choose which to book, follow these steps to keep yourself organized:
- Take detailed notes when you first speak to each vendor. In addition to pricing, note and highlight the contract and down payment requirements as well as your deadline for making a firm commitment.
- Attach the vendor’s business card to your notes and keep it with all of your important wedding papers.
- Follow up in the affirmative to the vendors you ultimately choose and make sure you clearly understand what is needed for them to consider you firmly booked. If you have not paid a deposit (where required), signed a contract, or otherwise confirmed to each other in writing, your date is likely up for grabs by someone who gets his or her money in first.
- Complete required contracts and deposits as quickly as possible. You will get busy very fast and do not want to forget.
As the date draws closer, you will need to begin hammering out the details–whether they be the menu, cake flavors, song choices, bouquets and decor, or something else. To prevent details from “falling through the cracks,” you will want to follow up with your providers as needed.
Four to Six Months Before the Wedding
- Confirm all vendor bookings. It is time to check in with the vendors again to make sure all the i’s are dotted and t’s crossed in your agreement. If something is amiss, you still have time to set it right or go to plan B if needed.
- Place all vendor orders for the ceremony and reception, including flowers, decorations, favors or do-it-yourself supplies, and the cake. Also, choose the reception menu. This gives both you and your vendors enough time to order in the correct products and work out logistical details.
One to Two Months Before the Wedding
- Finalize ceremony details, including music, decorations, and wedding party flowers & bouquets.
- Finalize reception details, including music, decorations, cake, menu, bar and beverages, favors/guest gifts, and floral arrangements.
Week of the Wedding
Review final details with all vendors, including guest count and loose ends from when you last spoke.
Day of the Wedding
Enjoy your big day!
Resource: Download our free wedding timeline and budget calculator sheet.
May 2, 2012
Choosing The Right Wedding Tiara
You see a tiara on a model and fall in love with it. It may look perfect, but be aware your headpiece may not look the same on you as it does on the model. It can enhance your natural beauty or merely appear ho-hum.
Headpiece Options
When we think “tiara,” most of us picture the princess type–peaked in the center like royalty. There are other shapes as well, however. Those shaped like a headband or symmetrical arch, for example. In fact, these days there is more selection than ever–flowers, feathers, and hats as well as the traditional tiara–that make it easier to express your personality in a beautiful way.
There are also more subtle accent pieces that can enhance your look in a more subtle way. Pins, twists, or other “hair jewelry” can combine to take your hair style to the next level. The bride in the photo, for example, has added contrasting beaded hair ornaments the same size as the crystals in her tiara. Along with the subtle and creative hair styling, she’s created a look that both reflects her personality and highlights her beauty.
Here are additional things to keep in mind when choosing head wear:
Shape of your face
The general rule of thumb is your headpiece should balance out the shape of your face.
- If you have a full or round face, for example, consider princess tiaras with peaks at the top to elongate your face.
- Conversely, a long face requires a flatter (and perhaps wider) piece, such as a headband.
- Heavy beading or other adornments can help balance a long, thin face.
- Oval faces are pleasingly symmetrical and tend to look well with most headpieces.
Your gown
Your wedding tiara should match or otherwise complement the gown. In general, pearls, beads, crystals, patterns, or colors in your dress should be repeated in the hair accessories. For example:
- If your gown has elaborate, embroidered patterns, look for a tiara with similar detailing.
- A gown with clean lines calls for something more streamlined.
- Wear pearls in your hair with an ivory or cream colored gown, or match them to those in your earrings or necklace.
- Crystal or rhinestone tiaras without ornamental details will go with any dress.
- A vintage tiara may set off your traditional gown, while a more modern design looks better with contemporary fashions.
Your total look
Remember that you are striving for an overall balanced look, one that conveys an impression of both your personality and the importance of the event. While the details can (and should) reflect who you are, no single aspect of your wedding ensemble should take precedence. Rather, the design of your headpiece and veil should complete the look, transforming your eye-catching gown into a truly spectacular vision.
« Previous Entries Next Entries »