Dear Reader,
Congratulations on your up coming event, wedding or just wanting to learn more about flower pricing.
Deciding on flowers can be an overwhelming decision when it's not your specialty and since it's a major topic of conversation with my brides I thought you might be interested to know some best bets for flowers when it comes to saving money.
Since I live in the Phoenix Valley where it can be a 110 degrees in June our flower growing season is February through April as a rule and as early as November needless to say choosing flowers is very important because they must last, be the right color and the right price.
And the winner is...
For variety, durability, longevity and of course price is... the Chrysanthemum. It comes in many colors from white to pink, purple all the way to brown and about every color in between. There are also numerous kinds of varieties and blooms. Some come in singular stems and sold in numbered bunches while others have multiple blooms per stem and are sold by weight.
Next is the Carnation which I love because it comes in so many different colors and sizes although there are some that think it is an old fashion flower. I disagree I think it is wonderful, durable and timeless.
The next group of flowers is the regular rose category and pricing is not bad but not quite as good as the mum category.
After that there are specialty flowers like Tulips,then finally the Garden Rose, Peony, Lily and Orchid category which tends to be the most expensive.
So if you are looking for the best value start with the Mums. They look great and are priced right!
Best Wishes on your big day or event!
Diane Gramze
Bella Dolce and Flora
BellaDolceandFlora.com
Chandler, AZ
Monday, November 18, 2013
Sunday, November 17, 2013
Beautiful Wedding Flowers at the Best Price
Congratulations,
You have picked a great article to read to find ways to save money on flowers for your Wedding or event.
Warning: It helps to read this before you go to your local florist!
Unless you grow your own flowers I'm sure you will agree that the right flowers can be either hard to find or expensive to buy. Cheap flowers can be risky and may not last and no one wants dead flowers on their wedding day.
So what do you do?
* Plan a budget.
This is for decorations and make sure to set a good amount aside for flowers. I'm not talking about a million dollars but some budgets recommend between 8 and 10%. Honestly this may not be enough in the ultra low budget and a lot of money in the more elaborate Wedding. Either way most everyone does not have an endless budget and want the most for their money.
* Decide what color of flowers you would like.
* Be open to suggestions and ways to save money.
Your Florist, Wedding Planner, Coordinator, Event Contact etc., all have knowledge on what looks good and can save you money. It just takes being open to ideas.
* Look online or at books to see what kind of look or style you like.
* Be open to flowers you never thought of using in your arrangement.
* Remember the cost of flowers changes and there is seasonality to most flowers.
* Be unique you don't have to use the flowers that everyone else does. This can be a huge savings depending on the flower. Creativity can be a wonderful thing.
* One flower can be just as beautiful as a bunch. An example can be one Red Rose or one dinner plate Dalia.
One key element in being successful in planning your Wedding is to enjoy the experience!
Thank you for reading my blog and come back soon for more interesting reading!
Best Wishes,
Diane Gramze
Bella Dolce and Flora
Chandler, AZ
BellaDolceandFlora.com
You have picked a great article to read to find ways to save money on flowers for your Wedding or event.
Warning: It helps to read this before you go to your local florist!
Unless you grow your own flowers I'm sure you will agree that the right flowers can be either hard to find or expensive to buy. Cheap flowers can be risky and may not last and no one wants dead flowers on their wedding day.
So what do you do?
* Plan a budget.
This is for decorations and make sure to set a good amount aside for flowers. I'm not talking about a million dollars but some budgets recommend between 8 and 10%. Honestly this may not be enough in the ultra low budget and a lot of money in the more elaborate Wedding. Either way most everyone does not have an endless budget and want the most for their money.
* Decide what color of flowers you would like.
* Be open to suggestions and ways to save money.
Your Florist, Wedding Planner, Coordinator, Event Contact etc., all have knowledge on what looks good and can save you money. It just takes being open to ideas.
* Look online or at books to see what kind of look or style you like.
* Be open to flowers you never thought of using in your arrangement.
* Remember the cost of flowers changes and there is seasonality to most flowers.
* Be unique you don't have to use the flowers that everyone else does. This can be a huge savings depending on the flower. Creativity can be a wonderful thing.
* One flower can be just as beautiful as a bunch. An example can be one Red Rose or one dinner plate Dalia.
One key element in being successful in planning your Wedding is to enjoy the experience!
Thank you for reading my blog and come back soon for more interesting reading!
Best Wishes,
Diane Gramze
Bella Dolce and Flora
Chandler, AZ
BellaDolceandFlora.com
Wedding Venues: Read this before you sign!
Dear Reader,
Congratulations on your upcoming event! I have been a florist for over 25 years and provided flowers, decorations, coordination, etc. (you get it) to many brides, friends and family.
So I wanted to give you the 411 on Venues.
Whether it's your local member's club or million dollar resort find out how long they have been around and how many bookings they have for currently for the year. With the down turn in the economy some venues are in bad shape and either shutting down before the event or cutting corners!
Read on to learn more...
I live in a major city so their are many options for any occasion. Although the economy where I live is not as bad as others I have heard of two venues that have closed their doors and a few others who have almost closed. Keep in mind that these closures both left customers without a venue and a deposit.
What can I do you might ask, my answer is this:
* Learn how many bookings they have for the following year to see if they are bring in business and able to stay open until your event.
* Find out how long they have been in business. A venue that I am a preferred vendor at Desert Foothills, in Scottsdale AZ has been in business for over 15 years and has as many as 4 to 6 events weekly at the venue. This is a strong position to be in for a venue and Brides can be confident that the Venue will be there for their Wedding.
* Next look around at the venue to see what shape the venue is in look especially at the items used for the celebration like the tables, chairs, arches, Chuppahs, fountains etc. If you see items that are dangerous, very run down or broken ask about what their maintenance plan is for those items, If there is no answer or they say it is what it is, be careful, (If they say it is scheduled to be replaced ask when and make sure it is before your wedding). These can be warning signs that the venue may not be in good shape. A tip is to view what items will be used at your event then have them list those items in the contract so you know you should get what you expected.
On the day of your Wedding check out the venue and make sure everything is as it should be. If something is not up to standard see what alternates are available. Make sure if something is dangerous or broken that it is not used and put away from where your guests are going to be.
Finally have a good time! Celebrate the day and don't worry if some things don't go exactly as planned, it will all work out.
Best Wishes!
Diane Gramze
Owner, Designer
Bella Dolce and Flora
Chandler, AZ
BellaDolceandFlora.com
Congratulations on your upcoming event! I have been a florist for over 25 years and provided flowers, decorations, coordination, etc. (you get it) to many brides, friends and family.
So I wanted to give you the 411 on Venues.
Whether it's your local member's club or million dollar resort find out how long they have been around and how many bookings they have for currently for the year. With the down turn in the economy some venues are in bad shape and either shutting down before the event or cutting corners!
Read on to learn more...
I live in a major city so their are many options for any occasion. Although the economy where I live is not as bad as others I have heard of two venues that have closed their doors and a few others who have almost closed. Keep in mind that these closures both left customers without a venue and a deposit.
What can I do you might ask, my answer is this:
* Learn how many bookings they have for the following year to see if they are bring in business and able to stay open until your event.
* Find out how long they have been in business. A venue that I am a preferred vendor at Desert Foothills, in Scottsdale AZ has been in business for over 15 years and has as many as 4 to 6 events weekly at the venue. This is a strong position to be in for a venue and Brides can be confident that the Venue will be there for their Wedding.
* Next look around at the venue to see what shape the venue is in look especially at the items used for the celebration like the tables, chairs, arches, Chuppahs, fountains etc. If you see items that are dangerous, very run down or broken ask about what their maintenance plan is for those items, If there is no answer or they say it is what it is, be careful, (If they say it is scheduled to be replaced ask when and make sure it is before your wedding). These can be warning signs that the venue may not be in good shape. A tip is to view what items will be used at your event then have them list those items in the contract so you know you should get what you expected.
On the day of your Wedding check out the venue and make sure everything is as it should be. If something is not up to standard see what alternates are available. Make sure if something is dangerous or broken that it is not used and put away from where your guests are going to be.
Finally have a good time! Celebrate the day and don't worry if some things don't go exactly as planned, it will all work out.
Best Wishes!
Diane Gramze
Owner, Designer
Bella Dolce and Flora
Chandler, AZ
BellaDolceandFlora.com
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Wedding Colors: What's New, What's Popular with Real Brides and How to Choose your colors!
As you prepare for your 2014 Wedding or beyond, you may be asking yourself and your Groom to be what colors you want to have for your Wedding.
It will seem to be one of the most popular questions you will be asked in deciding options for your Wedding. I will cover how to decide later in this post but for now I want to cover what is being predicted to be hot this coming year.
According to the major sites the following will be popular:
Coral
Dark Yellow
Minty Green
Bright and Muted Light Blue and Aqua
Periwinkle Purples and a Purple Violet
Sandy Brown and Coffee Browns
Bright Orange
Grey
What seems to be popular with my Brides has been the following:
Bright and Lemon Yellow
Bright Orange and Coral
Cherry Red, White and Black
Citrus Colors
Aqua and Pink
Black and Hot Pink
Royal Blue, White and Black
Grey and Silver have also been extremely popular shares to compliment many of these colors!
Now what's popular with my Brides planning their weddings:
Three or more colors seems to be what most brides are selecting and here are some of the examples:
Nude, Cream and Champagne
Black, Silver and Red
Orange, Grey and Black/Aqua
Various shades of Pink and Mint
Navy, Royal and Aqua Blue
Now how to chose:
One of my Brides chose her favorite, the groom's and their daughter's which came out wonderfully fun and meant so much to all of them in celebrating the union of their family!
Another Bride decided on colors to represent the groom and herself (white), the children (red) and the grandchildren (yellow). Others clearly pick colors that are there favorite or look good on people.
My suggestion to you is to not worry about what is popular or will make anyone else happy just pick what you like. Don't be afraid to have two or more colors there are really no rules!
Have fun and best wishes,
Diane Gramze
Bella Dolce and Flora
Chandler, AZ
BellaDolceandFlora.com
It will seem to be one of the most popular questions you will be asked in deciding options for your Wedding. I will cover how to decide later in this post but for now I want to cover what is being predicted to be hot this coming year.
According to the major sites the following will be popular:
Coral
Dark Yellow
Minty Green
Bright and Muted Light Blue and Aqua
Periwinkle Purples and a Purple Violet
Sandy Brown and Coffee Browns
Bright Orange
Grey
What seems to be popular with my Brides has been the following:
Bright and Lemon Yellow
Bright Orange and Coral
Cherry Red, White and Black
Citrus Colors
Aqua and Pink
Black and Hot Pink
Royal Blue, White and Black
Grey and Silver have also been extremely popular shares to compliment many of these colors!
Now what's popular with my Brides planning their weddings:
Three or more colors seems to be what most brides are selecting and here are some of the examples:
Nude, Cream and Champagne
Black, Silver and Red
Orange, Grey and Black/Aqua
Various shades of Pink and Mint
Navy, Royal and Aqua Blue
Now how to chose:
One of my Brides chose her favorite, the groom's and their daughter's which came out wonderfully fun and meant so much to all of them in celebrating the union of their family!
Another Bride decided on colors to represent the groom and herself (white), the children (red) and the grandchildren (yellow). Others clearly pick colors that are there favorite or look good on people.
My suggestion to you is to not worry about what is popular or will make anyone else happy just pick what you like. Don't be afraid to have two or more colors there are really no rules!
Have fun and best wishes,
Diane Gramze
Bella Dolce and Flora
Chandler, AZ
BellaDolceandFlora.com
Why Do Wedding Flowers Cost So Much?
Dear Reader,
Congratulations on your upcoming Wedding or Event. More than likely you are reading this because you have sticker shock at how much someone has told you that flowers will be for your big day.
Most people wonder why flowers cost so much when the grocery store or local discounter sells bunches of flowers for little to nothing. If this is your question then I would love to tell you why prices can be so high.
If your florist is using a quality wholesale provider (I use Mayesh) of flowers then the flowers should be the freshest for your wedding day. (Have you ever noticed that some flowers are dead within a day? The general reason is that they are old. Most flowers last at least 4 to 7 days and longer if well cared for.) The wholesale provider can generally get in the color and flower you are wanting but this can come at a price. It's important to understand this when planning your Wedding. You want a specific flower and color it will cost more to be fresh for your big day.
Hopefully this make sense so far but let me continue to share why flowers and decorations make all the difference. Would you ever consider buying a beautiful house and not having furniture? Of course not, but everyone knows your house may be beautiful but if your furniture is ugly the appeal is lost. The same goes for your Wedding. If you spend a lot of money on your Venue as many brides do these day and don't spend money on flowers or decorations to make it beautiful then you really are not maximizing the benefit of your venue. After all it is your big day! I'm not suggesting that you spend money your don't have I am suggesting that you budget yourself and have a reasonable amount put aside for flowers and decorations.
Think of it this way you can't take the venue home but generally you and your guests can take the flowers home. This gives extra value to your flowers!
I hope this helps!
Congratulations and good luck in your quest to create a beautiful day!
Diane Gramze
Bella Dolce and Flora
Chandler, AZ
BellaDolceandFlora.com
PS. Please read my other blogs for more information!
Congratulations on your upcoming Wedding or Event. More than likely you are reading this because you have sticker shock at how much someone has told you that flowers will be for your big day.
Most people wonder why flowers cost so much when the grocery store or local discounter sells bunches of flowers for little to nothing. If this is your question then I would love to tell you why prices can be so high.
If your florist is using a quality wholesale provider (I use Mayesh) of flowers then the flowers should be the freshest for your wedding day. (Have you ever noticed that some flowers are dead within a day? The general reason is that they are old. Most flowers last at least 4 to 7 days and longer if well cared for.) The wholesale provider can generally get in the color and flower you are wanting but this can come at a price. It's important to understand this when planning your Wedding. You want a specific flower and color it will cost more to be fresh for your big day.
Hopefully this make sense so far but let me continue to share why flowers and decorations make all the difference. Would you ever consider buying a beautiful house and not having furniture? Of course not, but everyone knows your house may be beautiful but if your furniture is ugly the appeal is lost. The same goes for your Wedding. If you spend a lot of money on your Venue as many brides do these day and don't spend money on flowers or decorations to make it beautiful then you really are not maximizing the benefit of your venue. After all it is your big day! I'm not suggesting that you spend money your don't have I am suggesting that you budget yourself and have a reasonable amount put aside for flowers and decorations.
Think of it this way you can't take the venue home but generally you and your guests can take the flowers home. This gives extra value to your flowers!
I hope this helps!
Congratulations and good luck in your quest to create a beautiful day!
Diane Gramze
Bella Dolce and Flora
Chandler, AZ
BellaDolceandFlora.com
PS. Please read my other blogs for more information!
Why to use a Florist vs. Doing it Yourself
If you ask yourself
what your motivation is to do your own wedding flowers over having someone else
making them for you, ask yourself the following questions:
Do I know how many
flowers to order?
Do I have time to
order flowers, pick them up, keep them fresh, creatively organize and present
them?
Do I have the
experience to handle the flowers and make them look nice?
Do I have a place
to store the flowers and the tools and sprays needed to keep a bouquet looking
its best?
Do I want the
stress of doing my own flowers vs. someone else taking care of them? How
nervous will I be? Will I have patience to handle flowers?
Do I have the
expertise to know what flowers need time to open and which flowers need to be
kept in a cooler so they stay fresh the longest?
Do I want to spend
time the day before and the day of the wedding creating bouquets or do I want
to spend it getting ready for my special day, being with friends and family,
getting my nails done, fixing my hair, putting on make up, relaxing, etc.
If the answer is
that you can save money and you have a reasonable budget to use ask yourself
why, why would I want to make them myself or with friends and family?
Chances are that if
you do it yourself it will look like it. It is a skill to order the correct
number of flowers and arrange them creatively; most brides don’t have the
experience with the tools and know the secrets to keeping bouquets fresh. You
will most likely be stressed and lack the patience to really succeed in making
the beautiful arrangements that you truly desire.
Keep in mind that
if you have friends and family help you make your bouquets you may not like
what they create them and end up hurting their feelings or having to use what
they think looks nice and be frustrated with the results.
Try not to over
think your flowers or anything else for that day. Too much pressure can really rob you of the
enjoyment of getting married.
Congratulations and
I hope this helps.
DIY or 
Florist
Diane Gramze with BellaDolceandFlora.com
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