The Unromantic Facts About Flowers

Congratulations you are engaged! Now grab onto your fiance and get ready for a wild ride! It is hard to not become overwhelmed by wedding ideas. With all the magazines, books, blogs, websites, and television shows on this subject it's easy to feel buried by ideas. Without a doubt there is no shortage of fabulous flower photos! However, while doing your research keep in mind two important things... Price and Season.

It's a given that I LOVE peonies, garden roses, orchids, etc. I would use them for every event if I could and I am sure most floral designers would as well. But this is where price and season come into play and where I want to offer some very critical advice. Before you purchase your first bridal magazine, or watch My Fair Wedding, or visit theknot.com heed my advise and first things first, figure out your wedding budget. On average your floral budget should be about 10 percent of your overall wedding budget. Once you have your budget figured out then the design research and fun can begin.

I have compiled a list of flowers and have put them into 3 different categories based on their price.

Most Expensive:
Callas, mini & regular sized
Casablanca Lilies
English Garden Roses

Gardenias
Lily of the Valley
Orchids ( Cymbidiums, Cattleyas, Phalaenopsis )
Peonies

Moderately Priced:

Anemones
Dahlias
Fern Fronds (monkey tail)
French Tulips
Gloriosa Lilies
Hydrangea
Lisianthus
Orchids (Dendrobriums, Mokaras, Oncidiums)
Pincushion Protea
Roses
Stephanotis
Succulents
Tulips
Viburnum

Least Expensive:
Asiatic Lilies
Bells of Ireland
Carnations
Craspedia (Billy Balls)
Freesia
Gerbera Daisy
Gladiolas
Hypericum Berries
Larkspur
Mums
Phlox
Poppies
Ranunculus
Scabiosa Pods
Snapdragons
Stock
Sunflowers
Sweet Peas
Tweedia

Unfortunately, it is not as simple as going to the least expensive flower list and picking from there. There is another element to take into consideration... Size. In the flower world size DOES matter! Hydrangea, peonies, and Casablanca lilies may be more pricey per stem but they are large and therefore you need less of them to make an impact. Delicate flowers like ranunculus, scabiosas, and sweet peas fall under the more inexpensive flowers per stem but they are small and you will need a lot of them to make an impact.

The other large flower factor is availability. The season is a huge factor in price not to mention it might make it outright  impossible to get for your big day. The most popular flowers seen in photos are anemones, ranunculus, peonies, tulips and garden roses. Here is what's available by season. Anemones and ranunculus grow best in the early spring time. These flowers almost disappear during the hot summer months and then return in mid-September. Peonies are available mid-May thru June. Yes, you can get these in early spring or July but you'll pay an even heavier price for them. They also tend to pop up in November as they are being shipped in from the southern hemisphere. I have heard rumors that growers are emerging in Alaska which will mean we will receive peonies for an extended season, hopefully this will take place soon! Tulips are in season almost year round now, however, their prices go way up in the summer since this is not their normal season. Also, during this time they tend to be smaller than when in season and they open rather quickly. The best time for tulips are November thru early June. English garden roses are in their prime during the summer and fall (June-November.)

So there you have it, the most popular wedding flowers broken down by cost and season. Hopefully these tips help you navigate the bounty of ideas in your journey to achieve your perfect day!