I do wedding consultations every week, and hear regrets from so many Moms of brides - "I was sooo disappointed with my wedding flowers - I let my aunt do them and that was a real heartbreak. So I want my daughter to have her dream flowers."

Or, "I really wanted hydrangea but they told me it was too fragile and expensive so I went with carnations and babys breath. I'm still sad about that."

Twenty years later, they still remember their wedding flowers! And they regret that they skimped every time they view their wedding photos.

Your wedding flowers will be immortalized in photos - you WILL remember them forever - let's make them DREAMY!!

That said, there are many creative ways you CAN cut corners without skimping on splendor.

Tip 1: Bargain shop for supplies: I'll help you  - give me a call! One of my brides spent a fortune on ribbon for her programs & favors retail at Michael's before she met me and practically cried when she saw the prices I could get.

Tip 2: Borrow Our Bling:  With certain packages, you can "Borrow Our Bling" - we have genuine SWAROVSKI Crystal bouquet jewelry, hundreds of chandelier crystals, and yards and yards of crystal chains - all perfect for making your special day drip with sparkling crystal! 

Also available with certain packages - our tealight candleholders (rent is free - just place a deposit for any broken or missing ones)

Tip 3: Roses, Roses, Roses! Save money on your flowers by using masses of a single type of flower (Our preference is ROSES - of course! They are one of the most affordable flowers available today - and they provide such DRAMA!) 

Using masses of a single flower type gives your flowers greater impact & "presence" for less money. You wouldn't BELIEVE how quickly those "cheap filler flowers" add up. They look cheap but they definitely are NOT!

Tip 4: Make Arrangements Do Double Duty  Stretch your floral budget by choosing double-duty arrangements - pew bouquets that become centerpieces, altar arrangements that decorate your head table, etc.

Hot trend: Centerpieces that double as your favors. The centerpiece is made up of 8 smaller bundles of flowers, each wrapped in tissue with a "thank you" tag and are ready to go home with your guests at the end of the evening.

Tip 5:  Decorate your wedding cake with fresh flowers instead of more expensive surgar paste or frosting creations. A simple cake is much less expensive than an ornate one.

I even saw one bride's mom make her cake (DON'T try this at home!) - it was very simple - 4 round tiers, sides wrapped in lovely ribbon ('cause she couldn't frost her way out of a paper bag!) and the tiers were placed on stands of 4 different levels. Adorned with simple fresh flowers, this was really gorgeous!

Tip 6:   Better yet, choose CUPCAKES!  Cupcakes are a VERY hip & hot alternative to a traditional wedding cake.  Hello, Cupcake in Tacoma sells beautiful gourmet cupcakes for just $22/dozen which beats a high priced $7 a slice traditional cake by a mile.

They even have really beautiful towering cupcake stands that make a wonderful presentation when paired with scattered flowers tucked in here & there between the cupcakes.

Tip 7:  Don't overlook the dollar store - yes, a lot of the things they have there are cheesy/tacky, but you would be surprised what you can find there if you hunt. Look for simple lines, & non-tacky materials. For example you can find clear glass votives that are wonderful, low glass cylinder vases for centerpieces, classic tall glass cylinders, candles, and glass gems that will fill out your tablescapes with color.

Tip 8:  Save money on your photography bill by hiring him/her for fewer hours. Here's a way to keep the photographer snapping instead of herding people:

Plan ahead which people you want shots of, and write up a 3x5 card for each group shot you want taken. Then give each 3x5 card to the main person in that group - for example Aunt Sue is responsible for getting Uncle Joe & your 4 cousins all together. Then when she has everybody together, she takes her card to the photographer, & he takes the shot.

Tip 9: Make your own favors: You can do this way in advance, so it doesn't add to your stress . My favorite favor was handmade by the bride - she made peach scented potpourri sachets. They were made with squares of tulle, filled with peach potpourri, and the favor tag and tiny rose were tied on with a peach ribbon.

I will always remember the heavenly peach fragrance that filled the entire room when we walked in - it was lovely.

Tip 10: Investigate Tax Writeoffs: Consider donating your flowers to to a local hospital or senior citizen center - and you can donate your gown to BridesAgainstBreastCancer.org. Leftover food from your reception can be donated to a local women's shelter or soup kitchen.

More tips to come!