Making the Biggest Impact with Your Floral Budget | Style Tips
So often I hear from a friend, a recently married couple, or an engaged couple that flowers are not/were not the priority in their budget because flowers are just so expensive. These are the floral design details I feel make the most impact and will make your budget happy.
So often I hear from a friend, a recently married couple, or an engaged couple that flowers are not/were not the priority in their budget because flowers are too expensive. I've even heard some couples say they never emailed me because they assumed I would be way out of their budget. Sad! Always email your dream vendor, you never know what might end up happening!
Often times the alternative suggestion of faux silk flowers will arise, but sadly these are usually no more budget friendly than the real thing. I can almost guarantee you will never touch those fake flowers again after your wedding so often times they end up in the trash not long after the “i dos”.
Exception to the rule: paper flowers. These are stunning, are made of a more natural material and when my friend, Hayley Sheldon gets her hands on anything it turns into a magical creation. There’s something about a natural material that makes it feel a bit more special and something you might want to keep around for home decor.
With that being said, you can allocate your floral budget to those show-stopping, highly photographed moments or areas and keep within a $3,800 budget. These are the moments I feel are the most important and the floral details you can skip.
The Details to Keep
Bridal Bouquet
average cost, $350
Shea Christine Photography
You will treasure your bridal bouquet. When my bouquet was handed to me on my wedding day sh*t got real. It was magic. This little bundle of flowers was created just for you and there's something so special about that.
Ceremony Decor
average cost, $900 - 2,200 +
Jose and Teresa Photography
So the ceremony is kinda a big deal. It is like the whole reason you're having a wedding, right!? Yes. So many pictures are captured in this one spot. Your ceremony and family portraits take up a big chunk of your album so you want to make sure it is pretty. Defining the space with an arbor accented with a large floral installation or choosing layered and stacked pedestal arrangements are each great ways to make a lush impact.
Sweetheart/Head Table Design
average cost, $400
Jessica Bordner Photography
Some of the sweetest pictures of you as a couple on your wedding day come while you're enjoying speeches and a brief moment slightly separated from your guests. Make it special.
Reception Tables
average cost, $350 per table
Erica J Photography
This is where a HUGE chunk of your floral budget ends up, especially those couples who opt for round tables. My suggestion for couples looking to cut back on reception table cost and still have a floral design element - go for the banquet (rectangle) tables in multiple rows or in one long row. I normally suggest an anchor arrangement placed in the center with bud vases and candles placed along the length of the table. guests and candles intertwined. For a 100 person wedding you're looking at a spend of about $2,000.
The Details to Skip
Boutonnières/Corsages
average cost, $25
They end up being floppy and forgotten, put on incorrectly, or a point of contention because one family member was forgotten in the final count. I say skip it.
Aisle Markers
average cost, $60 per aisle
The only time I see these being necessary or impactful is if your venue is a bit of a blank slate and you're going for that lush garden vibe. If you go for the aisle markers, opt for something that is placed on the ground or a chair garland and forgo the ribbon-wrapped mason jar hooked on the chair.
Cocktail Table Arrangements
average cost, $40
Place candles in a design savvy votive/lantern here instead and you'll save a good amount of money. Cocktail hour comes and goes so quickly and is rarely revisited. Bar arrangements will make a more substantial impact and will be visited throughout the evening by your guests.
Bathroom Arrangements
average cost, $40
Find a venue with a cute bathroom and you're good to go.
Other Details to Keep in Mind
When reviewing your floral design quote keep in mind that the final cost includes time spent communicating your vision, sourcing, ordering, designing, setup and breakdown the day of your wedding. While you're getting your hair done and relaxing with your bridesmaids your floral design team is loading up their delivery van and prepping every arrangement for delivery. Hiring a team of professionals saves you and your family valuable time and minimizes stress on your wedding day.
Glass of bubbly > moving boxes of centerpieces
Susan + Her Bridesmaids | Bouquet Workshop
The biggest smile spread across my face when I read Susan's inquiry. She was a destination bride looking for a fun way to spend time with her bridesmaids before her wedding day. With a budding passion for floral design and a desire to learn, Susan was looking for someone to teach her wedding party how to make their own bridesmaid bouquets that would be used the following day in her wedding.
I love those unexpected, a bit out-of-the-box inquiries that hit my email inbox every now and then. The biggest smile spread across my face when I read Susan's inquiry. She was a destination bride looking for a fun way to spend time with her bridesmaids before her wedding day. With a budding passion for floral design and a desire to learn, Susan was looking for someone to teach her wedding party how to make their own bridesmaid bouquets that would be used the following day in her wedding.
I LOVED the idea and had the best time teaching a room full of girls about something I love. We talked about each flower I had selected for their bouquets and why they were important players in the finished product. I told them about each flower's personality, how to prepare each stem, and we talked about the seasons.
We dove into construction and each step that goes into a bouquet's design. We talked about mechanics and tools, and finished each one with different widths and shades of ribbon.
I'm so thankful for the creative community that exists in my area, and for the relationships I have with so many different wedding vendors. I wouldn't have met Susan if it wasn't for her wonderful photographer, Oona of Dragonfly Photography, sending her my way. You can see her perspective (which made me laugh right out loud and get a little weepy) over on her blog!
Workshops are such a great way to spend quality time with your friends, form new memories, and learn a new bundle of skills. We love hosting private workshops and we are happy to customize based on a client's needs. Let's create something together!
Photography | Dragonfly Photography
Ally + Josh | West Palm Beach Wedding
Ally's vision for her wedding day florals was something elegant and organic. She allowed me to run freely with the design right down to her ribbon. It was such a joy to work with Ally and her bouquet will go down as one of my favorites!
There are some couples that you just root for. Couples who are so excited to have found each other and you can see it clear as day every time they look at one another. Ally and Josh happen to be one of those couples. They are so giddy in love and I think it is pretty evident as you flip through these stunning wedding photos. When Ally first came to me she was looking for someone to design her bouquet, a few personal arrangements, and a ceremony piece. Her vision was elegant and organic and she allowed me to run freely with the design right down to her ribbon. It was such a joy to work with Ally and her bouquet will go down as one of my favorites.
We worked within a neutral color palette composed primarily of shades of white, cream, and ivory with happy little pops of peach and blush peeking out. Ally's bouquet was tied with an ivory silk ribbon while her bridesmaids clutched small bouquets wrapped with ribbon in shades of peach and taupe.
For their ceremony a handmade eucalyptus garland was draped across an arbor and sprinkled with peony and ranunculus buds.
Basically, after seeing these two tie the knot, all I want out of life is a bunch of beautiful moments that lead to open-mouth laughs and vows that mention the word "coffee".
Photography | Imani Givertz
Floral Design | Port + Palm Co.
The Copper Arch | Floral Design
To say our copper arch is our favorite rental item is actually pretty accurate. Take a peek at the weddings and events this metallic beauty has popped up at this past year!
We have some exciting things happening over here. One, we're finally getting around to blogging a few of our favorite moments from this past year - such as this copper arch and all the fun outings it has made this year. We've also had some time to reflect on where we want this crazy/wonderful/always-changing business of ours to go, and we are back from vacation prepping for that wedding season peeking its head out from around the corner.
As some of you may know, Karina and Seth were the ENTIRE reason this gorgeous structure was built in the first place. They were also the first couple I was lucky enough to see celebrate their marriage at my favorite spot: Social House (we have two more weddings at the House coming up! Eek!).
The next outing wasn't a real wedding, but instead Wedding Meet hosted at Social House and featuring three rooms full of local wedding vendors and their gorgeous work. For this event, our copper arch was dressed up by the talented Hayley Sheldon with her handmade gold bamboo installation.
We love that the arch provides such a blank slate and allows other creatives and couples to play. This February one of our couples has collaborated with Hayley to design strands of paper petals to hang from the arch and act as an escort display at the Boca Resort. Can you say dreamy?
We love to rent to floral designers, other wedding professionals, and couples alike. Feel free to send an email to us and see pricing and reserve your date!
Jennifer + Beau | Flagler Museum Wedding
We absolutely adored working with Jennifer and Beau. They were a couple with incredible taste - I mean hello, they selected The Flagler Museum as their wedding venue - and they were both filled with so much love for each other as well as their family and friends. Here are just a few of the moments we loved from their big day!
This week we received a few sweet things in our email and mailbox. One was a gallery full of breathtaking images, the other was a sweet handwritten card from our couple which includes the magical line: "When I opened your gift, I actually said you were my spirit sister- cocktails and candy? LOVED IT!"
We absolutely adored working with Jennifer and Beau. They were a couple with incredible taste - I mean hello, they selected The Flagler Museum as their wedding venue - and they were both filled with so much love for each other as well as their family and friends.
Jennifer and Beau wanted to create an evening that left their guests feeling cared for and free to move about the night, all while enjoying a delicious spread of food, bumpin' live music, and the gorgeous Palm Beach waterside views that surround The Flagler Museum.
I will remember these two for years to come and will always look back fondly on our time together. They challenged me, they welcomed me into their planning process and their love story, and left Glen and I feeling like such an integral part of their journey and wedding day. I even got to drive Jennifer to her first look! 100 layers of tulle and all in my front seat. No amount of June Florida rain and humidity could damper that moment.
From the couple: "Thank you sweet Jenny for all your help in planning and the beautiful florals. If anything went wrong on Saturday, we had no clue. You were always there when we needed something and I'm going to miss our emails! The flowers and garlands looked and smelled amazing. So again, thank you for everything before and on our wedding day. Finding you and Port + Palm Co. was pure luck but we were the lucky ones. We hope you remember us and our wedding as fondly as we'll remember you!"
Thank you for trusting us and being such a gracious duo. I can't wait to visit Boston someday soon, share a cocktail and stories of marriage. Cheers you two!
Floral Design + Coordination | Port + Palm Co.
Photography | Shea Christine Photography
Venue | Henry Morrison Flagler Museum
Ceremony | Royal Poinciana Chapel
Cake Artist | Earth and Sugar
Catering | Chez Gourmet
Hair + Makeup | Kiss This
Rentals | Atlas Party Rental
Transportation | Molly's Trolleys
Videography | Illuminate Productions
Band | Bay Kings Band
Karina + Seth | Social House Wedding
Bold. Vibrant. Imaginative. Head-over-heeels in love. Those are just a few words I would use to describe Karina and Seth. We had the best time collaborating with such an adventurous couple and bouncing ideas off such creative souls. They also just happen to be the reason we had our Copper Arch built!
Bold. Vibrant. Imaginative. Head-over-heeels in love. Those are just a few words I would use to describe Karina and Seth. We had the best time collaborating with this adventurous couple and bouncing ideas off such creative souls. They also just happen to be the reason we had our Copper Arch built!
I love a couple with a unique vision. Karina and Seth were looking to host an intimiate and vibrant Mexican inspired wedding with touches of modern design and an ode to Florida's tropical flora. We pulled in bright pinks through peonies, garden roses, and sprigs of sweet pea found in her bouquet and statement flower crown, while a modern geometric copper arch was draped with monstera leaves and trailing greenery. Touches of Mexico were brought in through Otomi patterned table runners and pillows while a classic Mexican blanket draped one of the reception's lounge groupings.
We lucked out when Karina and Seth became a part of the Port + Palm Co. family. Cheers you two!
Photography | Lauren Louise Photography
Floral Design | Port + Palm Co.
Event Rentals | Port + Palm Co.
Venue | Social House
Hair and Makeup Artist | Team Beauti
Alex + Sam's Bubbly Romance | Post-Elopement Celebration
When Francesca of Coco Prop Shop asked me if I wanted to help put together a sweet post-elopement celebration for one of her former co-workers, I jumped at the opportunity. The couple had recently tied the knot at the local courthouse and Francesca wanted to do something special for them before the newlywed haze had the chance to fade.
When Francesca of Coco Prop Shop asked me if I wanted to help put together a sweet post-elopement celebration for one of her former co-workers, I jumped at the opportunity. The couple had recently tied the knot at the local courthouse and Francesca wanted to do something special for them before the newlywed haze had the chance to fade.
Keeping it simple, romantic, bubbly, sweet, and local we took a Lake Worth couple and showered them with a little champagne at Social House, with a sweet mini cake from Earth and Sugar, and a photo session with Coco Prop Shop in downtown Lake Worth.
We wanted to keep the floral design simple while maintaining a romantic color palette. We chose minimal blooms while adding a variety of loose greenery in various shades and textures to keep the bouquet interesting and full of movement. We finished the bouquet with a trailing ribbon in a vibrant shade of blue which perfectly complimented the groom's suit and played nicely with the green of the candlesticks.
When styling the bar cart we took most of our inspiration from a found antique book of love stories. From there we pulled in intricate details, greens, and gold tones to compliment the gorgeous details found within the book.
The couple's story is definitely one that has weathered the test of distance and time.
Alex and Sam met in August of 2012 while on a trip in Puerto Rico with a group of mutual friends. Once they connected, Samantha initiated a long distance relationship with Alex until she graduated from college at FGCU. After a few years she eventually returned home to be with Alex, but their time got cut short when he had to relocate for the Marine Corps. The distance and time spent apart only made them appreciate one another more. They share a passion for traveling, experiencing the outdoors and exploring the water, but just being with each other is an exciting adventure in itself. Alex recently graduated as an officer and felt it was the perfect time to ask Samantha to spend the rest of her life with him. She said yes and within two weeks they were married!
Photography + Props | Coco Prop Shop
Floral Design, Styling + Rentals | Port + Palm Co.
Bride's Attire | Wildeflower Boutique
Hair + Makeup | Nina Lares
Venue | Social House
Cake | Earth + Sugar
Location | Lake Worth
Meaghan + Joe | Classic Palm Beach with a Modern Twist
When I first met with Meaghan, I knew we were going to be fast friends and that we were about to plan one beautiful and elegant wedding. There was an easiness about her and something so inherently elegant. She expressed a love for classic Florida style, simple palms, and wanted to keep the overall design of her wedding modern while still pulling influence from the natural surroundings of her venue. We worked together to bring her vision to life, and I couldn't be more excited to share Meaghan and Joe's wedding day!
When I first met with Meaghan, I knew we were going to be fast friends and that we were about to plan one beautiful and elegant wedding. There was an easiness about her and something so inherently elegant. She expressed a love for classic Florida style, simple palms, and wanted to keep the overall design of her wedding modern while still pulling influence from the natural surroundings of her venue. We worked together to bring her vision to life, and I couldn't be more excited to share Meaghan and Joe's wedding day!
The sweetest words from the bride (which make me weep on a regular basis): "Where do I begin? Jenny and Glen are amazing. When Jenny was first recommended to us, my photographer spoke so highly of her. I was a little lost at the time and knew we needed someone to assist with our wedding. We were previously recommended another wedding coordinator but their style was not what I was looking for. I was looking for a hybrid. In marketing you call this person a strategist, in event planning a stylist."
We used potted plants to define their ceremony location. The ceremony took place at the end of a dock with a naturally beautiful view while the plants added that extra bit of lush greenery.
"The moment I met Jenny I knew she was ‘the one,’ no pun intended. The first time we met, we didn’t talk too much about the wedding but I instantly felt a connection. She understood me and we had so many things in common! And that’s important, when you are planning a wedding.
Fast forward to planning. Jenny was not only my event and floral designer but last minute we made a few adjustments and Port + Palm Co. provided a few specialty rental items.
When Joe and I first started planning we decided the vision we were aiming for was elegant Floridian with a modern twist. We had a lot of family coming in from out of town and wanted to create an atmosphere where our guests would be able to experience Florida in one night. Thanks to Jenny, her awesome husband Glen and the Port + Palm crew the vision came to life effortlessly with minimum direction or feedback from us."
"Jenny also assisted with finding us a band, which we still get compliments on, as well as a lighting and draping company, that helped set the ambiance for the night. If something came up during the setup, ceremony, or reception, (and I’m sure something happened because there was a public concert happening across from the ceremony location), we didn’t know about it. Jenny is so relaxed, so even-tempered, so warm she just exudes confidence. Making it so easy to trust her, allowing us to enjoy the night. I can honestly say I don’t think our wedding would have been as beautiful were it not for Port + Palm Co.
Fast forward to now. I miss our emails and have experienced some withdrawals but that expected when you connect so well with your hybrid stylist extraordinaire, right?"
We couldn't have asked for a more trusting couple. Glen and I are both so thankful, and will remember their wedding day for years to come.
Photography | Chelsea Erwin Photography
Floral Design, Coordination + Vintage Rentals | Port + Palm Co.
Lighting + Drapery | Celebrations by Kathy
Music | SOSOS
Catering | Cafe Chardonnay
Rentals | Panache
Makeup | Cathy Canavan
Hair | Allison Dunleavy
Venue | Lake Pavilion, West Palm