Crazy for Daisies!

At bloom boxx, we pride ourselves in providing elegant, beautifully designed wedding flowers at sensible prices. In today's tough economy, many brides are challenged with having to carefully scrutinize their wedding budgets to get the most for their money. When it comes to wedding flowers, there are ways to have an elegant and sophisticated look without breaking the bank, and without having to feel that your flowers look "cheap". One way is to use daisies! Daisies are ready available year-round, and are inexpensive. Furthermore, they come in an endless variety of colors. A well-designed bouquet of daisies can be chic and elegant.
Shown here are 3 brides' bouquets using daisies. In one photo, we've created a classic hand-tied bouquet of bright pink gerbera daisies. Gerberas are sturdy, cheerful, and again, come in many colors. Because their blooms are large (3"-4" across), not a lot are required to create a bold, colorful bouquet. They are hearty blooms that make a statement simply grouped, no filler or greenery is required. Furthermore, they are not labor-intensive for your florist.
In the other photo, we've created two different takes on a bouquet of white daisy mums. These blooms are smaller than gerberas; however, when grouped in mass, they look quite elegant. Like gerberas, daisy mums are readily available in many colors and are overall easy to work with. Here we've created one classic hand-tied bouquet, finished with variegated greenery and a simple bow. The other is a more contemporary bouquet featuring a long, sturdy pale grey greenery called kochia cascading down from a dramatic mound of daisies.
Some quick internet research shows that the average bride's bouquet costs $80-$150. At bloom boxx, the gerbera daisy bouquet shown here would sell for $65 (including the jewel accents as shown, only $59 without!). Either of the white daisy bouquets would sell for $39. Save money without sacrificing style - use daisies!

Do-It-Yourself Wedding Flowers?

In this tough economy, "DIY" is becoming a buzz word for wedding flowers and decor. We at bloom boxx certainly understand the need to find ways to save money, and in fact we pride ourselves on providing our clients elegant wedding flowers in New Jersey at sensible prices. That said, we would like to give food for thought as to why it's a good idea to let a professional florist take care of the flowers for your once-in-a-lifetime wedding event.

• Experience. Sure, as with anything, a person can learn how to make a bridal bouquet or centerpiece. Maybe you already have a flair for having flowers look oh-so perfect when you put them together in your favorite vase. That said, a florist not only has the know-how and has a lot more practice. Remember that, like food, flowers are perishable and must be arranged last minute before an event - particularly items that will no longer be in any kind of water source such as corsages and boutonnieres. A florist can accomplish this much more quickly than someone less experienced. A wedding is filled with so many elements, so much to be done - dinners, rehearsals, photos, etc. - will you and your friends really have the time in those final days to properly arrange the flowers?
• Skills & Supplies. A professional florist has the proper tape, wire, hot glue, wire cutters, clay and "magic" necessary when the unexpected happens. A stem in the bride's bouquet snaps during delivery, a centerpiece is knocked over during set up, a corsage freezes in a refrigerator that's too cold... these are very real things that can and do happen. Most consumers would never know this because a florist has the skills and means to fix these types of mishaps such that no one is the wiser.
• Facilities. Flowers are shipped from growers simply cut from the bush. They have long stems, foliage and thorns. They must be cut and cleaned and put into fresh water with flower preservative for days before being arranged. Then they must be arranged and stored in a cold environment and/or a proper refrigerator. Then they must be delivered and installed. Are you really prepared with the proper amount of room in your home, especially if you are housing guests in town for your wedding? And do you really have an appropriate vehicle for delivery?

These are just a few reasons why you should let a florist handle your flower needs. We all know someone who puts together an amazing dinner, but you wouldn't ask a friend or relative to cater your wedding dinner. Grandma makes an amazing coconut cake, but you're not going to ask her to make and deliver your wedding cake. Similarly, it's not a good idea to try to do your own wedding flowers. These items all take experience, skill, and appropriate facilities in order to be done right.

For those brides who are feeling the pressure of a tight budget, bloom boxx will be posting cost-saving flower ideas over the next few weeks. Please be sure to come back to our bloom blogg for cost-cutting floral inspiration.