012 | The Accidental Florist: Wedding Florals on a Budget

There is a particular kind of creativity that comes from having limits. Abundance gives us options; limitations ask us to pay attention. They make us look more carefully at what we already have, what is around us, and what might become beautiful with a little ingenuity. In that way, working with less can become an exercise in noticing more.

Several months ago, my cousin reached out to tell me that she and her husband were planning a reception in my area to celebrate their marriage with family. She explained that they were trying to keep everything simple and affordable, and, having had some experience arranging flowers, I naïvely offered to be her florist.

Had this been a several-hundred-person event, I would not have made such an offer. But with only 50 or so people, I felt like I would have no problem tackling this exciting new challenge.

Having ordered flowers from florists before, and knowing that I could place a preorder through Trader Joe’s, I was relatively unconcerned about my ability to source everything. I knew that, worst-case scenario, I could reach out to friends, family, and neighbors to cut greenery, hydrangeas, and more directly from their gardens to fill out the arrangements.

After meeting with my cousin and her husband several times, we started working out what they actually liked. I sent them photos so we could determine what varieties, shapes, densities, and placements resonated with them.

We established that they liked a vibrant, spring-like color palette. Although the wedding was in September, they weren’t interested in anything looking particularly fall-like. They liked reds, yellows, and oranges, but wanted the focus to really be on pinks and greens. We also determined that there would be six tables, a small bar, three cocktail tables, and a sweetheart table.

Now that I had a clear picture of what they were looking for, I started calculating stem quantities, identifying sources for flowers, and figuring out approximately when I would need to place my orders. Luckily, I’ve been collecting vases and vessels over the years, so I already had everything I needed in that department.

To keep things affordable, I wanted to place the bulk of the order through Trader Joe’s. They allow you to call ahead, tell them what varieties you’re looking for, and order them by the container. The downside was that I couldn’t guarantee exactly what I was going to get. I could order pink and purple roses, for example, but I couldn’t select whether I would get pink, purple, or a mix. I could order a mixed greens bucket and hope for Bells of Ireland, but there was no guarantee.

The nice thing was that I didn’t have to purchase everything in advance. On pickup day, I could sort through the order, leave behind anything I didn’t want, and look through what was already on the store floor for colors that better aligned with what I needed. The preorder essentially ensured that they would have roughly the quantities I needed available when I arrived.

Because the Trader Joe’s portion would remain a little bit unknown until pickup day, I wanted some of the anchor flowers to come from somewhere I could guarantee exactly what I was getting. I started by looking at florists I had worked with before for baby showers and graduation parties. Their pricing, however, fell a little outside the approximately $1,000 budget my cousin and I were working within.

So I started looking into flower farms in the area where I might be able to source a large quantity of flowers directly at a more affordable rate.

That’s how I came across Walnut Leaf Dahlia Farm.

When I called and explained what I was looking for, they told me they would feel more comfortable if I came to the farm in person so we could look at everything together and make sure we were on the same page.

Obviously, I jumped at the opportunity. I love learning about farm operations and from the people who produce our food and flowers. I visited the farm a week before the wedding, which gave us a very solid idea of what would be in bloom the following week. We walked through everything together, and I placed my order with newfound confidence thanks to their education and guidance.

Apparently, the weather thought I was getting a little too comfortable.

That week brought 80 mph winds, multiple extreme storms, and tornadoes moving through the area. I was absolutely terrified that the dahlias I had selected were going to be in bad shape. After the storms, I had difficulty getting through to the farm, which only raised my concerns.

So I started brainstorming alternatives.

I reached out to neighbors about cutting hydrangeas from their gardens. I contacted friends in horticulture, one of whom generously donated an assortment of flowers, fillers, and greenery that had been sitting in a cooler for some time and needed a little extra sorting and prep. I also identified greenery and flowers of my own that I could incorporate into the arrangements.

At that point, all I could do was wait until pickup day with bated breath.

To my relief, thrill, and surprise, the dahlias were fine.

Meanwhile, I had sent my husband and brother out to other Trader Joe’s locations while I went through the primary order, picking and choosing exactly which colors and varieties I wanted to keep and which I would swap out. Trader Joe’s apparently has limits on how many of certain varieties each store can order, so by visiting multiple locations, we were able to get larger quantities of some of the same things.

When I finally had everything compiled in my kitchen, my confidence was restored. Seeing it all together, I could finally visualize how everything was going to come together.

My husband and I loaded everything up and began the drive to my parents’ house, where my extended family had descended for the weekend. I enlisted siblings, cousins, and friends to help strip leaves and sort through the donated material. Some of it was past its prime, but much of it was still perfectly workable with a little extra prep and attention.

I also began the centerpieces that night. I wanted to get the base and anchor flowers arranged in advance so I wouldn’t have as much to do the next morning.

Once everything was prepped, I meticulously packaged the arrangements for their second journey outside my kitchen. Then we loaded my sedan, various minivans, and my husband’s truck to haul it all to the venue. I had planned on putting everything in our hotel room overnight, but fortunately, we were able to get into the actual venue space that evening and drop off the flowers.

The next morning, I was up bright and early. I set up tarps and folding tables, effectively turning the venue into a temporary flower shop, and got to work.

Although my cousin had been unsure about the hydrangeas I ordered, which had arrived a much more vibrant green than either of us anticipated, I assured her that they would fade into the background and were primarily there to hide stems and foam. Hydrangeas are excellent for stretching a floral budget because they fill out an arrangement beautifully, and their enormous flower heads do an excellent job of covering up its bones.

I had only planned to do centerpieces, the sweetheart table, and bud vases for the cocktail tables. By the time I finished all of that, though, I had so much surplus that I was able to put a bud vase in every window, add a small arrangement to the top of the sweetheart table, and create a long arrangement in the window behind it.

Everything turned out far better than I could have imagined. Because I had prepared for the worst, I had enough flowers to make the arrangements much fuller and more lush than I had originally anticipated.

Our initial goal had been to keep the flowers around $1,000. In the end, the entire floral budget came in at just under $1,300. We had gone a little over our target, but looking around the room at everything that $1,300 had produced, I was incredibly proud of what we had managed to accomplish. Between direct-sourcing from a local flower farm, ordering through Trader Joe’s, using donated material, cutting stems from my own garden and orchid collection, and doing all of the arranging ourselves, we had filled the venue with flowers while still keeping the overall cost relatively modest.

My cousin was upstairs getting bridal portraits done when her husband came downstairs to see the space. The highlight of my day was when he was brought to tears upon seeing the arrangements. Then, as the florist, I had the honor of pinning a calla lily to his lapel and handing him the bridal bouquet to bring to his beautiful bride. 

At 5 p.m., I exchanged my pruners for a clutch, ditched my corduroy for a gown, and hit the dance floor. It was an experience I will forever treasure. 

Sincerely, 

The Grower