- Blog
- Bios
- Boards
- Classifieds
- DIY
- Gallery
- Vendor Reviews
- Shop Weddingbee
Weddingbee boards
my friends have gone there, i think you need to go early in the morning, i believe it is cash only but i am not sure since i have never gone myself. you have to dethrone everything yourself.
theres a special time for wholesalers and then another for general public. wholesalers get the cream of the crop
I go there all the time! It's true, they open to the public later than the trade, but there is always plenty of great stuff left unless it's valentine's or mothers' day. The flower mart has a really helpful website with all sorts of info, quick google search should find it.
If you want more info, feel free to send me a PM and I'll give you my e-mail address.
I got to the Flower District at 6 AM the day before the wedding to pick out which flowers I wanted. I stored the orchids (for centerpieces) in the fridge overnight and the roses in a bucket of water . They were perfect for the day of the wedding.
A friend of mine placed an order with a vendor and picked up the flowers the day before the wedding. I would suggest you go prior to the wedding to check out the vendors and see what is in stock. HTH!
I used to go there all the time as well. We did the same thing for my cousin's wedding. The best would be to go the day before the wedding at the crack of dawn (6am) so you can get first pick of flowers. Make sure you bring a little cart to roll the flowers in. You'll get first pick of the fresh flowers. You should definitely make a full round of the place before buying anything since some vendors will have fresher flowers. Good Luck!
Go early and park in the structure (not the meters). Some places take credit card, but bring cash anyways. Bring some helpers along and make sure you have enough buckets at home to store the flowers - turn on the AC if it's warm out.
We went the day before the wedding to pick up a few things (I just did some small arrangements for the cocktail hour) and I was amazed at how much I bought haha. I'm a sucker for pink peonies though :)
Have fun - I love going to the flowermart!
Thanks for all of the tips. I guess I will get there at 6am I think it will get pretty crowded that Friday as the following day seems to be a big day for weddings here. If I picked up flowers on Thursday AM (mostly Dahlias and Roses) would they still look good on Saturday? Just curious.
Make sure you bring cash...I think one or two vendors accept credit cards.
You could buy them on thursday and they'll look ok on saturday. But I suggest buying them the day before, as they will be fresher. I did a trial run (with red roses, fressia, mini calla lilies & gerber daisies) and they lasted pretty well but the roses were starting to brown (just a little) on the second day.
This is really helpful, thanks bees! Does anyone have any info regarding prices there?
If you have buckets, bring buckets to hold the bunches of flowers you buy instead of laying them down in a car. The vendors can fill the buckets up w/water for you too so the flowers make it home ok. If you park in the structure, there are carts there that you can rent. I believe it was only a couple of bucks to rent and you will definitely need it w/the amt of flowers you will be buying.
@ ddubzz - my memory isn't the greatest, but here's what I remember
small bunch of dendrobium orchids (various shades) - 10 stems for $6.50-$8
large cymbidium orchids - 1 stem for $13-$17
hydrangeas - 1 big bunch for $7
my beloved pink peonies - medium size bunch (3 stems?) for $8-$13
roses and carnations were around $6 a bunch i think...~20stems/bunch
You should check out the vases they have there as well. I bought a bunch of them for the wedding there and the were reasonably priced - especially if you're buying in bulk (cases of 6 or 12). Plus you don't have to pay for shipping those heavy things. Hope this helps!
Does anybody know how far to bargain with the flower mart vendors? Anybody had any luck?
So funny! I was looking for info on the LA flower mart today & I hadn't found this post--now it's bumped to the top!
I would be wanting dark purple carnations and possibly hot pink carnations, and I wanted to know if people would suggest ordering flowers with one vendor to have them available on that day, or just go that day and purchase them?
"That day" meaning one or two days before the wedding.
@moneypenny: I would want to go check out that they at least have the flowers you want (I think they do) around the time you want them...then you could order them from a vendor you like and show up on that day to grab 'em? That way you'd have peace of mind knowing that your flowers will be there! :)
everyone's advice has been great so far...my only advice is to go and talk with several vendors and get their cards! the sellers that are there are usually not the owners...you have to call the actual company to get any large bulk discount, plus you can basically order them over the phone, have them set the flowers aside for you to pick up. Stripes is right...don't even bother to go there until about two weeks before your wedding, they won't really know what flowers they will have available in the season until then.
Plus if you have a camera, take pictures of some of the flowers you end up liking! i always bring my camera because i can never remember what the names of the flowers i like when i get back home!
the la flower mart is the best! i've been in a few cities flower marts and we really have the largest selection!
Going downtown for flowers is super fun. I live near Dodger Stadium and go all the time. It's tough to park! Get there early.
We went down there last year for my friend's wedding and got a ton of flowers. It sounds like a great idea, but is a ton of work! So be prepared. I don't think I can put my friends through it again like last year. They'll kill me!
That's a good idea to bring your camera, though if you go to visit. It'll give you some ideas and things to keep in mind!
Check out the Grand Central Market for lunch/ brunch after!
I've been furiously searching all evening for my notebook with all my info from my trip to the flower mart with prices and such. I do remember that one of the vendors that I spoke to said Friday is the WORST day he said it's really packed and if you can avoid it go another day. We're getting married on a Saturday so I think we're gunna go on Thursday and take the chance but I'll probably go a couple of weeks before and get a test bunch or two to see how they hold up. I'm not too worried though, considering how many major event companies and florist get their flowers from here I think they'll probbaly be fine.
I found my notebook! The orchid place I found wasn't inside the flower market. I went into was AWESOME they had these large GORGEOUS potted orichids that were really tall and had about 4-5 big stunning white orchids on them for $13-14. There were TONS. I seem to have written down orchids20orchids as the shop name I remember thinking it was really strange so either I was REALLY tired (I didn't go that early) or it really was strange. The shop was near where I parked on Cecelia and San Pedro (I think). However and much more importantly they have a website www.orchidsfarm.com. The website isn't anything amazing but I would say the trip down there is worth it to check them out I was shocked at how stunning they were and I wasn't even looking for orchids for my wedding. Also inside the flower market I was really impressed with Gustavo at Rios Flowers, I told him I was researching for a possible wedding for DIY and he was really helpful with tips and advice. He was the one who told me try not to come on a Friday because it's so busy and to bring a wagon to haul everything around in. (He said Thursdays and Saturdays are better).
Thanks for the great advice!!! Sucks about Friday though. I don't have a big fridge or anything, so I don't want to do it too early & I don't want to try to do it the day/night before, with rehearsal & dinner, hair appointments, etc. Perhaps if I order the flowers in advance, I won't have to deal with madhouse & still get decent quality on a saturday? I will definitely ask when I get back to LA and have the chance to actually meet with people myself.
Any other crucial tips???
My FSIL just got married a couple of weeks ago and she pre-ordered all of her flowers from a vendor in the Flower Mart and picked them up the Thursday before her Saturday wedding. She bought tulips and the vendor just told her to put them in a cool place and cover the bucket with towels and that would keep the buds from opening up before the wedding. She did, and it worked like a charm! I wouldn't worry too much about getting your flowers on Thursday, and if you pre-order you'll save yourself so much time.
Cash is important to have on hand for negotiation purposes all throughout downtown. For making your bouquets and purchasing materials to make them I would go to Mosketels. If you buy things in bulk like vases because they sell them by the case it may be cheaper. There are two vendors on both sides of the flower mart that sell vases too. Sometimes they have sales on certain types of vases.
If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed or it didn't come out as you originally wanted, I would suggest you making a deal with one of the florists near the flower mart. They can give you a better deal because they buy the flowers direct from the flower mart. You can save up to 10 dollar off each centerpiece than your local florist. There is a lot of competition so you can get a good deal.
You must log in to post.
| Visit our sister sites | eHarmony Online Dating |
eHarmony Advice Dating Advice |
Project Wedding Wedding Songs |
JustMommies Pregnancy Calendar |
Create the honeymoon of your dreams.
| User | Posts Today |
|---|---|
| Brielle | 44 |
| ndreighton | 36 |
| caseyleigh10 | 29 |
 vorpalette |
29 |
| les105 | 24 |
| ellisrobertson | 24 |
| mypinkshoes | 23 |
| fishbone | 23 |
| lionskitty | 22 |
| SouthernGirl | 21 |
| User | Posts Today |
|---|---|
| LilDrAnya | 2 |
I am DIYing my flowers in October. (Just bouquet and centerpieces, no wedding party.) I do have a bit of anxiety about it, I will admit. I plan on practicing at least once. I was planning on going to the L.A. Flower Mart the morning before the wedding. Just curious if anyone has tips or experiences they would like to share.