Weddingbee boards

Well, the cheapest online website for flower petals is fiftyflowers.com - I can honestly say this is a great company (we ordered all of our flowers from them and they were great).

 What sort of flowers are you ordering?
 Fiftyflowers is great, but if you need mini calla lilies- www.flowersandfreshness.com has a great deal on them- you can get like 100 for 164.00 (and they are also quality) Their roses are also a little cheaper, my one complaint was I wish I would have used fiftyflower for all my roses. Not only did I order the wrong color from flowers and freshness (totally my fault), they called me a few days before saying there were out of the type I ordered and would replace it with something similar. Yes, the flowers were similar but the size of the rose head was medium instead of large (if you know what you want though, it would be better. the roses I did get were fresh and beautiful). The roses I ordered from fiftyflowers.com were very large heads- and the website will write a little about each type of rose so you can guesstimate how big the flower is. It's nice to know.
I did some mock ups with wholefood flowers- they aren't as cheap as an online wholesaler- and their flowers aren't as fresh. We ordered some to practice with and they started wilting a little within a few days. When you're doing your own arrangments you want to get your flowers 2-3 days prior to the event so they can rehydrtate properly and you have time to arrange them.  If you're going to order flowers, I would make your own bouquet- that way, you get what you want and it's special. If you google DIY wedding bouquet (or look on wedding bee) there are so many posts about this.

Things I didn't know I wish I did-

- Don't buy glassware or candles offline.. it's a deal- but they rape you on the shipping charges

- When you buy flowers, over buy a little bit.  I needed a little more than what I thought

- Make sure you think about the colors long and hard you're ordering. 

- double check everything.

- Give yourself TIME. Our wedding was on a Saturday I took three exams on Thursday and three on friday because I was still in school. By the time I got around to the flowers I was worn out and threw them together.

- When your flowers arrive, break them down then.If you order roses or any other flowers with leaves still attached, remove them.Then place them in water to rehydrate and open.

I was really happy I did my own flowers... for around 600 dollars I made 4 bouquets, several house arrangements (our wedding was at home), and did arrangments for all 16 of my tables.

Don't put your flowers in the fridge unless you know what you're doing- I have heard horror stories about this. One of my sister's friends DIYed her flowers and the flowers wilted (maybe the refidgerator was too low?).  I wouldn't chance it. 

   Our wedding was on Saturday, I had the flowers delivered on Wednesday.  When they came we peeled off all the leaves and put them into tubs of water (I'll post a picture below).  When you first get your flowers the heads likely won't be open (it really freaked me out at first)- it takes a few days for them to get that big. 

  The roses I ordered were http://www.fiftyflowers.com/product/Amelia-Creamy-White-Rose_336.htm - I think they may also have this type on flowersandfreshness.com for much less (not sure which site I used for my bouquet roses).  I would browse www.fiftyflowers.com and read about the flowers you want to order.  The great thing about this site is they post how to care for your flowers after you recieve them:

1. Remove flowers from box by cutting any straps. Do not remove the cardboard sleeve or the rubber bands holding the flowers together in a bunch. 
2. Fill containers with at least 4 inches of fresh, cool water. 
3. Add floral food to prevent bacteria from forming in the water and to give added nutrients to the roses. If you do not have flower food, it can be purchased at any local florist. 
4. Remove any leaves that fall below the water line. Not removing the leaves may cause bacteria to form and shorten the rose’s life. 
5. Using sharp scissors or a knife, cut the stems diagonally under running water approximately one inch from each stem’s bottom edge. 
6. Immediately after cutting, place the stems in the prepared water. 
7. Allow flowers at least 4 hours to hydrate well. Roses may take up to 12 hours to properly hydrate. 
8. Keep flowers away from direct sunlight, drafts or excessive heat. 
9. To keep the roses fresh, change the water every 24 to 48 hours or when the water becomes cloudy. Assure that your flowers have sufficient water. The flowers will drink an exceptionally large amount of water upon arrival.

 The site posts this sort of thing for any kind of flower you want to order.  Here is also the link for rose petalshttp://www.fiftyflowers.com/flowers/FreshRosePetals_20.htm   

     To answer your question about them wilting- my wedding was August 16th, 2008 (I see you're getting married around that time too!)- my flowers held up really well.  In the picture of my sister holding the bouquets you see a few petals falling off, that's not because of the flower- that's because I dropped the bouquet down the stairs :)  For our arrangments we used spider mums (which lasted for 14 days, those bad boys are hardy), roses (they started to brown after about 7 days), and calla lilies (they last the same as roses). 

  A little tip is if you're going to use white or cream roses, don't handle the flower head with your bare hands.  The oil from your fingers gets onto the petals and they brown (not sure why, but I learned this the hard way).

  The best way of doing your own flowers is to do as much research as you can, know what you want, and have a plan (practice with flowers from the local grocery store- that's a good way of knowing how many you need as well).  I had a plan, but since I was in a hurry and ordered the wrong color flowers- it fell through.  Our arrangments didn't look bad (we were married on our farm so they fit), but they didn't look how I originally wanted them to.  I meant to order 400 white roses... instead I ordered hot pink. 

 

 If you have any more questions, feel free to ask.  I wish I would have known then what I know now- my sister's wedding will be much easier!  Good luck!

Flowersandfreshness is a better deal- and I did like the quality of their roses, my problem really was that I ordered the wrong kind and color because I'm a moron.  60 bucks is a lot of money to save- do a few google searches to find out more about the rose types they have on flowersandfreshness.com you want to find  how big the rose head really is and what the color is like in real life. 

  For the bouquets- My sister is holding hers and mine.  I think all together I ordered 50 roses- I probably used a good 20 for my bouquet. 

  I actually just checked and flowersandfreshness actually has the amelia creamy rose for sale- I would definitley order from there.  They are so much cheaper, and they did have great customer service.  I like fiftyflowers.com because they have a big selection- but flowersandfreshness.com prices beat fiftyflowers. 

   Make sure you double check your order though! :)

oh and just incase- my bouquet wasn't all roses.  I have about 15 mini calla lillies in there