Post # 1
Member
3 posts
Wannabee
I recently came upon this BEAUTIFUL arch (i don’t remember where i found the pic, but it was online) and i want to recreate it for my destination wedding in mexico. i asked my wedding planner for a quote and it was almost $2000+11% tax! it’s because the flowers are peonies and need to be imported. does anyone have an idea how i could make this more affordable? i was thinking of using fake peonies, but don’t know if the fake stems can be used to wrap around the arch? if so, how many do you think i would need to buy? please help!
[attachment=1253921,159685]
Post # 3
Member
3638 posts
Sugar bee
Could you do it with roses? I hear that they are one of the cheapest wedding flowers. Or just another cheaper, similar looking flower?
Post # 4
Member
2077 posts
Buzzing bee
You could do it with silk peonies, but you’ll probably be spending around the same amount for really nice quality ones. If you’d rather have fresh flowers, you could do the same color scheme, but with different blooms that are in season!
Carnations:
Gerbs:
Purple monte casino:
Lavender roses:
Esperance roses:
If you don’t like any of these, there are more, I promise! Also, all of these flowers should be available no matter the season. I’d ask the flower shop how much they’d charge if you substituted the peonies with like-colored flowers.
Your arch is gorgeous, btw. Beautiful choice! 🙂
Post # 5
Member
3 posts
Wannabee
lindsay, i love your carnation idea. it is the closest to peonies. however, they want to charge me $300 for rental of the arbor and if i don’t use the peonies, they told me they would have to charge a higher rental fee (which makes no sense to me). i will ask how much they charge for the carnations instead. thank you so much!!
Post # 6
Member
875 posts
Busy bee
I doubt that those are live peonies. We grow them at my house, and I think that they would be very difficult to arrange like that. When they are at the fullest bloom, sometimes they shatter, and those look like they are fully blooming. If it was an indoor location that wouldn’t need a lot of wiring, then I’d think they were real. At my friend’s wedding, she had beautiful live flowers, and a fabulous looking arch! The arch was made with faux flowers… that were lovely! I definitely think that faux flowers would be affordable.
Post # 7
Member
2077 posts
Buzzing bee
@cck3061: Whaaaa? Why would they charge more if you don’t use the peonies?! That’s just crazy. I do hope the carnations work for you! They come in all different colors, so it’ll look beautiful if you go that route! Also, carns are really inexpensive ($1.50/stem at the shop I work in!), as opposed to out-of-season peonies. As an example, last winter a bride came in to our shop and wouldn’t substitute the peonies in her bouquet with other flowers, so we had to ship them in from another country. Each flower was $15!!! She paid something like $400 for her bouquet ALONE!
Post # 8
Member
3 posts
Wannabee
@ linsay who knows… they up’d it a $100. @missbliss, good thing you told me that since this would have been their first time making it (if i was willing to pay for it, it would’ve been a total disaster) thank you so much for responding, guys! i’ll definitely post pics after the wedding (it’s in november) so be on the lookout!
Member