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Writer's pictureCaty Smits

A Grand, Grand Overture/ Frequently Asked Questions about Wedding Floral Planning

Updated: Aug 3

We know how difficult (STRESS) it can be to plan a wedding. Heck, even ordering flowers can be worrisome if you’re not a botany nerd like us. And even if you are, this industry is constantly changing and reinventing new ways to get flowers all throughout the year, even when they can’t be grown outdoors.

Therefore, we thought it would be a good idea to gather a little list of our most frequently asked questions about wedding floral planning for all you fresh flower fae out there.

 



strawflower bougainvillea pennycress bunnytail bleached ruscus bridal bouquet

1.      Where do I start?


Even though we know your favorite part about your wedding is going to be your flowers, (Cake is a close runner-up for us) It’s usually a good idea to wait to talk to a florist until you’ve got some details already secured.

“But vendors are booking up faster than I can even write save-the-dates!” you may say. Well, here’s what we think:

It’s usually best to have

A. A secured date. This way we know what flowers are going to be in season for your wedding and which ones won’t. This will give us a more accurate idea of pricing when we go to write you a quote.

B. Colors. Even a rough idea on the color scheme you are looking for is going to narrow down the types of flowers we can use when we pitch our designs.

C. Rough budget estimates. We try our best to make your floral needs work within your budget, so even if you have no idea what flowers cost, it’s good to know how much you can spend so we know what to work with.

When do all of these details usually start to come into play? Well, five years ago we would have said “about 6 months before your wedding!” However, since pandemic times, we’ve seen a large uptick in the amount of nearly-wed’s looking to tie the knot! Some vendors are already booking a year to two years out. With that being said, we can always chat flowers at any time. Just know that pricing is not going to be as accurate as when we do have more concrete answers.

Here at Earth in the Alley we are thrilled to talk about flowers at any given time and meet with you however many times are necessary to help you create your wedding vision. We don’t charge fees for color scheme changes or require credit card numbers to reserve our time because scrapping everything and starting over with a blank slate is part of the creative process and we know that you’ll know you’re making the right decisions when you feel it. Because, although it doesn’t happen to us quite as often as it used to (hello 20 years of experience!), we all have to begin somewhere!

 



tall wedding centerpiece with pear blossoms, hydrangea, peonies

2.      How much is this going to cost me?


Well, like we said before, the price of flowers are constantly changing with the weather (literally) so take this with a grain of salt, and cross your fingers we don’t have to face another year of record inflation when we say that our average wedding tends to run between $3000-$5000. And when we talk about averages, here’s the breakdown:


Bridal Bouquet $150-$400

Bridesmaid’s Bouquets (anywhere from 5-7 is average) $60-$100

Boutonnieres $20-$25  (We usually see about 10 of these on average per party)

Corsages $30-$45 (think Moms, Sisters, personal attendants, readers, etc.)

Ceremony Décor $500+

Reception Décor $1500+

 

And apart from boutonnieres and corsages, the bigger the arrangement, the higher the price (usually). There are some exceptions, and we’re all about breaking the rules, so if you don’t feel like your budget fits your needs, just reach out! We have all kinds of different ideas to get a similar look for less dough. We offer a-la-carte items with no minimum order requirements and have a vast knowledge of the different types of flowers and foliages available to meet your needs. We believe that fresh flowers should be attainable for all budgets because everyone deserves the fairytale wedding of their dreams.

 



winter wedding greenery garland with wedding ring and pinecones

3.      Are you LGBT friendly?


OF COURSE WE ARE! We are a queer, woman-owned business so you better believe we are going to roll out the red carpet for y’all! We respect all kinds of pronouns here.  We won’t be mis-gendering anyone during your consult or recommending outdated, gendered floral arrangements. We don’t care who wears the dress or the pants in your relationship. We want you to feel comfortably un-masked and at-home with us. If you want some recommendations of other queer-friendly vendors, stick tight. We’re working on that.

 



wedding compote centerpiece with ranunculus, peonies, tulips

4.      What if I don’t  want to be stuck with a million of the same vases/ will you work with the containers we’ve picked out?


We have a some-what limited (but growing!) inventory of rental items we offer to all our clients who don’t have the means to purchase a million vases or an arbor for just one occasion or table numbers that are just going to be tossed after one use. We’re big on sustainability here so you’re welcome to browse our rental catalog.

If you prefer to use your own vases, arbors, etc, we’ll work with that too! We do ask that if it is a vessel we require to make the designs, that they arrive to us at least a week or two before your event. If it’s an arbor or a stand or anything of that nature, we just ask that it’s set up prior to our arrival if we’re setting up on-site.

 

And speaking of which….

 



chamoagne glassware on a sweetheart wedding table with centerpiece

5.      What other services do you offer?


                Well, truthfully, all kinds. Relating to weddings, we offer delivery, on-site set-ups,         flips and tear downs or clear outs and we’ll even bust a move on your dance floor if         you want us to.

                On top of that, we offer styling for any sort of event, whether birthday, quince or bat-  mitzvah, every-day arrangement delivery, funeral service styling for bereaved families, cemetery memorial designs, holiday décor styling and set up as well as indoor and outdoor garden consulting and care. Because we are a solo-owned and operated business, however, we do ask that you give us plenty (a few days or more) of notice so we can ensure we are stocked and ready to meet your needs.

 


And lastly….




blue green and white bridal bouquet

6.      Why “Earth in the Alley”?


Well, in truth Earth in the Alley was derived from one of our favorite film-maker’s characters played by our favorite person in the world/fashion inspiration/reason for living: John Water’s Mondo Trasho Starring none other than Divine as Divine, Greaser in the Alley.

I know, it’s a little out-there but so are we. We didn’t think using some variation of a botanical name or play on the word “Fleur” fit what we do here. We’re here to make dirt into art and break all the rules by doing so.  We want to prove that you can have a successful, ethical business while maintaining quality as well as empathy and morality and have one hell of a good time doing it.



"Oh Mary! Oh Holy Trinity! Oh God! It isn't easy being Divine!"! 

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