What do wedding flowers cost?
This is the season for inquiries about wedding flowers!
I have so much fun sitting down with couples to come up with proposals for their big day.
It’s my goal here to give you a picture of what you can expect to pay for wedding flowers.
Unlike other customer experiences, the cost can be a bit more complicated when it comes to flowers. So much depends on what each bride is looking for. I like to liken the pricing of wedding flowers to the price of a contractor for a home remodel. Everything is custom. Everything is dependent on the couple’s unique vision and desires
Does the bride want a huge cascading bouquet with lots of variety? Or does she want something more small and dainty? Does she need large table arrangements for 25 tables? Or maybe garlands for 10 tables with candles. Are pieces going to be moved from ceremony to reception? Is there a floral installation or arch involved?
You can see why it’s not simple to put a price tag on any one of these items!
Alaskan wedding photography by:Echo Photography & Lauren Roberts
The Bridal Bouquet
So let’s get into the nitty-gritty by starting with the bridal bouquet - arguably the most important floral piece.
Your flowers will be part of your wedding photos which will be with you for a lifetime and beyond. This is your special floral piece! Give yourself permission to get exactly what you want.
Turnstone Farm bridal bouquets start around 350.00. Each piece is a work of art and completely custom. My flower designs will make you feel chic, elegant, and magical.
The Bridesmaids Bouquet
The style of your bridesmaid’s bouquets largely depends on your bridal bouquet, but not always! Usually, brides choose to have smaller versions of their bouquet for the bridesmaids. However, if you are choosing a cascading bouquet, don’t think you need to get your ladies a cascade as well. Their bouquets should be smaller and more modest. Turnstone Farm bridal bouquets start at 185.00.
Sometimes customers choose to give their bridal party a single bloom to hold. This can be a simple and elegant visual statement. Single blooms start at 15.00 each.
Floral Combs & Crowns
A stylish addition to your wedding attire are flowers for the hair! Floral combs are 75.00. Floral crowns start at 175.00.
Boutonnieres and Corsages
Expect to spend 35.00 - 65.00 on each one. The lower price reflects a standard boutonniere worn on a shirt or coat. The upper price covers a slightly more elaborate wrist corsage. Remember corsages can be worn on the wrist or pinned a jacket/blouse/dress.
Alaskan Wedding Photography by Lauren Roberts
Custom Arrangements
These may include any of the following: chapel flowers, table garlands, table arrangements (small or large), flowers for the bar or welcome table, etc.
So much about the actual price depends on the style of your arrangements, the flowers you choose, the vessel you desire, and the density of the arrangement.
Expect a small and simple table arrangement to start at 85.00. A larger, more elaborate one could reach 750.00+.
I know this is a huge price range! That’s why I spend so much care putting together your proposal. I want to make sure you get exactly what you want. I want your event to feel exactly as you envision it. I want your guests to feel honored, welcomed, and loved.
Floral Arches/installations
Arches and installations are dreamy. They are gorgeous, add a layer of luxury to your event, and create an amazing backdrop for your ceremony. Remember, the photos taken in front of an installation will be with you forever! It is because of this that installations are well worth the money.
A simple arch may start around 700.00. Expect to spend well over 1500.00 on anything more elaborate!
Other floral installations that you may want to consider in and around the reception area are: floral walls and hanging florals.
If you want to communicate abundance, magic, and beauty, this is for you!
Alaskan Wedding Photography by Kristian Irey
Interested in booking flowers for your wedding? I’d love to get to know you better and put together a proposal!
3 Reasons to Buy American Grown Flowers
I’m passionate about Alaskan grown flowers. When spring arrives our tiny farm bursts with blooms from May through September. If I need extra flowers for an event, my go-to are other Alaskan flower farmers. I have a few favorites in the Matanuska Valley!
But lets face it: during our cold winter months, it’s just impossible to get locally grown flowers. So we can go without OR we can buy flowers from the next best source: other American farmers.
Here’s 3 reasons why buying American grown is an awesome way to spend your hard earned cash:
1) Lower carbon footprint. Flowers are a perishable item. Once they’re cut, they start dying unless the process is slowed through refrigeration. Buying flowers from closer to home guarantees that less energy was spent getting the flowers to you fresh.
In addition to less time in the fridge, the flowers are less traveled. Less traveled means less fossil fuels to ship them about. As an Alaskan, for half the year we must ship in our flowers! But we can choose whether they come from CA or from South America. The latter being over twice as far.
2) Support American farms. I am not a MAGA American. I do, however, want to support local and keep money in the hands of small family farms and businesses.
Suburban sprawl is a huge threat to our farmland. Buying from other American farmers helps put money into rural hands to keep communities thriving without having to sell out to development.
Help keep farmers on farms. Help keep rural America alive.
At this time only 20% of all flowers sold in the US are American grown. WOW! We have lots of room to grow this market. There’s room for other small farmers to get in on this action. Farm on!
3) Less harmful chemicals. We grow all our flowers without the use of chemicals. We don’t spray. We fertilize only with compost and naturally occurring amendments like bone meal.
I want to be able to toss all the expired flowers I grow straight into the compost without worry of chemical leaching.
Imported flowers have less stringent environmental regulations. This means, questionable chemicals may be gracing your table alongside that gorgeous supermarket bouquet.
While “American grown” does not guarantee a chemical-free bloom, it does guarantee that farmers must follow our environmental guidelines for which chemicals to use. And although I don’t condone chemical use on farms, the chemicals used in other countries can be much worse.
And don’t take it from me: follow these links to learn more about American Grown and the Slow Flower movement.
Locavore's Guide to the Holiday Table
Not only are we flower growers, but we are supporters and consumers of local foods! We grow, gather and hunt our own, support our Alaskan farmers and support our American farmers.
The more we can support our local farms, the better we can do in keeping land in agricultural production (and out of development and suburban sprawl). Local food and flowers are better for our families, our communities and our planet.
We want to support other farmers and we want to share with you how to fill your holiday table with local food.
VEGETABLES
Once the markets have closed these are my go-to sources for getting local veggies. In the summer there are so many more options but for now these folks have you covered.
Arctic Harvest Deliveries: offering weekly custom boxes YEAR ROUND full of fresh veggies sourced directly from Alaskan farms.
Arctic Organics: Veggies grown using organic methods in Palmer, Alaska. They offer weekly deliveries to Anchorage.
Anchorage Greens: Hydroponic greens grown all winter long. They offer a weekly subscription service that offers a “rotating selection of premium greens and herbs”.
Meat
There is lots of delicious meat in this state! This is not a comprehensive list. Please comment below if you have other farms that you purchase from.
Arctic Harvest Deliveries: These guys also source meat for you so you don’t have to. But if you’d rather buy direct from a farmer read below!
Blood Sweat & Food Farm: Chicken, pork, meat subscription boxes, eggs and more! Check them out. Kenai Peninsula
Lunachick Farm: Hens, ducks, pork, eggs, goats, etc. Located in Anchor Point. They offer weekly deliveries to Anchorage. We just bought 3 laying ducks from them. We’re still figuring out all things regarding duck care but are having fun doing it :)
Luke's Poultry Ranch: Chicken and Thanksgiving turkeys grown in the Big Lake area. I just reached out to them via Facebook and they have turkeys available NOW!! Don’t delay, cause they’ll be sold out quickly!
Seafood
While most of us fish to fill our freezers, buying from fisherman is always a great plan B. And honestly we bought in all our fish this year. We purchased whole fish and processed them in the back yard. It saved us the time spent traveling to and from Kenai. And it saved us from not knowing if we’d actually fill our freezers!
Su Salmon Co: They’re sold out for 2020 but just wanted to list them here because this is where we bought whole fish to fill our freezer. And Alaskans, don’t get too snobby here - Chum are a delicious and inexpensive way to load your freezer. We just cooked up a few fillets last night: DELISH!
Copper Valley Fish Collective: When not on their boat these guys are our backyard neighbors! They offer wild Alaskan Salmon Shares and amazing smoked salmon.
Catch 49: Salmon, halibut, prawns, canned items, smoked salmon and more!
Alaskas Own: Alaska's first CSF (Community Supported Fishery). Based in Sitka, AK. Pick up locations in Anchorage.
Flowers
Turnstone Farm: Last but not least you want local beauty. Imported flowers are hard on the planet and often sprayed heavily.
We're here for you! During the spring and summer months WE GROW FLOWERS for your table.
During the winter months we source American Grown flowers to make your special occasions absolutely elegant. Be on the look out for our newest offering: we’re doing flowers for the holidays!!! Thanksgiving, The Winter Holiday of Your Choice and Valentines Day.
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