Comments on: Wedding tax

By: Another flower

Another flower — Mon, 10 May 2010 20:20:15 +0000

Like Ragdoll, I'm a bit late too, but I need to comment:
I live in Finland, and I've only ever worked in one flowershop, but there are REAL reasons why your _wedding_ flowers might cost more. It has actually nothing to do with the word _wedding_, but other things. Let me explain.

We can make you a bouquet that costs 15-20â‚¬ (that's around 20-25USD). It will be a small bouquet with no floral sponge and the flower stems will be cut the way it sits well in a vase. The stems are not covered by a ribbon and flower stems might point out ugly. Most common wedding flowers need water or source of moisture to stay good (aka, flower sponge), or the flowers might start to hang or even die during the long day. In other words:

If you do not specify you want flowers for a wedding, we can't make you a bouquet and centerpieces that we can guarantee look great for the whole day.

We are trying to help you. Not rob you. We spend easily an hour, even two or three if there's a lot of flowers, perfecting your wedding bouquet and centerpieces and hair flowers and mother-in-laws-bouquet and bridemaid's bouquet and making sure they'll last through your special day. I find it insulting that our work is called rip off.

I can't speak for the other florists, but we never try to sell you anything but the flowers you want. If you don't know what you want, we start with the usual. That'd be bouquet for the bride and flower brooch for the groom, and possibly a smaller, cheaper "fake bridal bouquet" for the pictures if they're taken on a different day. And even then we try to save the bouquet for The Day if it's not too far in the future (too bad flowers go bad with time).

The cost of the flower bouquet comes from the time we put into it and the cost of the materials. We try to offer the cheapest possible options, while still making sure the flowers are the kind that will last the whole day. When we ask if you want more, we're not trying to force sell you anything: often brides forget to mention something and it's our job to make sure you get everything you want (Plus it saves your and our time when you don't have to run back and forth when you forgot something).

I find it strange that people have no problem paying a little extra to the person making their wedding dress, but when it comes to the florist making sure their wedding flowers last and are just the way the bride wants, the attitude is completely different. I'm especially appalled this attitude shows on the OBB, the site where respecting the small business and handcrafters has always been important. It's not like we're making fortunes in a flower shop. What causes this attitude, is it just that brides are not well informed what brings the price higher?

By: Ragdoll

Ragdoll — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 08:27:16 +0000

This is an old post , I know ,so I'm a tad late , but for everyone else like myself, who is reading this for the first time-
As a florist I know for a fact that this happens. I work for myself (I'm the small budget queen) But in shops, the usual labor charges are 10-20% , but for weddings , they charge 20- 40%. It wasn't just in the shop I worked in either. There is a florist trade magazine , that only floral shops and few independent florist can get called Florists Review. It has specific formulas for how to charge weddings , what to do if a bride is bugging the heck out of you and how to persuade brides to chose costlier flowers. It's quite sick, but 90% of florist use it as a monthly bible. Do some research of your own before you go to a florist. Remember to add around 30% of the total cost(delivery, labor, etc) of flowers and supplies , and say to your florist that you've received that total as an estimate from their "rival" florist. It works almost every time.

By: Kit

Kit — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 01:40:37 +0000

Just as sometimes offbeat brides need to deal with traditional grooms, here we see an offbeat groom with a traditional bride. I feel sorry for his fictional ass.

By: Lara

Lara — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 03:03:53 +0000

If I were hiring vendors I would absolutely lie my ass off. "Family function" "business affair" "Producing a play in which there is a wedding scene so we need wedding-esque flowers" …but we have completely eliminated all need for vendors so that leaves no one to lie to. Oh well!

By: Rachel

Rachel — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 19:31:34 +0000

Jess, What can I say? Great minds think alike. LOL

By: Jess

Jess — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 02:59:38 +0000

Rachel, I thought I made up that idea! Awesome! Some people have been trying to convince me that it's too much mess and bother, but I'm adamant.

By: Me

Me — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 20:19:07 +0000

Wow, decorate your own cupcake?!?!? Rachel, can I come to your wedding?

By: Rachel

Rachel — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 19:08:41 +0000

I'm glad I'm having my wedding on Halloween, which offers up the perfect reason for the party. I plan on lying my butt off to vendors. Fortunately though, most of my wedding is DIY including the Decorate-your-own-cupcake bar.

By: Amanda

Amanda — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 11:57:28 +0000

The wedding cake one is funnier–exact same concept but more over-the-top. Same stereotypical bride demand at the end, but it seems funny to me because it is so extreme. Someone posted it over on the offbeat tribe: http://youtube.com/watch?v=gimiDBAK2wA

By: Heather Gilson

Heather Gilson — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 09:27:56 +0000

Love it! That was pretty funny! I am sure this happens often. Although wedding flowers, cakes, photos are much more time consuming and are given SPECIAL attention by most vendors (hence it may cost a little more) I think you really have to pick and choose which vendors you lie to. If the details are important for your wedding day then I think you should be upfront with your vendors. If you don't really care too much about the details, then pinocchio away…