Milwaukee Florist Greenfield Flower Shop's Blog

Use Save the Date Cards to Announce Your Big Day

Greg Johnson — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 23:45:27 +0000

Judging by the calls I’ve been getting at the shop, as well as the jump in the number of visitors to this site and our wedding site, couples in the this area are now in full-blown wedding planning mode!

If you’ve recently gotten engaged, you’re probably anxious to let people know when the big day is. But how do you do it in a way that makes an impressive statement that reflects the the theme and style of your wedding?

You will need send out Save the Date cards.

Sure, you could let people know by calling or emailing them. This would probably be OK for some of the guests, because they’ll get an invitation later anyway.

But for the family and friends who are really important to you, you know, the guests you really want to be there to share your your wedding day with, sending a Save the Date card will make a far greater impression. Here’s why.

Taking the time to mail a Save the Date card shows that person how much you appreciate them and want them to be present to share your important day.

And by designing a card that reflects your style and theme, it conveys a sense of what your guests can expect on your wedding day.

When it comes to Save the Date items, Wedding Paper Divas absolutely sets the pace with their selection of stylish cards, calendars, and magnets.

And this year they have added tons of new features and Save the Date items like these hot new circle cards (Sweet!) and monogrammed designs (gotta love ‘em!).

Don’t forget, calendars are also a fun way to inform family and friends about your big day. And calendar Save the Date cards often get posted in very conspicuous places (like the refrigerator door)!

You can check all of Wedding Paper Divas’ Save the Date calendar cards here.

Two of my favorites are the “Romantic Tab : Smoke” Save The Date Postcard and the “Haute Heraldry : Black” Save the Date Card (pictured above).

Your tastes may be different from mine, but with so many styles to choose from, I’d suggest you check them all out. I’m sure you’ll find one that works for you.

From my experience (my daughter used them for her wedding a couple of years ago), what separates Wedding Paper Divas from the competition is their amazing service.

Before each each order is shipped it is hand reviewed (by a real live human!) for any issues, so you’re guaranteed to receive high-quality cards. Trust me, this isn’t always the case, even with local vendors.

So take a few minute and shop their Save the Date cards today. I’m certain you’ll find a card that will complement your style and the theme you’ve chosen for your wedding.

And if you’re ready to announce your big day, you can get 20% off your entire order (25% off orders of $149 or more) when you purchase Save The Date cards through 2/16/12. Just use PROMO CODE: WEDSAVE25.

Go ahead, make their day!

Use Save the Date Cards to Announce Your Big Day is a post from: Milwaukee Florist Greenfield Flower Shop's Blog

Our Valentine Flowers Collection

Greg Johnson — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 20:46:37 +0000

To give you a quick peek at some of the Valentine flowers we offer, I thought I would create this short video highlighting some of the most popular Valentine flowers and bouquets available from our shop.

All of the Valentine flowers in this video (and more) can be found at:

Valentine’s Day Flowers

Our Valentine Flowers Collection is a post from: Milwaukee Florist Greenfield Flower Shop's Blog

Wedding Flowers : Hire a Florist or Do It Yourself

Greg Johnson — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 16:43:32 +0000

Even armed with all the information out there today, some brides still seem to come away with sticker shock after meeting with a florist to discuss their wedding flowers.

For some, it’s probably the tipping point. They make the decision at that moment to save money by doing their own wedding flowers. I completely understand their thought process, because I’ve been there, too. But is it the right decision? Let me explain…

Back in late 1997, I decided that the flower shop needed a web site built. I knew exactly what I wanted, so I decided to outline the framework for the site and hire someone to build it for me.

However, after getting back a couple of initial quotes (on average, about $3000), I decided I would save money by building the site myself. I had read and seen a lot about how to build web sites, and frankly, it didn’t look all that difficult. And I knew I could do it myself for a lot less.

Well, as you can imagine, it turned out to be much more of a project than I thought. In addition to laying out the site framework, I was also the programmer, photographer, graphic designer and editor too. But I kept plodding along, reminding myself of how much money I was saving.

Was I wrong? No. Did I work hard? Yes. Was I working smart? Definitely not.

It took me nearly 60 hours over four months, but I finished and launched the site. Had I hired a pro, it would have taken less than a month to be up and running. It also would have been far more cost-effective, after I added up the numbers. Honestly, I did learn a lot going through the process, but I wouldn’t do it again.

It’s The Same With Your Wedding Flowers

Most brides who have done their wedding flowers said they enjoyed the experience and learned quite a bit – but readily admit it may not be the best idea for everyone.

They watched the videos, bought books and read all about “how to do your own wedding flowers”, but still said it was pretty stressful when it came down to “crunch time”.

Even though you can find a lot of how-to information, resources and links on this site and at MilwaukeeFlowerMarket.com as well as MilwaukeeWeddingFlorist.com, it still takes time to

Research, find and purchase the necessary flowers and supplies
Recruit help
Make samples and practice design techniques
Process the flowers upon arrival
Make all the bouquets, corsages, boutonnieres and any ceremony and/or reception flowers as needed
Pick up and return any rental items
Transport, set up and remove floral decor from the wedding site(s).

You might think doing all this will only take a few hours. It will take much longer, trust me. In fact, I would probably double the time you planned on, just to be safe.

Keep in mind also that most of the work needs to be done in the final hours leading up to, through, and after the wedding. Unlike other tasks that can be spread out over a longer time frame (like building a web site), working with a perishable product like flowers cannot be done too far in advance.

How You can Leverage Your Time and Save More Money

As I said earlier, had I known it would take me four months to build my first web site, I would have hired a pro to do the work. The site would have been up and running in a month. Even if I paid a little more than the original quotes I got, I still would have come out ahead. Here’s why.

Time is Money

We’ve all heard it over and over. Here’s how it applied in my case.

The web site I built generated $4000 in sales in the first four months. In essence, I lost $3000 in sales because it took me four months to do all the work myself. Looking back, it would have been smarter spend that same $3000 and hired a pro to do the work for me. I would have come out ahead. But hindsight is always 20/20.

My example applies to everything, even doing your own wedding flowers. All you have to do is run the numbers to prove it.

Using our shop as an example, the average wedding takes several hours of planning and consultation, and a couple of days to do the work. For most of our weddings, 15 -30 staff hours are usually needed, depending on the size of the event.

Using the same number of hours (15-30), at an hourly wage of $15 (use your own number here), the cost of your time would be $225 – $450, plus the cost of the flowers. If you spend $300 on flowers and supplies, your total cost would be $525 – $750.

If you get a quote for wedding flowers that is comparable, and you’re comfortable working with that florist, why wouldn’t you hire them instead of doing it yourself? If you value your time, the answer is a no-brainer.

If you have limited, or no experience working with flowers, you could use the those 15-30 hours learning and designing your bouquets, corsages, boutonnieres and centerpieces, hoping that everything turns out well, or you could use that time to do other projects for your wedding that you might enjoy more, or may be better suited to your talents.

My point is this…

Everyone is capable of doing things they never imagined they could. But because you can, doesn’t mean you SHOULD. Whether it’s wedding flowers or anything else. Your time has value. Understanding the true cost of your time will help you to determine how cost-effective the choices you make will be.

I readily admit my advice may not be right for every situation, but all you have to do is run the numbers to be sure.

Wedding Flowers : Hire a Florist or Do It Yourself is a post from: Milwaukee Florist Greenfield Flower Shop's Blog

Creative Halloween Party Ideas With Flowers

Greg Johnson — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 13:16:19 +0000

I love Halloween. It’s a great time to party. And it’s the one holiday that seems to get a lot of people’s creative juices flowing. Some of the best Halloween party ideas usually come from the least-likely sources. Take Halloween costumes, for example.

Some of the best Halloween costumes I’ve ever seen came from people who swear they don’t have a creative bone in their body!

But Halloween isn’t only a great time for creative costumes, it’s also a great time to get creative with flowers, especially if you’re throwing a party.
And there is no lack of ideas. Practically every magazine at the supermarket checkouts features inexpensive Halloween party ideas that include flowers.

For starters, the fall season gives us a lot of nature’s best items to work with. Cornstalks, gourds, and of course, pumpkins.

Pumpkins, no matter the size, are not only for carving into jack-o-lanterns, but they also make great floral containers.

Simply placing floral foam inside a hollowed-out pumpkin will allow you to arrange flowers in them easily, as well as providing a source of water for them.

Inexpensive flowers, such as carnations, are great to use in Halloween arrangements because they last so long. Mums are another great choice because they can make a big impact with only a few stems. For a higher-end look, try adding lilies. The arrangement pictured here uses orange gerbera daisies, as well as spray roses and mums. And the black cat is a great finishing touch!

A grouping of small pumpkins and gourds, accented with flowers, fall leaves, Spanish moss or ivy, makes a fun table centerpiece. If you’re looking for an elegant touch, try painting pumpkins black, gold or bronze. For the finishing touch, adding a bit of Halloween decor will complete the look and create the proper Halloween atmosphere.

If you need a few Halloween party ideas to get you started, take a look at some of these Halloween flower arrangements, as well as Halloween party decorations, and costume ideas.

And don’t forget, if you need help putting your Halloween party ideas together, your florist is only a phone call away.

Creative Halloween Party Ideas With Flowers is a post from: Milwaukee Florist Greenfield Flower Shop's Blog

Wedding Bouquet Ideas – Examples From Recent Weddings

Greg Johnson — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 19:53:47 +0000

Although I’ve been keeping busy over the summer dealing with upcoming weddings and events, I thought it would be a good idea to put together this quick video that takes a look back at some of the wedding bouquet work that we have recently done.

If you are looking for more ideas, be sure to check out the wedding flowers photo gallery at MilwaukeeWeddingFlorist.com, or check out our video channel on YouTube.

Wedding Bouquet Ideas – Examples From Recent Weddings is a post from: Milwaukee Florist Greenfield Flower Shop's Blog

Red, White and Blue Flowers – Decorating Inspiration for the 4th of July

Greg Johnson — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 14:36:05 +0000

Celebrating the 4th of July holiday with family and friends is a great American tradition that many of us will be doing this weekend. Whether it’s a backyard barbeque, pool party, or even a tailgate party at Miller Park, here’s some easy and inexpensive red, white and blue flower ideas you can use for the perfect finishing touch.

Strictly Simple Style: Last Minute Ideas for Your July 4th Celebration

Create a patriotic centerpiece for you table using red, white and blue flowers. Via My Home Ideas. Finally, use what you have. Scour the house for anything in the colors of the flag. Ribbon, candies, marshmallows, craft …

http://strictlysimplestyle.blogspot.com/2011/06/last-minute-ideas-for-your-ju

4th of July: Red, White & Bloom | Flower Factor

First, you need the perfect ingredients. Choose flowers in patriotic colors. Red: Roses, hypericum berries and tulips; White: Queen Anne's lace, gladiola and tulips; Blue: Delphinium, hydrangeas and thistle …

http://www.aboutflowersblog.com/4th-of-july-red-white-bloom/

ly-4th.html

Delightfully Noted: 4th of July Inspiration: DIY Recycled Flower Vases

4th of July Inspiration: DIY Recycled Flower Vases. Hoorah! It's “officially” summer today and that means 4th of July is right around the corner. It's time to decorate with the good 'ol red, white, & blue. …

http://delightfullynoted.blogspot.com/2011/06/4th-of-july-inspiration-diy-recycled.html

4th of July Party Favors: Party Planning using Carnation Flowers with Nico De Swert | Pottery Barn

www.potterybarn.com Find out how to turn your 4th of July decorations into party favors with just a few simple steps. Pottery Barn Style Expert Nico De Swert shows us some easy and affordable party planning tips using carnation flowers. Here’s what y…

Red, White and Blue Flowers – Decorating Inspiration for the 4th of July is a post from: Milwaukee Florist Greenfield Flower Shop's Blog

Do florists charge more for wedding flowers?

Greg Johnson — Fri, 20 May 2011 16:02:15 +0000

If you read any of the wedding blogs or message boards, you would think that florists always charge more for wedding flowers, almost like it was standard operating procedure.

I take comments like that with a grain of salt, because they are usually written by someone who may have had a bad experience, and needs to vent. I take them more seriously when I see a pattern of similar comments.

The other day I was reading an interesting post on the Well Heeled Blog entitled “Weddings Cost Money. Period.“. It dealt with the authors frustration and concerns with setting up her wedding budget. She wrote:

Most vendors I’ve contacted won’t tell me what they cost except that they will “work with me” to realize my “vision.”

She points to the fact that vendors are not upfront with their pricing as the main reason for her frustration. This has become a significant issue for others as well.

On the other hand, wedding vendors I know tell me that their biggest frustration is dealing with more demanding clients. Some have openly admitted to raising prices as a result. I sure this might include some florists as well.

This video cracks me up, but it shows what some people think wedding vendors (florists included ) do all the time.

How we decided to address the pricing issue

In my experience, the key to successfully working with brides is managing expectations, and that starts at the initial contact.

Since most brides begin researching florists online, it made sense to us to provide not only information about ourselves and our wedding services, but our pricing information as well. That way, couples can decide whether we are a good and/or affordable fit for them before proceeding further.

At our shop, most of the couples whose wedding flowers we do are referred to us by family, friends, or other couples we’ve worked with in the past. This is true of most other florists, too.

But even though these couples are predisposed to working with us, I think it was still a good idea for us to clearly post our prices and policies. It lets couples know what to expect before they visit our store or meet with them for the first time. And it allows them compare prices without any sales pressure.

Frankly, when we decided to post our prices and policies, I was concerned that it might have a negative effect on our wedding business.

Actually, that hasn’t happened. We are now getting more organized and well prepared wedding clients, with some reserving dates as far as 10-15 months out.

It’s become a win-win situation for both our clients and our shop. If you want to take a look at what we’re up to, you can visit our wedding site here.

Do florists charge more for wedding flowers? is a post from: Milwaukee Florist Greenfield Flower Shop's Blog

Royal Wedding Books Top the Bestsellers List Within Hours

Greg Johnson — Wed, 04 May 2011 14:28:01 +0000

Since I’m always on the lookout for new wedding books to draw ideas from for wedding flowers, I knew that after the Royal Wedding there would be plenty of new material hitting the bookstore shelves soon. Well, I guess the wait’s over!

Image via nowmagazine.co.uk

Without a doubt, this bridal bouquet will be featured in many of the top wedding books for years to come.

Monday night, I happened to catch this video segment on Access Hollywood about the the royal wedding that shows how quickly a book or magazine can be published and brought to market, using today’s technology. Even I was amazed at how fast this can actually happen. Just a matter of getting your ducks in a row, and making it happen.

On Tuesday morning, I checked the bestselling wedding books list on Amazon, only to find that two books on the Royal Wedding were already ranked in the top 10! (#1 and #3 at the time!) If you care to check for yourself, the list is here: Planning a Wedding by the Book

Royal Wedding Books Top the Bestsellers List Within Hours is a post from: Milwaukee Florist Greenfield Flower Shop's Blog