Has anyone done a low-cost branch centerpiece with birch branches and hanging votive candles? I have a bride on a budget that wants the look, but the manzanita costed out too high (shipping mainly kills the budget) Any ideas for a low cost alternative??
branch centepieces
- Thread starter Flore
- Start date
- Status
My great branch source is our local yard waste site. the village is constantly trimming trees. red twig dogwood, birch and if it isn't what I want I spray it(usually silver) I do a huge display out front at halloween with a giant tree branch and "votives" empty glass jars and make a "handle" out of heavy guage wire from the lumber co last year I used colored marbles in the jars so when cars would go by it gave glint of color.
Sarah Botchick
Well-Known Member
I just saw someone post pictures like this on my facebook page, sometime in the last week. Let me see if I can figure out who it was, and then maybe you can ask them where they got the branches... It was either Tracy Hill Park, or Robin at Spring City, or Mandy at Hothouse... let me work on this.
Sarah Botchick
Well-Known Member
hey thanks for saying you like my center pc... I got those manzanite branches from blooms and branches!1 love that place~ yes they are costly ~
artistry in bloom
New Member
I'm actually working on branch ceremony pieces at the moment. The bride sent me pictures of huge tree arrangments with hanging balls of roses but her budget was nothing like what they would have cost. I told her I could do something similar but on a much smaller scale . I am using my own lilac bushes which were almost 20 feet tall and really needed to be cut back.
The wedding isn't until 29 Aug. I have spray painted them a soft creamy pink and attached a few crystals but they won't be done up for several weeks.I'll try taking a picture but they look a little bare without the rose balls.
Dianne
The wedding isn't until 29 Aug. I have spray painted them a soft creamy pink and attached a few crystals but they won't be done up for several weeks.I'll try taking a picture but they look a little bare without the rose balls.
Dianne
I've done low cost willow branch arrangements with votives. We used a granier vase stuffed with willow with more further up so that it flared out. It worked very well for us and it was cheap!
source for branches
http://www.bloomsandbranches.com/index.html
don't know if you still need bracnhes but a bride game me this site and it appears to have fairly good pricing, and I think it sells wholesale as well.
http://www.bloomsandbranches.com/index.html
artistry in bloom
New Member
I have attached a picture of the lilac branches. These were 45 inches high. This is just a quick picture I took to show the bride before the wedding so it only has one flower ball. I had three flower balls for the wedding along with the crystals and they had two of the little trees for the ceremony. I won't have the good pictures from the photographer for ages but hopefully this will show you what you can do with just tree trimmings from your own yard .It did take a few cans of spray paint because the bride wanted a pale pink but other than that it was free.
Dianne
Dianne
Attachments
appleblossomstampa.com
New Member
I purchased my manzanita branches from a company in CA. Check them out at www.manzanita.com They were quite reasonable.
LORRIE
New Member
PM Sher, she did some awsome ones a few years ago for the Micosukee Indians here- I think there were 400 ctr pcs in all, simple but lovely. I got a chance to see them and they were really nice.
That is WAY cool I love it!! love the soft pink.. do you mind me asking what kinda price you got for that? and is it a rental??
artistry in bloom
New Member
Hi Tracy,
The bride wanted to keep them so it wasn't a rental in this case but I think I will do up some more for rentals in a larger container. My lilac tree was tall and huge so I still have a lot of branches left. My aunt saw it and has asked me to do one in white for Christmas and I might even do one for myself for Christmas with mini lights, crystals, and ornaments.
I really didn't know what to charge the bride since I'd never done one before .The branches were free but the cost came in the crystals( which are hard to see in the picture) ,the flower balls, the container, cement, glass ice, paint, etc not to mention the time it took.
I actually have bowls of chandelier crystals because I used to work on antique chandeliers when I had more time .I think if anyone wants to buy one again I will charge more next time but this time I charged $175 Canadian each.Sometimes I think thats a lot because the branches were free and I've had the crystals for years but other times I think there was a lot of work involved and if I would have had to buy the branches and crystals it wouldn't have been enough.
Anyway she was happy with the price and I was happy because I wanted to try it out and also because the wedding consultant at Hatley Castle was so happy with the florals that she has put me on their preferred supplier list which should mean more wedding work for me.
Dianne
The bride wanted to keep them so it wasn't a rental in this case but I think I will do up some more for rentals in a larger container. My lilac tree was tall and huge so I still have a lot of branches left. My aunt saw it and has asked me to do one in white for Christmas and I might even do one for myself for Christmas with mini lights, crystals, and ornaments.
I really didn't know what to charge the bride since I'd never done one before .The branches were free but the cost came in the crystals( which are hard to see in the picture) ,the flower balls, the container, cement, glass ice, paint, etc not to mention the time it took.
I actually have bowls of chandelier crystals because I used to work on antique chandeliers when I had more time .I think if anyone wants to buy one again I will charge more next time but this time I charged $175 Canadian each.Sometimes I think thats a lot because the branches were free and I've had the crystals for years but other times I think there was a lot of work involved and if I would have had to buy the branches and crystals it wouldn't have been enough.
Anyway she was happy with the price and I was happy because I wanted to try it out and also because the wedding consultant at Hatley Castle was so happy with the florals that she has put me on their preferred supplier list which should mean more wedding work for me.
Dianne
I have to ask why we make ourselves crazy trying to come up with a low cost solution for someone who "Wants the look" but doesn't want to pay for it? As Dianne pointed out, even with free branches there's a lot of work involved with this type of thing. And shouldn't the time spent scrambling through brush piles count for $$$? I think this is why people don't respect what florists do or feel like it's not worth monetary value - all that brain power, creativity, brush scrambling is worth something!
And don't get me wrong, I'm all about budget friendly solutions, but I see nothing wrong in saying "I'm sorry, but that's not in your price range" and offer an alternative. If crystal trees on every table is not affordable, what's wrong with suggesting a pair for the ceremony and something else for the tables.
I'm going through the same thing right now with a corporate client "who really wants to use" me, but won't tell me their budget. As a non-profit, I'm sure the budget is no budget but their wish list is specific and HUGE, so how much time and effort and creativity do I want to put into the proposal? It's all a fantasy at the moment.
Price things whatever way you need to in order to make money. Don't discount your energy, brain power, creativity. Nothing is "free". If other people can make money being cheaper, learn how they do it, or find your own way.
And don't get me wrong, I'm all about budget friendly solutions, but I see nothing wrong in saying "I'm sorry, but that's not in your price range" and offer an alternative. If crystal trees on every table is not affordable, what's wrong with suggesting a pair for the ceremony and something else for the tables.
I'm going through the same thing right now with a corporate client "who really wants to use" me, but won't tell me their budget. As a non-profit, I'm sure the budget is no budget but their wish list is specific and HUGE, so how much time and effort and creativity do I want to put into the proposal? It's all a fantasy at the moment.
Price things whatever way you need to in order to make money. Don't discount your energy, brain power, creativity. Nothing is "free". If other people can make money being cheaper, learn how they do it, or find your own way.
We're doing a large fund raiser event and also working with a limited budget. They have had to scale back because the $$$ just is not there, they certainly had grandiose plans though.
I had to laugh at the "scrambling through the brush pile" that's exactly what we are doing for this event. A 9' X 8' full branch arch and arrangements that include curly willow on 60 tables, it all has to be painted too.
Trish
I had to laugh at the "scrambling through the brush pile" that's exactly what we are doing for this event. A 9' X 8' full branch arch and arrangements that include curly willow on 60 tables, it all has to be painted too.
Trish
- Status