Realistic estimates on video, limos & flowers

Hi, Fi & I are at that point in our planning where it's time to start shopping around for video, limos & flowers. Before we start, wanted to get a realistic idea how much these items usually go for. For limos, we will need two stretch limos and one '47 Caddy for us. For flowers, we want to do roses; 1 bride bouquet, 7 bridesmaids' bouquets, 1 flowergirl basket or pomander(spelled right?), 8 boutonierres, 4 or 5 corsages(all bouquets will be small & round). Any ideas? Thanks, Helen

Before you start...

prioritize which is most important to you, and where you`d like to spend a little more in your budget if you need to in order to get what you want without sacrificing quality or quantity. That`s not to say you won`t get good things at bargain prices .. you`ll find some along the way, and will find what`s considered to you to be good deals. But you also need to plan for what items you`d be willing to spend a little more on. Limos are pretty standard in price. If I recall correctly .. since we did this six months ago ... you should be able to get a Rolls for $350 and two stretch Lincolns for $325 each for three hours of service. You should be able to get this for about $1000, but probably less. Video is tough. This really depends on what you want. I`ve seen videos go for more than $4,000 .. that`s two camera coverage and edited almost as if it were a "Wedding Stories" type show. If you`re looking for just basic coverage, $1500, in my opinion, would get you a decent package. For your flowers, are you going to need table centerpieces and flowers to decorate the church as well? Flowers are another item that range from place to place, and will depend on your preferences of shops. $2000 might be a generous, safe estimate without centerpieces, etc.

I agree with Kel 100%! *NM*

Before you start...

We actually did our flowers for just over $2000 and that included really nice centerpieces for 18 tables, plus alter flowers, cake flowers, pew bows and the flowers for the bridal party and family, although we did not need quite as many corsages and bouquets that Springbride needs, so you can keep flowers in that price range including centerpieces if you need to.

Before you start...

I agree, prioritize. Also think about what is worth spending money on (for you). My husband and I didn't care much about flowers, we figured they would die in a week, so we kept the centerpieces the hall provided & spent more on photography. Didn't do video, but spent more on the honeymoon, and so on. The one thing you should remember: ALMOST EVERYTHING IS NEGOTIABLE. Negotaite everything. The worst that can happen is they'll say no. Usually, you'll end up getting a deal!