Do i actually need vip florals?

We skipped them, but the parents didn’t care. If either of the moms had really wanted them, I would’ve forked over the money in a heartbeat, but when we approached them and said we were thinking of skipping corsages , they both were totally indifferent.

I'd say you can skip them, but if you're doing boutonnieres for the dads then you should do corsages for the moms at the very least. While it seems silly I can understand your mom being upset that your dad gets a boutonniere but she can't have a corsage.

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I feel like FMIL wouldn't miss them, and my step mom would never ask for them (but I also would feel horrible skipping her if my mom and FMIL got them). I don't know how important they are to my mom, unfortunately.

You don't literally NEED them, of course. And though I am usually a fan of whoever is paying gets to decide how the money is spent (and abandoning "traditions" that don't matter to you), I do think corsages and boutonnieres for the parents are a really nice gesture for those that want them. In the grand scheme of all wedding spending, it's a pretty small amount.

If you're going to give them to other people not standing up (FFIL, groomsmen), i would get them for your parents too. Otherwise, stick to standing wedding party, and father who takes an active roll in ceremony.

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Hm, you make a good point about those that want them. I'll talk to my mom again and see what she's thinking. Yes, in the grand scheme of things $200 isn't a huge drop in the bucket, but I'm really trying to squeeze as much out in as many places as possible 😅 Her sisters have gotten them at my cousins' weddings, so I think that's part of it too. Thank you!

I don't know about your area but corsages at the grocery stores in California run about 20$ each and can be stuck in your fridge 1-2 days before and still be fresh

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So my dad isn't actually walking me down the aisle and we're walking each other down. So if we nixed the groomsmen boutonnieres, we'd also nix the dad boutonnieres and just get two - one for FH and one for the officiant. The groomsmen don't care about the boutonnieres either way, so just something for us to think about.

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Which is actually also something I was considering! There's a local floral shop that does elopement florals (pre-designed, order up to two months in advance, they'll deliver if you need them to) and I love some of their designs, so I'm also playing with the idea of getting the corsages from them for cost savings. Thank you for this piece of advice!

They are not required but people see them as traditional and a way to set those people apart.


If mom wants them, is she willing to pay for them herself? The other option is getting a bouquet from Costco or the grocery store (you can a price quote for wedding florals there too) and make your own with any of the million tutorials on YouTube. A bouquet plus supplies will cost $30-40 for everything to make all the corsages they want.

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Oooh this is also a great idea! Unfortunately, since we're travelling for the wedding, we're really trying to avoid having to DIY any of the florals if we can help it. There are so many little things that are making me wish we weren't doing a destination wedding and this is turning into one of them 😅

Maybe talk to your mom and ask why it’s so important to her. My daughter just got married a few weeks ago and when I found out much they were I told her to forget it. I didn’t need something like that for people to know I was the mother of the bride. If it’s that important to her maybe she will pay for them.

I would probably just skip the corsages and boutonnieres altogether if I were you. You don't seem to really need or want them and the cost is obviously a stress factor for you. Have you talked finances with your mom, does she know that her "extras" are springing your budget? She may not be aware of how much everything costs these days, my FMIL came up with "fun ideas" all the time until we sat her down and had an honest discussion about our budget and what is really important to us (good food, good alcohol and good music - everything else are extras). It was actually a really good talk and I feel like she's calmed down now that she's got a clearer picture of what we want (and what we are ready to pay for).

Try checking out Ling's Moment on Amazon! That is where I got the corsages, boutonnieres, and bouquets! They are fake flowers of course, but they look GREAT! So, it's something everyone can keep forever if they want lol. I saved myself like $600 I think for flowers. The only real flowers I am doing is my bouquet and my FH's boutonniere