Florist Shares Screenshots Of Conversation With Rude Bride That Expected Her To Work For Exposure
It’s one of the most monumental occasions in a person’s life – their wedding – but unfortunately, it can also be one of the priciest, all for those Instagram worthy shots. According to The Knot’s 2017 Real Weddings Study, Americans spend, on average, $33,391 on their weddings, and that doesn’t even include the amount they spend on an engagement ring. Well, one woman found out a bit too late in her wedding planning process just what one of these decadent occasions can set you back.
In an Imgur post, someone shared screenshots of an interaction between a bride and a florist “negotiating” the price of some floral centerpieces and it’s safe to say the conversation did not go how either of them thought it would.
A bride tried to get a florist to ‘negotiate’ her prices for her wedding and things got pretty thorny pretty fast
The conversation started out simple enough with the bride sending some inspiration photos to see if the florist would be up to the task. The woman ‘Mimi’ sounded happy to take on the request and even gave her an estimate of $18 per foot for the table garlands.
The bride was thrown off by the pricing, so ‘Mimi’ was happy to give her a cost break-down. For 8 foot handmade garlands, it would take her three and a half hours to complete and for all 18 tables the bride had requested – 80 hours in total. Los Angeles wedding planner Tessa Lyn Brand of Tessa Lyn Events told Bride magazine she has seen wedding flower budgets as high as $75,000 and recommends allotting 10 percent of your overall budget to flowers as a good rule of thumb.
Soon it was clear to the florist that the bride was not intending to pay her, with the excuse that she had already spent $10,000 on her other wedding expenses. While it is not specified at what stage in the planning she is contacting Mimi, it appears it is late enough she had not thought about her flower budget. The Wedding Wire recommends hiring your wedding florist at least eight months before your wedding day.
As you can imagine 80 hours of work for no pay is not something that any sane person would agree to, so the florist politely declined the offer. The average cost of wedding flowers in the U.S. is around $1,400 with most couples spending between $700 and $2,500, according to The Wedding Wire.
Other creatives shared in the florists frustration
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"flowers is the last things I need" Looks like you are lucky, it will be a wedding without flowers for you!
Some grammar lessons are what she really needs!
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People should start appreciating handwork. And really acknowledge, that handcraft isn't only the materials, but firstly the time and commitment. That's what you pay for. Just like you are paid for your work (your time and effort).
The time, the commitment and the most important ingredient: the skill. It can take a person many years to become skilled in certain crafts. It's a long training that requires a lot of technical knowledge and thousands of hours of practice. I'm a really clumsy person so I really admire people who can create beautiful things out of basic materials, from florists, to people who decorate cakes, or embroider, or thousands of different professionals.
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I had the opposite situation. I got married in '89. My mom introduced me to a retired judge who became a florist and was a friend from her church. He came it meet my husband and me and asked what we wanted. We had no clue. I didn't even want a wedding, I wanted to elope. So I said this is how much I have just do whatever you'd like with that budget. He said that's a little low and I said it's truly all we have left., it was $1,500. We were having a small, intimate wedding, I didn't want or need thousands of dollars worth of flowers. All I can say is the guy went above and beyond. He made these huge flower balls on pedestals that were about 6 feet across. He put pearls in every tiny white lily in my bouquet, he made my wedding so elegant. I cried when I saw his work, it was stunning. I felt bad we didn't have more money to give him but he didn't care. He stayed and partied with us to our delight. A few weeks later he died of AIDS :(
What a sweetheart he was! He wanted you to have something really special for your wedding and he made it happen. I’m sure he enjoyed doing it for you.
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When the wedding is the most important thing in your life (instead of the actual marriage) it's doomed to fail. She's going to be a high-maintenance wife!
You can't afford a wedding? Well, don't have a wedding. We eloped and spent $20 on flowers. It was a bouquet that I bought from a bodega the night before.
One commenters say that 10k is a 'cheap' wedding? That is strange. I was married once and the whole wedding budget was less than 300 Euros. Better idea is to have cheap wedding and spare money for more important stuff.
Problem is, if you live your life trying to keep up with the Joneses, you need a more lavish and expensive wedding than your sisters/friends/neighbours/workmates... Weddings should be a special day to enjoy with family and friends, but the have become the occasion to show off how much you can spend.
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Poor florist lady. Her initial responses are so detailed, it seems to me this must happen to her all the time. This bride was asking someone she didn't even know to work for free, yikes. How self centered can a person get? "You'll get exposure!" The fact you are reaching out to her means that she's already got exposure, probably from the advertising she has *gasp* PAID FOR!
Do these people think they're Beyonce or something? They are literal nobodies, so their "exposure" means absolutely s**t
...in Los Angeles. I am not the least bit surprised by this.
Load More Replies... I once participated in a gallery show where the "organizer" handed out a suggested pricing list for exhibitors. The suggestions were based on the cost of materials used to create pieces, with a standard industry markup for reselling those materials. When I mentioned to the organizer that the "artist" element (labor, cost of education, craftwork, and artistic talent, to name a few) was missing from the calculations, it was strongly suggested I stick to the list if I wanted to see any sales. I did not, and my pricing was much, much higher than the suggestions. I was also the ONLY exhibitor to actually make any sales :) The lesson here is to NEVER underestimate the value of the creative/artistic/talent element of your creations, for they are the main reason buyers seek you out!
The flowers at my wedding was 0 $. My sweet mom and her neighbors picked flowers from their own gardens and laid them out on the tables. It was simple and absolutely beautiful. Honestly, I never gave it a thought myself. All I cared about was marrying the man I loved. And having my family and friends there to celebrate with me. A wedding should be about the love, not about the spendings.
Same here--tho we did pay about $30 total for our flowers. My bouquet plus my husbands boutonniere. But then those are prices from nearly 25 years ago.
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And here I sit, googling how to DIY paper flowers myself so I don't need to pay an arm and a leg for my wedding... Greedy b***h... 10k for a wedding?! Thats ridiculous (or is that just the German inmy talking)...
I bought my flowers off eBay. I got my bouquet, 2 bridesmaids bouquets, 3 buttonholes, free hair clips added and postage for $240.00. They were artificial frangipanis but decent quality. I rang some florists and the cheapest frangipani bouquet was going to cost me $250 on its own. My wedding only cost around $5000 including my dress, rings etc.
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Worked for five years as a Concierge at a Five star hotel, we catered for weddings that pretty much started around £15,000 and went up from there, our florist did the vast majority of the weddings and on plenty of occasions the couples asked if we’d ‘throw the flowers in with the deal’, a polite but firm no was the answer. Our florist spent years learning her craft, brought a huge amount of experience and knowledge to the work she did and we’d never dream of giving her services away for nothing. It’s an insult to expect that to be given away for free! If you can’t do the wedding you want for the budget you have then something has to give, you either up your budget or you cut down your wedding. You wouldn’t work for free so don’t expect others to do so just because it’s your big day.
I'm an artist and I get this all the time. Specifically, I'm a scenic artist, working on painting sets for theater. I'm continually asked to work for free. "Oh, but think of how many people will see your work!" or "we don't pay our techs". Yeah, that's probably why your sets look like the actors painted them. I'm a professional, I went to college to learn how to do what I do on top of being born with artistic talent. But, oh yeah that talent that I'm born with should be shared for free. If I was born with a talent for numbers, would you expect me to do your accounting for free? It has more to do with the value that people place on the service, and most people don't consider creative work to be of much value in our society. Hmmm, that kinda turned into a rant, didn't it.
Trust me, people ask for free accounting help all the time.
Load More Replies... $18 a foot seems really reasonable though. It’s not anyone’s fault that lady wanted a ridiculous amount of it. How trashy do you have to be to tell someone they should slave for you. Gross.
How rude! The price is the price for a reason. Expecting her to do all that work for free is utterly ridiculous. Pretty sure she won't be getting "exposure" If you're that broke you can't afford even a $10,000 wedding, then you don't get one princess
EVEN? Wow. Elope--or get married at City Hall. The MARRIAGE is what matters. Not the wedding and party after.
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I use to be a wedding photographer. I cannot tell you how many people think you should work for exposure. The thing is it is not the bride who give the photos to vendors. It is the photographer who does.
Calling her ma'am was more than kind. I gotta pocketful of titles I could've hurled at her.
The wedding industry is just as bad as healthcare. Go buy real flowers for the church and the bride's boque (my spelling sucks). Then buy fake flowers from Hobby Lobby or somewhere. You'll save yourself money. And if you're worried about what people think, you're focusing on the wrong things.
IF she did NOT care what other think--she would just get married at City Hall, or in her Church. As IF she attends.
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Bored Panda has stories like this almost daily, and you'd think they got old. More to the point, the poor exploited sods are always graphic designers or "creatives" of some ilk. Guess what, other professions have s****y clients too. And exploiting clients, and monstrous clients and criminal clients. Ever heard of a plumber or a programmer complaining that their customer want them to work for free? It happens just as regularly, they just whine a lot less.
I had the same thoughts. Yes, obviously the customer was out of line, but is it really worth complaining to the whole world about it? Lots of people have unrealistic expectations. Educate them where you can and move on.
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Maybe she should get edible flowers and not serve a main course?
Actually, I thought $18 a foot was extremely cheap for L.A. Sure, I'm not going to spend thousands on flowers myself, but honestly I automatically assumed that the price for each garland would be WAY more than $18 per foot. That's a wedding flower bargain, if you ask me!
Same! I’m not even spending $500 on my wedding flowers but $18 a foot sounds reasonable for garland. It’s very nice looking.
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I would have said... "Tell you what. .... You pay for your wedding, and in a couple years, I'll do the flowers for your divorce for free." The bride sounds like a horrible person.
Florist should also have said, "Exposure doesn't pay my bills, buy my groceries or pay my rent."
Being a creative worker and creating candles/soaps/etc for a living, I always get people wanting free samples or trying to talk down my prices, claiming that it will be "good exposure". My response almost always goes along the lines of this: Me: Do you get to fill your car paying with 'exposure?" Them: No, but... Me: Can you pay your electrical bill with 'exposure'? Them: No, but... Me: Can you pay for your groceries or other utilities with 'exposure'? Them: No, but... Me: Then why do you think you can get away with offering 'exposure' to me in place of actual currency? I need to pay for these things, same as you - and this is my job.
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10 grand? For one dinner just so you can divorce in 5 years? What a waste
The funny thing here is that the arrangements on the tables aren't garlands. They are two arrangements set close together. These would probably cost her 60-120 depending on the size and flowers each contain. It's still pricey but probably more affordable.
I make jewelry, circlets &head pieces as well as other items such as seashell tiaras. Which not surprising are very popular especially with beach weddings or mermaid themed weddings. I had two brides contact me in the same month both wanting seashell tiaras w/crystals and pearls . I made two of the most incredibly stunning tiaras both different and unique. But this was when my ‘business was in early states of development (2years ago) back then I made custom items in advanced before getting paid. I was paying upfront for cost of materials after getting burned by people who where no more than (window shopping) for custom made items and saying oh I can’t afford to pay now I’ll get you next month but they never paid. I literally only charged. $40 for my 5 hours labor & material cost only. About $100 they never paid. I eventually sold both crown within 9 months to two completely different brides for $250 each. VALUE YOUR WORK OR NO ONE ELSE WILL! A7838BE7-D...a-jpeg.jpg 
who asks a stranger to work for free? that would never even cross my mind
more of a reason why wedding are the most ridiculous and stupid traditions our society holds onto... good though if you know how to profit from them. I'm an officient and believe me I am good at predicting their lives together based on what I observe happen
Exposure does not pay the bills!! What a rude, entitled bridezilla!
Wow, some people feel so entitled. One thing that pisses me off though is with many florists, cake makers, caterers etc, Charge more if their service is for a wedding. Doesn’t matter if it would be the same service as a birthday, anniversary etc. They hear the word wedding and “Ca-Ching $$” So take note everyone, if you want a cake, flowers etc for your wedding, don’t tell them it’s for a wedding. Also over $30,000 for a wedding, holy s**t. That is a house deposit.
I suspect that's because weddings come with a host of additional issues they have to deal with that other events don't... like entitled bridezillas.
Load More Replies... No one should have to work for free. You spent $10,000 on a wedding and didn’t budget in flowers? So your dress was $5,000? Food/venue $5,000? You need to budget and save and pay people!!
She should ask the bride what she does for a living, and then ask her if she would be happy to work for two weeks for no pay... just to help out her boss get more 'exposure' and then see how she feels.
Hi! My name is Mimi Gomez & I’m the floral designer in the exchange who posted this on imgur to post in reddit. Not sure how people can just add this to their sites without saying anything but it’s probably because I posted this to an open forum which I understand. Anyway, my business page is @ desertnectr on Instagram if anyone wants to actually have a look at my work or perhaps even support it. Thanks for all the kind comments everyone :)
We didn't have a lot (or really anything) to spend on flowers, so we went to the flower market, and bought them and arranged them ourselves. They were lovely, not professional, but we liked them. We got unusual flowers and kept the arrangements simple. It was lovely.
In this world of cheap, mass-produced, people don't appreciate handiwork and artistry. I get that, but asking a professional a question like that is beyond rude.
My hubby is an amateur photographer who was part of a group called SPA in Seattle. That's ALL he ever did - it's called a TFP (trade for portfolio) he gets credit and the model in question gets great pics. She poses (much harder than it looks, I assure you. Imagine standing, sucking in your stomach and twisting ever so slightly for an hour or two), but he's the one who has to spend HOURS photoshopping out the recent acne breakout, the fact she forgot to have her brows/eyelashes/mustache attended to, etc. It's usually a total b******t equation.
On our way to get married at San Francisco City Hall (on the same spot where Joe DiMaggio married Marilyn Monroe) my bride and I stooped to buy two roses fashioned from bicycle inner tubes from a punk girl sitting on the sidewalk. She was asking $3 each or 2 for $5 which we were happy to pay. But when she heard we were on our way to get married she refused to take our money. The black rubber flowers have long outlasted our marriage but we each still have one.
I seriously do not understand why people think they are so special and people should work for free. I am a travel concierge and I deal with the same type of people looking for "deals" or just wasting my time.
I think people like that needs to sit down and learn what you do and then they will understand, Someone I know bought a lot of yarn and brought it to me, and said I bought yarn so you can mae twin blankets for my twin grand daughters, Ugly colors I said fine that will be 50 bucks in advance, she said I bought the yarns why so much I said laber and hours doing it, she left someone told me she tried to take the yarn back it was on clearance so now she got 20 skeins of ugly yarn.
If you don't have a budget for flowers, don't pick an elaborate display from a magazine and expect a stranger to donate a half month's salary to your big day.
What an entitled little b**ch! I spent $20,000 on my wedding. $2000 of that was floral. $180 a table is a great deal! Maybe she should have a smaller wedding if she wants to go that fancy. Sounds like some grocery store bouquets would be more in her budget lol
What about musicians? I have spent literally decades studying with teachers and coaches and have gone through seven years of college and graduate school. And brides think I should sing for free because it's a God-given talent? Nope. If they want their cousin who sings slightly off-key, then they should have them. But if they want a professional who can sing anything with musicality and professionalism, then pay the price!
This happens a LOT in the freelance world - not just with florists. "Can you create this 10-page website for me? I can't pay, but it'll be great exposure for you!" (Right...let me put aside my PAYING CLIENTS and get right on that...) "I need you to do this 3-person project on your own - it'll take 6 weeks and I'll pay you when it's done" (um...NO.) "I'll be sure to refer you to all my colleagues if you do this for me for free." (sure...so THEY get they idea I work for free as well?)
The bride will be divorced before year TWO. My husband and I spent less than $1500 on our wedding 25 years ago. A new off the strip New England style Chapel had opened. We went ALONE. Had a wonderful time. Spent our funds on our new HOME. Had no need to impress anyone. Never have. Perhaps THAT is one of the many reasons we are still married,and in love. Being KIND to all we deal with--everyday.
People these days have a significantly over-inflated opinion of their own influence on social media. Same thing that's held true for centuries holds true now; nobody thinks as much of you and you do. This bridezilla can go pick and weave her own damn weeds if she's too cheap to pay a professional for professional level work.
I would have retorted with "You can pay me back by feeding my kids and taking them to school while you negotiate my electricity bill and water bill with my creditors. Because obviously you think that me making nothing for doing my job is ok...so maybe you can convince my creditors that they should be grateful that I can't pay my bills, feed my kids or pay for even gas because you think I'd be better off with the 'exposure.'"
I applaud how the florist responded to this delusional bridezila. I honestly don't know if I would have been able to be half as composed in text as they were.
As crazy as that lady was to think she’d do it just for free usually the person who does in these articles goes off the rails. Like fine your flowers suck and I hope you blah blah blah
Why are brides like this you say? Well mostly internet articles about how to have a wedding on the cheap, how to get a cheap photographer etc. They have no idea how much training or that you have over 15k invested in photography equipment.
I would rather not have the expensive wedding at all and be able to buy flowers to my heart's delight!
The only people I do cost and no labor fee for are family (I'm an IT Analyst / Technician / Engineer) ... everybody else, here's my invoice ...
BP loves a good bride / wedding shaming lol. I think this one is real though
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I always click on articles like this, read them, and then immediately regret it. We live in a "shame them, ruin their life" kind of world now and it's sad if you think about it.
Agreed. This lady had some silly expectations and even though she was civil enough people want to lynch her.
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People like this entitled twat are exactly why I gave up writing bespoke poetry. Exposure does not pay my rent nor feed my child.
Actually, you two are probably a lot alike. The lady in the post had some wrong expectations about the cost of flowers and what a florist charges for. You have some questionable expectations about being able to make a living in the 21st century as a ‘bespoke poet’. Expectations make us do all kinds of crazy things.
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was this really entire post worthy? the florist was more impolite than the customer and the whole thing seemed like she purposefully orchestrated it merely to share it to make herself the victim or advertise her business. the customer was polite enough, didn't swear at her or say anything personal, she was just misguided about the cost of flowers, and yeah it was wrong to expect people to work for free, buy why does every single f*****g interaction with customers have to go online so the rest of the world can shame them. why can't you just tell them that's not how it works, and that's the end of it?
"flowers is the last things I need" Looks like you are lucky, it will be a wedding without flowers for you!
Some grammar lessons are what she really needs!
Load More Replies... People should start appreciating handwork. And really acknowledge, that handcraft isn't only the materials, but firstly the time and commitment. That's what you pay for. Just like you are paid for your work (your time and effort).
The time, the commitment and the most important ingredient: the skill. It can take a person many years to become skilled in certain crafts. It's a long training that requires a lot of technical knowledge and thousands of hours of practice. I'm a really clumsy person so I really admire people who can create beautiful things out of basic materials, from florists, to people who decorate cakes, or embroider, or thousands of different professionals.
Load More Replies... I had the opposite situation. I got married in '89. My mom introduced me to a retired judge who became a florist and was a friend from her church. He came it meet my husband and me and asked what we wanted. We had no clue. I didn't even want a wedding, I wanted to elope. So I said this is how much I have just do whatever you'd like with that budget. He said that's a little low and I said it's truly all we have left., it was $1,500. We were having a small, intimate wedding, I didn't want or need thousands of dollars worth of flowers. All I can say is the guy went above and beyond. He made these huge flower balls on pedestals that were about 6 feet across. He put pearls in every tiny white lily in my bouquet, he made my wedding so elegant. I cried when I saw his work, it was stunning. I felt bad we didn't have more money to give him but he didn't care. He stayed and partied with us to our delight. A few weeks later he died of AIDS :(
What a sweetheart he was! He wanted you to have something really special for your wedding and he made it happen. I’m sure he enjoyed doing it for you.
Load More Replies... When the wedding is the most important thing in your life (instead of the actual marriage) it's doomed to fail. She's going to be a high-maintenance wife!
You can't afford a wedding? Well, don't have a wedding. We eloped and spent $20 on flowers. It was a bouquet that I bought from a bodega the night before.
One commenters say that 10k is a 'cheap' wedding? That is strange. I was married once and the whole wedding budget was less than 300 Euros. Better idea is to have cheap wedding and spare money for more important stuff.
Problem is, if you live your life trying to keep up with the Joneses, you need a more lavish and expensive wedding than your sisters/friends/neighbours/workmates... Weddings should be a special day to enjoy with family and friends, but the have become the occasion to show off how much you can spend.
Load More Replies... Poor florist lady. Her initial responses are so detailed, it seems to me this must happen to her all the time. This bride was asking someone she didn't even know to work for free, yikes. How self centered can a person get? "You'll get exposure!" The fact you are reaching out to her means that she's already got exposure, probably from the advertising she has *gasp* PAID FOR!
Do these people think they're Beyonce or something? They are literal nobodies, so their "exposure" means absolutely s**t
...in Los Angeles. I am not the least bit surprised by this.
Load More Replies... I once participated in a gallery show where the "organizer" handed out a suggested pricing list for exhibitors. The suggestions were based on the cost of materials used to create pieces, with a standard industry markup for reselling those materials. When I mentioned to the organizer that the "artist" element (labor, cost of education, craftwork, and artistic talent, to name a few) was missing from the calculations, it was strongly suggested I stick to the list if I wanted to see any sales. I did not, and my pricing was much, much higher than the suggestions. I was also the ONLY exhibitor to actually make any sales :) The lesson here is to NEVER underestimate the value of the creative/artistic/talent element of your creations, for they are the main reason buyers seek you out!
The flowers at my wedding was 0 $. My sweet mom and her neighbors picked flowers from their own gardens and laid them out on the tables. It was simple and absolutely beautiful. Honestly, I never gave it a thought myself. All I cared about was marrying the man I loved. And having my family and friends there to celebrate with me. A wedding should be about the love, not about the spendings.
Same here--tho we did pay about $30 total for our flowers. My bouquet plus my husbands boutonniere. But then those are prices from nearly 25 years ago.
Load More Replies... And here I sit, googling how to DIY paper flowers myself so I don't need to pay an arm and a leg for my wedding... Greedy b***h... 10k for a wedding?! Thats ridiculous (or is that just the German inmy talking)...
I bought my flowers off eBay. I got my bouquet, 2 bridesmaids bouquets, 3 buttonholes, free hair clips added and postage for $240.00. They were artificial frangipanis but decent quality. I rang some florists and the cheapest frangipani bouquet was going to cost me $250 on its own. My wedding only cost around $5000 including my dress, rings etc.
Load More Replies... Worked for five years as a Concierge at a Five star hotel, we catered for weddings that pretty much started around £15,000 and went up from there, our florist did the vast majority of the weddings and on plenty of occasions the couples asked if we’d ‘throw the flowers in with the deal’, a polite but firm no was the answer. Our florist spent years learning her craft, brought a huge amount of experience and knowledge to the work she did and we’d never dream of giving her services away for nothing. It’s an insult to expect that to be given away for free! If you can’t do the wedding you want for the budget you have then something has to give, you either up your budget or you cut down your wedding. You wouldn’t work for free so don’t expect others to do so just because it’s your big day.
I'm an artist and I get this all the time. Specifically, I'm a scenic artist, working on painting sets for theater. I'm continually asked to work for free. "Oh, but think of how many people will see your work!" or "we don't pay our techs". Yeah, that's probably why your sets look like the actors painted them. I'm a professional, I went to college to learn how to do what I do on top of being born with artistic talent. But, oh yeah that talent that I'm born with should be shared for free. If I was born with a talent for numbers, would you expect me to do your accounting for free? It has more to do with the value that people place on the service, and most people don't consider creative work to be of much value in our society. Hmmm, that kinda turned into a rant, didn't it.
Trust me, people ask for free accounting help all the time.
Load More Replies... $18 a foot seems really reasonable though. It’s not anyone’s fault that lady wanted a ridiculous amount of it. How trashy do you have to be to tell someone they should slave for you. Gross.
How rude! The price is the price for a reason. Expecting her to do all that work for free is utterly ridiculous. Pretty sure she won't be getting "exposure" If you're that broke you can't afford even a $10,000 wedding, then you don't get one princess
EVEN? Wow. Elope--or get married at City Hall. The MARRIAGE is what matters. Not the wedding and party after.
Load More Replies... I use to be a wedding photographer. I cannot tell you how many people think you should work for exposure. The thing is it is not the bride who give the photos to vendors. It is the photographer who does.
Calling her ma'am was more than kind. I gotta pocketful of titles I could've hurled at her.
The wedding industry is just as bad as healthcare. Go buy real flowers for the church and the bride's boque (my spelling sucks). Then buy fake flowers from Hobby Lobby or somewhere. You'll save yourself money. And if you're worried about what people think, you're focusing on the wrong things.
IF she did NOT care what other think--she would just get married at City Hall, or in her Church. As IF she attends.
Load More Replies... Bored Panda has stories like this almost daily, and you'd think they got old. More to the point, the poor exploited sods are always graphic designers or "creatives" of some ilk. Guess what, other professions have s****y clients too. And exploiting clients, and monstrous clients and criminal clients. Ever heard of a plumber or a programmer complaining that their customer want them to work for free? It happens just as regularly, they just whine a lot less.
I had the same thoughts. Yes, obviously the customer was out of line, but is it really worth complaining to the whole world about it? Lots of people have unrealistic expectations. Educate them where you can and move on.
Load More Replies... Maybe she should get edible flowers and not serve a main course?
Actually, I thought $18 a foot was extremely cheap for L.A. Sure, I'm not going to spend thousands on flowers myself, but honestly I automatically assumed that the price for each garland would be WAY more than $18 per foot. That's a wedding flower bargain, if you ask me!
Same! I’m not even spending $500 on my wedding flowers but $18 a foot sounds reasonable for garland. It’s very nice looking.
Load More Replies... I would have said... "Tell you what. .... You pay for your wedding, and in a couple years, I'll do the flowers for your divorce for free." The bride sounds like a horrible person.
Florist should also have said, "Exposure doesn't pay my bills, buy my groceries or pay my rent."
Being a creative worker and creating candles/soaps/etc for a living, I always get people wanting free samples or trying to talk down my prices, claiming that it will be "good exposure". My response almost always goes along the lines of this: Me: Do you get to fill your car paying with 'exposure?" Them: No, but... Me: Can you pay your electrical bill with 'exposure'? Them: No, but... Me: Can you pay for your groceries or other utilities with 'exposure'? Them: No, but... Me: Then why do you think you can get away with offering 'exposure' to me in place of actual currency? I need to pay for these things, same as you - and this is my job.
Load More Replies... 10 grand? For one dinner just so you can divorce in 5 years? What a waste
The funny thing here is that the arrangements on the tables aren't garlands. They are two arrangements set close together. These would probably cost her 60-120 depending on the size and flowers each contain. It's still pricey but probably more affordable.
I make jewelry, circlets &head pieces as well as other items such as seashell tiaras. Which not surprising are very popular especially with beach weddings or mermaid themed weddings. I had two brides contact me in the same month both wanting seashell tiaras w/crystals and pearls . I made two of the most incredibly stunning tiaras both different and unique. But this was when my ‘business was in early states of development (2years ago) back then I made custom items in advanced before getting paid. I was paying upfront for cost of materials after getting burned by people who where no more than (window shopping) for custom made items and saying oh I can’t afford to pay now I’ll get you next month but they never paid. I literally only charged. $40 for my 5 hours labor & material cost only. About $100 they never paid. I eventually sold both crown within 9 months to two completely different brides for $250 each. VALUE YOUR WORK OR NO ONE ELSE WILL! A7838BE7-D...a-jpeg.jpg
who asks a stranger to work for free? that would never even cross my mind
more of a reason why wedding are the most ridiculous and stupid traditions our society holds onto... good though if you know how to profit from them. I'm an officient and believe me I am good at predicting their lives together based on what I observe happen
Exposure does not pay the bills!! What a rude, entitled bridezilla!
Wow, some people feel so entitled. One thing that pisses me off though is with many florists, cake makers, caterers etc, Charge more if their service is for a wedding. Doesn’t matter if it would be the same service as a birthday, anniversary etc. They hear the word wedding and “Ca-Ching $$” So take note everyone, if you want a cake, flowers etc for your wedding, don’t tell them it’s for a wedding. Also over $30,000 for a wedding, holy s**t. That is a house deposit.
I suspect that's because weddings come with a host of additional issues they have to deal with that other events don't... like entitled bridezillas.
Load More Replies... No one should have to work for free. You spent $10,000 on a wedding and didn’t budget in flowers? So your dress was $5,000? Food/venue $5,000? You need to budget and save and pay people!!
She should ask the bride what she does for a living, and then ask her if she would be happy to work for two weeks for no pay... just to help out her boss get more 'exposure' and then see how she feels.
Hi! My name is Mimi Gomez & I’m the floral designer in the exchange who posted this on imgur to post in reddit. Not sure how people can just add this to their sites without saying anything but it’s probably because I posted this to an open forum which I understand. Anyway, my business page is @ desertnectr on Instagram if anyone wants to actually have a look at my work or perhaps even support it. Thanks for all the kind comments everyone :)
We didn't have a lot (or really anything) to spend on flowers, so we went to the flower market, and bought them and arranged them ourselves. They were lovely, not professional, but we liked them. We got unusual flowers and kept the arrangements simple. It was lovely.
In this world of cheap, mass-produced, people don't appreciate handiwork and artistry. I get that, but asking a professional a question like that is beyond rude.
My hubby is an amateur photographer who was part of a group called SPA in Seattle. That's ALL he ever did - it's called a TFP (trade for portfolio) he gets credit and the model in question gets great pics. She poses (much harder than it looks, I assure you. Imagine standing, sucking in your stomach and twisting ever so slightly for an hour or two), but he's the one who has to spend HOURS photoshopping out the recent acne breakout, the fact she forgot to have her brows/eyelashes/mustache attended to, etc. It's usually a total b******t equation.
On our way to get married at San Francisco City Hall (on the same spot where Joe DiMaggio married Marilyn Monroe) my bride and I stooped to buy two roses fashioned from bicycle inner tubes from a punk girl sitting on the sidewalk. She was asking $3 each or 2 for $5 which we were happy to pay. But when she heard we were on our way to get married she refused to take our money. The black rubber flowers have long outlasted our marriage but we each still have one.
I seriously do not understand why people think they are so special and people should work for free. I am a travel concierge and I deal with the same type of people looking for "deals" or just wasting my time.
I think people like that needs to sit down and learn what you do and then they will understand, Someone I know bought a lot of yarn and brought it to me, and said I bought yarn so you can mae twin blankets for my twin grand daughters, Ugly colors I said fine that will be 50 bucks in advance, she said I bought the yarns why so much I said laber and hours doing it, she left someone told me she tried to take the yarn back it was on clearance so now she got 20 skeins of ugly yarn.
If you don't have a budget for flowers, don't pick an elaborate display from a magazine and expect a stranger to donate a half month's salary to your big day.
What an entitled little b**ch! I spent $20,000 on my wedding. $2000 of that was floral. $180 a table is a great deal! Maybe she should have a smaller wedding if she wants to go that fancy. Sounds like some grocery store bouquets would be more in her budget lol
What about musicians? I have spent literally decades studying with teachers and coaches and have gone through seven years of college and graduate school. And brides think I should sing for free because it's a God-given talent? Nope. If they want their cousin who sings slightly off-key, then they should have them. But if they want a professional who can sing anything with musicality and professionalism, then pay the price!
This happens a LOT in the freelance world - not just with florists. "Can you create this 10-page website for me? I can't pay, but it'll be great exposure for you!" (Right...let me put aside my PAYING CLIENTS and get right on that...) "I need you to do this 3-person project on your own - it'll take 6 weeks and I'll pay you when it's done" (um...NO.) "I'll be sure to refer you to all my colleagues if you do this for me for free." (sure...so THEY get they idea I work for free as well?)
The bride will be divorced before year TWO. My husband and I spent less than $1500 on our wedding 25 years ago. A new off the strip New England style Chapel had opened. We went ALONE. Had a wonderful time. Spent our funds on our new HOME. Had no need to impress anyone. Never have. Perhaps THAT is one of the many reasons we are still married,and in love. Being KIND to all we deal with--everyday.
People these days have a significantly over-inflated opinion of their own influence on social media. Same thing that's held true for centuries holds true now; nobody thinks as much of you and you do. This bridezilla can go pick and weave her own damn weeds if she's too cheap to pay a professional for professional level work.
I would have retorted with "You can pay me back by feeding my kids and taking them to school while you negotiate my electricity bill and water bill with my creditors. Because obviously you think that me making nothing for doing my job is ok...so maybe you can convince my creditors that they should be grateful that I can't pay my bills, feed my kids or pay for even gas because you think I'd be better off with the 'exposure.'"
I applaud how the florist responded to this delusional bridezila. I honestly don't know if I would have been able to be half as composed in text as they were.
As crazy as that lady was to think she’d do it just for free usually the person who does in these articles goes off the rails. Like fine your flowers suck and I hope you blah blah blah
Why are brides like this you say? Well mostly internet articles about how to have a wedding on the cheap, how to get a cheap photographer etc. They have no idea how much training or that you have over 15k invested in photography equipment.
I would rather not have the expensive wedding at all and be able to buy flowers to my heart's delight!
The only people I do cost and no labor fee for are family (I'm an IT Analyst / Technician / Engineer) ... everybody else, here's my invoice ...
BP loves a good bride / wedding shaming lol. I think this one is real though
Load More Replies... I always click on articles like this, read them, and then immediately regret it. We live in a "shame them, ruin their life" kind of world now and it's sad if you think about it.
Agreed. This lady had some silly expectations and even though she was civil enough people want to lynch her.
Load More Replies... People like this entitled twat are exactly why I gave up writing bespoke poetry. Exposure does not pay my rent nor feed my child.
Actually, you two are probably a lot alike. The lady in the post had some wrong expectations about the cost of flowers and what a florist charges for. You have some questionable expectations about being able to make a living in the 21st century as a ‘bespoke poet’. Expectations make us do all kinds of crazy things.
Load More Replies... was this really entire post worthy? the florist was more impolite than the customer and the whole thing seemed like she purposefully orchestrated it merely to share it to make herself the victim or advertise her business. the customer was polite enough, didn't swear at her or say anything personal, she was just misguided about the cost of flowers, and yeah it was wrong to expect people to work for free, buy why does every single f*****g interaction with customers have to go online so the rest of the world can shame them. why can't you just tell them that's not how it works, and that's the end of it?
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