Parasol v. Bouquet for BM's - Costa Rica Budget Wedding

BDW ladies, I desperately need your help!  I am fairly new to the forums, I don't post often.  BUT I am hitting a dilemna with our wedding budget and my FI and I really need to stay in budget (or go under, if I can find a way...)

SO, I have a quote from my coordinator and it includes my bouquet and I thought the BM's (5 of them)...however, she just has corsages for them. Still very expensive.  However, because I want them to walk down the aisle with something and we can't afford to pay for all 5 bouquets at the moment, I need an alternative.  I'm already renting parasols for pics, and now considering them for the ceremony, but just having a nicer one maybe? I really don't know.  I'm the traditional girl who is all outside of her element because my FI is far from traditional.  

To give you some idea of what's happening with my wedding, I am getting married in Costa Rica in Manuel Antonio Estates.  We have three villas where guests will be staying and I will either be getting married on the balcony of one of the villas or the hill overlooking the jungle (undecided because I want this area for my reception...but because of costs my FI wants to have the reception at the villas...).  Our theme is "Love Birds" (long story short, outside of everyone referring to us as such, it was the first picture we purchased together at an art fair before we were engaged). Our colors our hard to explain, but here is a color palate that is fairly dead on...very Costa Rican/tropical. But it just turned out that they are the colors of the first two flowers the FI ever purchased! 

Please help me with this. I know traditionally, you have a bouquet or at least a nosegay for the BM's. Can I break this tradition, considering the wedding theme and location, and either (1) keep the corsages and have the parasols as well? (2) Just parasols? OR (3) Parasols with a single flower (maybe going to the local market the day before and getting a local flower or lily). 

Thoughts??? Thank you in advance! I really need the help! 

I am also seriously considering parasols for my bridesmaids. I am probably going to purchase them before I go, because that is cheaper than renting. My resort charges $20/parasol to rent and I can buy one and bring it for $7! I say parasols all the way! Good luck 

Screw tradition.  Parasols would be beautiful, and one single flower would be beautiful too.  Both together are too much.  Also, don't stress too much about this — no one cares what the bridesmaids are carrying, they're all just waiting in anticipation to see YOU walk down the aisle. 

Thanks! What kind of parasols are you getting? $20 is crazy! My rentals are $2! I had them in the budget for post-wedding pictures already!

Screw tradition.  Parasols would be beautiful, and one single flower would be beautiful too.  Both together are too much.  Also, don't stress too much about this — no one cares what the bridesmaids are carrying, they're all just waiting in anticipation to see YOU walk down the aisle. 

My cousin just had the bridesmaids each carry a single flower and it looked beautiful. That may be in your budget.

I've heard that you are busy the day before the wedding, so you may not want to add in the stress of making time to go into town to buy flowers. But if you know the area or have it pre-planned then you may have time.

Parasols are lovely too. No one will notice the bridesmaids once you come out anyways :-) 

I got fake flower bridesmaids bouquets from Winners for $8 each and I love them. I will ask each of the bridesmaids carry them down in their carry-ons so that they don't get squished. 

Good luck!

A parasol or either a single flower would be beautiful. Yes, you can find places where you can buy the parasols for about $7 each. To stay within your budget even more, just skip paying the resort to rent the parasols and buy the parasols instead. (I thought about using parasols for my attendants as well because I wanted to incorporate them in the wedding some kind of way; I will be lining the inside of the aisles with them)

Originally Posted by jreist 

 

My cousin just had the bridesmaids each carry a single flower and it looked beautiful. That may be in your budget.

 

I've heard that you are busy the day before the wedding, so you may not want to add in the stress of making time to go into town to buy flowers. But if you know the area or have it pre-planned then you may have time.

 

Parasols are lovely too. No one will notice the bridesmaids once you come out anyways :-) 

 

I got fake flower bridesmaids bouquets from Winners for $8 each and I love them. I will ask each of the bridesmaids carry them down in their carry-ons so that they don't get squished. 

 

Good luck!

Thank you jreist. Our weddings are one day apart!  I didn't mean to say that I would look for flowers the day before, that does indeed sound hectic.  Our wedding week is Jan. 16-22, and I will be arriving on the 15th to assure the rooms are prepared, the gifts for the guests are there, and to purchase all the liquor for the week. So since I was already going into town, I figured I could find flowers as well. I think I might go with the parasols and hope to find flowers, and if I do then the parasols will likely just be for the post-wedding photos. 

That's definitely one way of looking at it. I JUST ordered my dress last week so I hope everyone loves it as much as I do!   We aren't doing the traditional beach wedding as so many destination weddings.  Our wedding will be either on (1) the balcony of one of the villas or (2) the hilltop behind our villas that overlooks the jungle/ocean. Still haven't decided on this...

I'm going to look into the fake flower bouquets. I had a hard time locating the one you said you used. Would you mind sending the link? Also, since you used the fake flowers, did you use silk flowers for your flower girls?  

Thanks again! 

We are doing just parasols my wedding colors are fuchsia and tangerine, the BMs are wearing Tangerine dresses and carrying Fuchsia Parasols.  I will be the only one with a Bouquet

Hi! 

I think going down a day early is a fabulous idea!!! Wish I'd thought of that.

I bought my flowers in store, at Winners (same store as the HomeSense). This is what they look like: http://www.bestdestinationwedding.com/gallery/image/view/album/107575/id/147108/sort/display_order

Yea they are silk. 

I don't have any flower girls coming, but will have someone put silk flower petals down the aisle before we all come down. 

My bouquet will be the only real one.

I love the idea of overlooking the jungle for the ceremony!!