Help! Considering shipping Flowers to Jamaica

[beyondsmitten]

My wedding is in a few weeks and since floral prices are so high I am considering shipping flowers to Jamaica to arrange myself.

 

Obviously there are the usual considerations, delays, damages, delivery failure. Other than those pitfalls, which can happen with any shipment, anywhere, even in the U.S. I thinks this would be a good idea.

 

Has anyone else looked into this or done this?

 

I've found a wholsesale florist who ships bulk florals internationally using fex.

 

Wholesale-Bulk-Wedding-Fresh Cut Flowers-AbacoFlowers.com-Buy Online

 

About 200 blooms will cost $188 including shipping. A tremendous savings from the $500 quoted from the florist. We would have to arrange ourselves, but with the entire bridal party there making some pomanders should be a snap.

 

I've shipped nearly all the wedding stuff I'll be using to Jamaica, chandeliers, vases, votives, tablecloths, favors. Those do incur a very high duty at customs, but they are not shipped with Fed x which will pay the duty and move through customs fairly seamlessly.

[ErinB]

I personally wouldn't take the risk. If there was some kind of delay, you could end up with no flowers and not be able to get a florist on short notice, or you would still be paying the higher price but be out the money for the fresh flowers.

 

Also, where would you store the florals? I'd worry about the heat wilting them.

 

Have you considered high quality silks/fake flowers? Since you are capable of DIY-ing with real ones, why not try with some artificals?

[JUSTUSTWO]

I agree with Erin! I wouldn't do it. I mean, you said that you've shipped all of your other stuff without any problems, but I still would not take the chance.

Why not DIY all of the arrangements that you need & just carry them on the plane with you? I carried on all of my bouquets myself & had no problems.

[divadivine25]

I also agree, I plan to use silks so that I wont have that issue. Im ordering my flowers from this site.

Lifelike Silk Wedding Flowers: Artificial Bridal Floral Arrangements Of Top Quality

[geology_rocks]

No way would I do this.

 

1) I'm not very crafty

2) I have a problem delegating... if I want something done right, i have to do it myself!

3) Wouldn't want to risk not getting the flowers on time/getting the wrong flowers/getting dead flowers etc.

4) I don't want to spend my vacation in a hotel room when I could be on the beach

5) Sounds like a good deal until you factor in this hidden fee & that hidden fee and you end up throwing out half the flowers anyway etc.

6) Not worth the hassle (IMO)

 

The only way I'd pre-order flowers is if they were silk and the only reason I'd do that is if I were feeling particularly sentimental and wanted to keep the flowers.

[beyondsmitten]

I spoke with the grower in Columbia, he recommended against shipping to Jamaica. The supply chain may not provide enough coverage for the flowers to arrive intact. They don't ship there regularly enough. I had to go with silk flowers. The florist was charging $42 for a 2 inch pomander of carnations.

[Heather0623]

I was in Mexico last summer during a wedding. The girl that was getting married there went to some local market and bought all the flowers for her bouquet, her maid of honor, flowes to decorate the gazebo and so on...she spend a total of $75 dollars for everything and just had to put them together herself. I know Mexico isn't Jamaica but there has to be somewhere you can get flowers locally. I plan on bringing down silk flowers to make small arrangements for my girls. I will have that to fall back on if I can't find flowers locally. Hope this helps a little.