L.A.'s fab Flower District

Florists (besides catering & alcohol) are often times the biggest budget breakers. These days, so many of my clients are of the "Do It Yourself mentality". When it comes to floral arrangements, i.e. centerpieces, bouquets, ceremony aisle arrangements, misc. table decor, purchasing & designing your own arrangement can be a tremendous money saver & even a little bit fun!

Los Angeles is home to a fabulous flower district. This is where the majority of local florists obtain their stock. Of course, we are very fortunate to boast some of the world’s most creative & talented floral & event designers. However, there is something empowering when you create an element for your wedding yourself, no matter how small or grand your little touch may be. Plus, it’s an added benefit to save some major cash! The flower district is comprised of five streets: Maple, Wall, & San Julian are the north & south bound streets bordered by 7^th St. & 8^th St. The Southern California Flower Market is a gigantic indoor floral extravaganza home to about 40 tenants. This market has entrances on Wall St. & San Julian St. When I hear “Flower Mart”, I automatically think flowers. There is so much more to this district than the typical rose. The district boasts all accessories related to any kind of floral arrangement, vases, gem stones, aisle runners, trees, just to name a few items. These supplies are offered at or below wholesale prices & the selection will beat any store in town. Rather than rows to opt from, you have streets of goods to explore.

Tips:

~Arrive early! The market closes between 12-12:30pm. The rest of the district shuts down shortly after.

~Bring one of your vendors. You will receive wholesale prices if someone in your party owns a business in the wedding industry.

~Visit merchants as they are packing up for the day to score some free flowers! Sellers will often times give you a bouquet or two because they are going to die anyway.

~As with any big floral purchase anywhere, keep in mind the flowers you see on your most recent excursion may not be in bloom on your wedding date.

From my experience, there are a few vendors that stand out & are an excellent resource to people new to the flower district.

Floral Supply Syndicate (located at 745 San Julian St., Los Angeles 90014 (213)624-3982) is a one stop shop for all necessary elements & details for your floral arrangements & DIY projects, minus the flowers. Even though, manzanita trees are super easy to find at amazing prices, F.S.S. has the best prices. Large branches are $16 & the trees are $24-$36! Okay, these can be hundreds of dollars at retail stores & online. Floral Supply Syndicate has aisles & aisles of ribbon, in all the shapes, textures, & colors you can ever need. You can also obtain any frame or Styrofoam needed for your extravagant arrangements. They also carry an array of garlands, rocks, gem stones, aisle runners, tulle, vases, & bulk tea lights at prices that will sure to shock you.

Daisy’s Garden (located at 532 E. 8^th St., Los Angeles, CA 90014 (213)627-8807) has the most beautiful centerpiece arrangements. This is a great place to visit for inspiration & unlike all the other shops, you can talk Daniella into taking a picture or two. If you are new to the area, this is the perfect shop to browse through. Daniella is the nicest person you can come across. Daisy’s can deliver & set up the arrangements for your wedding or simply provide you with the necessary tools & flowers to do it yourself. This is a win/win situation, the best service, the best costs, & the most innovative creations.

Golden Memories, Floral Design by Sandra is a Mecca of Manzanita madness! Every size, color, & shape of these trees is available for about $65-$70. You can even rent them for $35! This is a Godsend since most people don’t really know what to do with them after their wedding day. Of course, you can find branches here as well. The real strikes of gold are the manzanita cake stands available to rent. These creations are gorgeous!

Saint Germain Florist carries the most beautiful roses. They are located inside the Southern California Flower Market At a recent wedding, in Malibu, the bride purchased all of the roses for her wedding from Saint Germain’s. A total of 700 roses for $600! She was so happy & proud of the job she & her best friend did on the 26 centerpieces, bridal bouquet, 5 BM bouquets, 4 corsages, 4 bouts, & a bunch of flowers for the cake.

The top two pictures are centerpieces from Daisy's Garden. The bottom two were taken inside the Flower Market.