When I went to prom it was a whole different scene than it is now. There were simple options: orchids or roses, what color, wrist or pin on, and, "We'll match the bout for you?"
These days it is a whole other ball game. The dress companies have stepped up their game by providing crazy colors and color combinations, adding glittery, disco ball-esque details, and leaving more skin exposed than my daddy would have EVER tolerated.
Prom is becoming ever more like a "practice wedding." Teenagers, or rather their parents, are spending loads of money on dresses, tuxedos, hair, makeup, nails, transportation, dinner, dance tickets, and let's not forget the flowers.
You want the flowers to be memorable, but not break the bank. Because, let's face it moms, you know you take a little credit when the girl gasps as he puts the corsage on her wrist.
If I were to give ONE HUGE TIP for how to get the perfect corsage it would be to...
BRING THE DRESS-
While cellphones have become more high tech and take better pictures, it is always iffy when I look at pictures on cellphones of a girls dress. Factors like florescent lights in stores, low lighting, over/under exposure, and blurriness can distort the true color of the dress. If you want the corsage to match perfectly I will need to see the actual dress. (Extra tip: if you buy your dress at a place like Davids Bridal that provide swatches for purchase then just grab one of those for a few bucks and cut it up for things like your date to match his tie, the florist to match color, etc. This way everyone is getting the right color and there are no color clashes on your big night).
Also, don't expect a florist to know what you mean by "teal," "turquoise," "peach," or even "orange" or "pink. Over the last few years of working in a shop I have come to discover that what means one color to you does not mean the same color to me. There are SOOOO many different shades of every color that it is always best to point out a color that you see in the shop, bring a swatch, or just bring in the dress.
Besides just the color, upon seeing the dress, the florist can match the over all style of the dress: match rhinestone detailing, or make a classic, funky, flirty, or even gothic victorian dress (yes, I've made one...and it was beautiful).
Besides the obvious corsage and bout match up, most flower shops offer other options with which to decorate yourselves for prom night. Corsages are not a thing of the past, but instead have been taken and moved about the body. Remember all that exposed skin I mentioned earlier? We're helping you cover it back up with something stylish!!
Body flowers are the new thing whether they're on your shoulder, back, ankles, upper arms, ears, hair, face, really, they can be put anywhere with the techniques we use now.
There is a new product called u-glu that we use to glue flower products to the body. They require an alcohol pad (to get rid of any skin oil) a piece of athletic tape (to protect the skin) and then an application of the flowers directly on the tape. You can get a few orchids clustered on your back, around the neck area in a necklace fashion, on the ankle, etc.
The u-glu also makes bout applications pin, thus stick and bleeding, free! You merely take the bout, remove the tab on the back, and stick it directly to the lapels of the tux. It stays and can also be removed and reapplied multiple times before it starts to lose its stickiness. Because they hug the jacket so closely, the boys forget that they are even there and are more likely to leave them on for pictures.
Most florists also make hair flowers on combs, pins, and headbands, as well as necklaces, shoe flowers, rings, and arm flowers. Florists are always happy to make custom pieces and work with any ideas that you might have. You can also bring in your own jewelry and have a corsage added to it.
As far as pricing, here is a quick "general" pricing idea. As a general rule flowers for girls start at $20 and $10 for boys. These are base prices that fluctuate from florist to florist.
A $20 corsage at our shop is 3-5 flowers of your choice, ribbon, and filler flower on an elastic wristlet. From there anything extra is added cost: wire, additional ribbon, multiple kinds of flowers, large flowers (orchids, gerbera daisies, etc), rhinestones, special wristlets, etc. While body flowers are subject to change, there is still a great deal of time and prepping that go into making them last, a base for them to go on, and look nice so $20 is still a good number to start with.
For boys $10 is a standard bout. That includes flowers, filler, greens, and some kind of ribbon tuck to match a corsage. These can be made almost as elaborate as the girls flowers, but must boys don't care for more than a basic bout.
I hope these tips and information helped you. Let us know if there is anything that is confusing or questions that you might have!
