From booking the venue, sending out invitations, finding your dress, selecting a menu, stocking up on alcohol, finding choice entertainment... the wedding checklist goes on and on and on. While engaged couples are busy working on larger wedding plans decoration expenses can easily be forgotten. But it doesn't have to happen that way. In this post, we are going to show you how to save money on wedding flowers with a bunch of proven tips, tricks and ideas.
The average cost of wedding flowers is around $2,000. Don't let the cost of your floral arrangements catch you by surprise down the line, especially if your budget has already been stretched to the limit. With some clever planning, you can save a bundle on wedding flowers.
20 Crafty Tips to save money on wedding flowers:
1. Buy Wholesale
Buying your wedding flowers in bulk from a wholesale florist can provide the largest discount and works best for those who have whittled their flower list down to less than three different types.
2. Do a lot of online research.
The internet is a plethora of information- use it to your advantage. Consider setting up boards on Pinterest to save ideas, photos, and themes that speak to you. Once you identify flowers, arrangements and decor ideas that catch your eye, you can do additional research to find out how to recreate them on the cheap. Set Google Alerts for items you will need so that you can get notified when the price drops.
3. Choose an affordable color palette.
Work with a color scheme that requires few variations in flower type but can easily be jazzed up with additional embellishments. Monochromatic color palettes are affordable and chic.
4. Keep an open mind.
Keep an eye open when shopping around. Your "dream wedding "likely includes a specific picture of your wedding flowers. You may find gorgeous flowers or alternative decorations that are more affordable, and you like even better.
5. Create a budget
Be sure that you and your partner are both on the same page by going over the budget. This will help you to figure out how to save money on wedding flowers. Have conversations about each aspect of the wedding, including your wedding flowers and floral decorations. When setting a budget, confirm what aspects of your wedding are non-negotiable, must-have items.
Be open and honest with your wedding florist or florists that you're getting quotes from. Let them know the extent of your budget so they can tell you early on if they can accommodate your requests. Be firm about your bottom line, and let your florist know you are not willing to go over your budget.
6. Fill space with large statement pieces.
Use large, inexpensive flowers to fill out centerpieces and create a sense of grandeur in your arrangements. Vibrant sunflowers, large roses, and colorful gerbera daisies will make a statement without breaking the bank.
7. Find a mix of expensive and inexpensive blooms
If you have your heart set on a gorgeous peony bouquet, and nothing will change your mind, that's perfectly alright! Your florist can work with that. Let a small bunde of peonies be the statement piece in your bouquet. Fill the rest of your bouquet, as well as your bridal party bouquets, with less expensive flowers that compliment the elegant peony. Alstroemeria, daisy spray and wax flowers would be great options for filling out a beautiful bridal bouquet.
8. Choose in-season flowers.
In-season flowers are always less expensive as their flower prices reflect the growing conditions and expenses required to produce them. When choosing a wedding date, do some research on what flowers will be in season at that time. For spring and summer weddings, wildflowers are alovely free option for creating a beautiful bridal bouquet. Collecting wildflowers could even be a fun activity the bridal party takes part in together a few days before the event.
9. Ask to cut transport costs.
If the quote from your florist includes expensive transportation costs or additional transportation fees, ask about alternative options. Would they allow you to pick up your own flowers to cut costs? A large SUV or van can easily get the job done and keep the savings rolling.
10. Shop pre-arranged discount designer bouquets.
Shop sites like Ling's Moments. to purchase pre-arranged bouquets and save tons of money.
11. Do your own arrangements.
Wedding flowers are expensive enough on their own. If you have to pay a little more to obtain the blooms you want, consider creating your own arrangements. Visit your Pinterest board for inspiration and look for discounted artificial flowers at thrift stores and craft shops. Spend more time fiddling around and see if you have an eye for arrangements. It could save you a heap in the long run.
12. Add lots of greenery to your arrangements
Fill in your arrangements with lots of bright, healthy greenery to cut costs. Large fern leaves or winding ivy leaves are timeless, elegant and put much less stress on your budget. Arrangements heavy in greenery are a fantastic choice to complement rustic weddings as well.
13. Choose vases wisely.
Purchase vases that are going to work well with your flowers, your unique wedding theme, and your budget. Don't buy vases early simply because you like them, or you may find yourself struggling to fill oversized vases on an undersized budget. Purchase only what you' ll need. You can also explore more affordable options like potted plants or single-stem standout pieces.
14. Take advantage of candles
Adding candles to your floral arrangements will help create large, appealing centerpieces that don't rely heavily on expensive floral arrangements. A large glass bowl holding a floating candle surrounded by delicate petals provides the perfect ambiance for an evening reception or outdoor wedding. Large pillar candles surrounded by smaller accent flowers help create bold centerpieces that will stand out across a crowded reception hall.
15. Shop for inexpensive, eye-catching centerpieces that require little addition.
Instead of making flowers the main attraction of your centerpiece, look for unique and affordable wedding centerpieces that you can accent with flowers or foliage. Don't get hung up on finding matching pieces either as long as they work together. For example, you could create terrarium centerpieces with different sized glass bowls, vases, or event sculptures you find at thrift stores and yard sales.
16. Reuse bridal party bouquets.
After the ceremony, reuse leftover decorations, including the bridal party flowers, to fill out reception decorations. Your bridal party will be thankful they don't have to keep up with them all night., and this wedding decor hack will save you money by repurposing your resources.
17. Grow a wedding garden
Growing a wedding garden will help you save money in numerous areas. You can prepare to grow flowers that will be in bloom for the wedding to lessen floral expenses. In addition, you can grow herbs and vegetables to use in your wedding menu as well as for bar garnishes. If you have space, you could even landscape in preparation to host a garden wedding.
If you are lucky enough to live in a region where herbs like lavender readily grow, you could even grow a bush or two to use for the wedding. Dried lavender satchels are not only a soothing herbal remedy for stress, but they also make classy giveaways for wedding guests. Lavender is also a lovely addition to bouquets or centerpieces.
18. Make your own flowers.
There are tons of DIY wedding flower tutorials available online. Whether for bridal bouquets, reception decorations, or both, there's a DIY flower style out there to fit everyone's unique aesthetic. From silk flowers to crocheted bouquets, or even roses made from book pages, there's an affordable DIY alternative to match every wedding's vibe.
19. Consider a non-floral alternative instead of carrying a bouquet.
If you like the idea of going non-traditional, consider buying a feather bouquet, a hat box, or even a book that means a lot to you and your future spouse. Choosing not to carry a bouquet also eliminates the whole bouquet toss tradition, if you'd prefer not to have that.
20. Decorate with dry flowers
Decorating with dry flowers is an effective and practical way to save on the cost of your wedding flowers. Dry flowers are dainty and give off an air of nostalgia that so many of us can relate to at weddings. It will also save the busy newlyweds from trying to figure out what to do with the leftover flowers.
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