Summer is here, and we’re ready to talk flowers! This week we’re sharing some advice on saving money on your wedding flowers. Everyone planning a wedding knows how expensive a beautiful bouquet can be, but they don’t have to! Here are four tips on how to get the best bang for your budget.
Stay In Season
This tip is tried and true. If you want peonies in the dead of winter, you're going to be paying a pretty penny. Ask your florist for recommendations on flowers that fit your season and aesthetic.
Photo by Avery Earl.
DIY Does NOT Mean Easy
I always say you can DIY anything, just not everything. Flowers are something that I am very hesitant to encourage brides to do themselves for a few major reasons.
You must do a test run! This is non-negotiable! Give yourself the opportunity to try floral arranging a few months ahead of time and determine if it’s really something you feel you can tackle the week of your wedding. You might find that you love it, and making centerpieces is calming! You might also find that it’s not your thing and doing 20 centerpieces and ten bouquets two days before your wedding is more stress than it’s worth. Either way, you’ll feel good about your decision!
Flowers are perishable. IE. You can’t do them more than a day or two ahead of time. So on top of your family coming into town, last minute appointments, rehearsal and rehearsal dinner, etc. you’ve got to find time to arrange flowers.
You have to buy much more than just blooms. In pretty much every wedding, we use pins, ribbons, shears, floral tape, wire, foam, vases, etc. It’s not that these things are complicated or challenging to track down, but these things can add up if you have to buy everything at once!
Photo by A Sea of Love.
Be Upfront With Your Budget
When you meet with a potential florist for the first time, come with a number in mind. Nothing is worse than a client coming in with all of these gorgeous inspiration photos, not knowing what they want to spend, and receiving a proposal from their florist that is way way WAY more than they wanted to spend. Flowers can be beautiful on any budget (seriously)! And there is absolutely no need to feel embarrassed by yours. Say it confidently and ask your florist for any expertise they can offer to maximize it!
Hire A Florist You Trust
If you hire a florist you trust, you can give them your color scheme, style, and budget and let them work their magic! If you trust your vendors, your wedding day will be stress-free because you know you've got a team working to make your day magical!
Reuse, Reduce, Recycle
Another piece of advice we like to give is if you want floral arrangements for tables, but don't want to spend the extra cash... use the bridesmaids' bouquets! Set some pretty vases on the tables, bars, or anything you want to decorate and ask the girls to place their flowers in the vases when the ceremony and pictures are done. Two birds, one stone! And honestly, no one will even notice.