Unless you are one of the lucky few, most brides are looking for ways to save money and stay within budget.   Even though you want to save money, you don’t want to sacrifice your vision.  Flowers, to me, are an essential part of a wedding but as long as you are smart with your choices you can get the look you want without having to break the bank to get it!

1. My first suggestion is to choose flowers in season.  If you are getting married in the fall you may want to think twice before you choose the color pink as your wedding color; red and orange flowers will be easier to find in the fall making them less expensive.  There are some flowers that are in season year round including roses, lilies, and gerber daises and all three flowers are usually very cost effective.  If you are on a limited budget, peonies, tropical’s, and some varieties of orchids are usually more expensive so be careful when choosing these flowers.  Many florists can order these for you at a premium cost but I would suggest only using them in your bridal bouquet to cut down costs.

 2. Use non-floral embellishments in bouquets and centerpieces. This is one of the easiest ways to create large bouquets and centerpieces without using as many costly flowers.  You can use leaves, berries, jewelry (brooches), or seashells as fillers between the flowers.  I love the idea of fruit being incorporated to give color, size and texture to your centerpieces and bouquets.  I have seen artichokes incorporated in a bouquet that was stunning as well as limes and lemons used as table décor in centerpieces.

3. Another thing to keep in mind is the number of bridesmaids in your wedding.   A full size bouquet will cost anywhere from $60-80+ for each bouquet.   If you have a
large bridal party, this can add up very quickly….if this is not in your budget don’t panic.  There are ways to keep your costs down and still keep a large bridal party. One way is to have the bridesmaids carry a posy which is a very small bouquet usually consisting of 5-8 stems of flowers.  This will reduce the cost to approximately $35-40 per posy.  I have also had brides carry a purse with a corsage attached to it…very cute and practical.

 4. Keep it Simple!  Candles are a great way to keep things simple and elegant on your guest tables.  My favorite idea is to use water in assorted vases with floating candles.  It is such a classic look that can be dressed up with rose petals around the base and you have created a beautiful centerpiece for less.  If you don’t have an evening wedding or don’t like candles you can use a cluster of bud vases with one stem of flowers and is a great DIY centerpiece (although I would have someone in charge of doing this for you so you don’t have to worry about that on your wedding day)!

5. Re-Use!  Re-use as much as you can especially with the ceremony arrangements.  They can be reused as table centerpieces or buffet centerpieces.  Another idea is to ask the florist to make the bridesmaids bouquets bigger and re-use them as centerpieces.

If you have any other ideas to save money on flowers I would love to hear about it!!

Sources: www.glendaloughmanor.com, www.hamletphotography.com, www.basketofroses.com, www.rainflowercompany.com, www.weddingwindow.com, www.marryyoume.com, www.w-weddingflowers.com, www.elizabethannedesigns.com,www.floraldesignbyjacquelineahne.wordpress.com,