Flowers are a great way to reinforce your theme or style and add décor to the space. You want your flowers to reflect your vision while, of course, not costing a small fortune. Here are some tips to get the look you want for less.

  • Don’t over decorate! To get the most bang for your buck, know when to splurge on the wow factors (fireplace, doorways, foyer, place card table, stairwells). Don’t place sight-blocking arrangements on tables or shove one in an empty corner. Also, try alternating every other table with floral arrangements as centerpieces and the other half with candles or non-floral elements. Remember, make what you have count.
Photo credit: Allison Williams Photo
  • Choose a location that doesn’t need as much “work”, one that reflects your style and needs minimal decorations. If you’re having the event at a hotel (often the guest areas and restaurant will use floral decor) see if you can coordinate with them to add extra arrangements to their weekly florist order and use those discount blooms at the reception.
  • Reuse and save! Using details twice will save you money and still add a wow factor. Have reception place cards play double duty as favors. I love the idea of using potted flowers, plants, or herbs.
Photo credit: Liesl Diesel Photo
  • Stay seasonal and local. You will spend so much more cash if you have to ship flowers because they are not in season or local to the area. Also, this is a great way to be a little more eco-friendly with your event. Check out Pollen for a great eco option.
  • For wallet-friendly attendant’s flowers, opt to make the bridal bouquet smaller, use posies for bridesmaid’s bouquets, and/or keep boutonnières simple and durable. These are really used for about 2 hours, in which bouquets are left on a table somewhere to wilt and boutonnières are squished with all the hugs from Aunt Sally. So, if it isn’t a huge priority-don’t let it consume the budget.
Photo credit: Megan Saul
  • Due to high demand, flowers around Valentines Day or Mother’s Day can be substantially more expensive. Thinking and planning around holidays can save you top dollar. For example, if your date is during the Christmas season, it is likely the space will already be decked out for you. So, if you can, set your date with the budget in mind.
  • Think outside the flower-box and opt to not use flowers for décor, or even for bouquets. There are lots of unique and fun ways to incorporate paper crafts, felt flowers, button blooms, and even suckers into your bridal bouquet and boutonnières. These guys do it best: Lollipop Brides, The Button Florist, and Felt Werker. For centerpieces you can use veggies, DIY craft projects, vintage pieces, and even game boards. The sky is the limit! Check out this DIY veggie centerpiece.
Photo credit: Jason Kaczorowski

When thinking about floral décor, make sure whatever you do, do what reflects who you are as a couple and what stays within budget.