Wedding Flowers On a Budget: 15 Ways to Save on Flowers

In this blog, we unfold fifteen practical tips to help you achieve stunning floral aesthetics while staying mindful of your financial considerations. From creating a realistic flower budget to exploring DIY options and making the most of cost-effective alternatives, each tip is designed to empower you with the knowledge needed to make informed decisions for your special day. Let's dive into the art of balancing beauty and budget, ensuring your wedding flowers reflect both your unique style and financial sensibilities.

1. Create a Realistic Flower Budget

Initiating the process of adhering to a wedding flower budget begins with the important step of establishing a comprehensive budget. It is widely advised to set aside approximately 15% of your overall wedding budget specifically for flowers, lighting, and decorations. However, it's important to note that this percentage is flexible and can be adjusted to align with your unique personal vision and individual circumstances. This tailored approach allows you to prioritize and allocate resources based on the specific details of your wedding plans, ensuring a budget that caters to your own preferences and needs.

2. Buy Wholesale Flowers and Save Big

For those looking to stay within a budget for wedding flowers, opting to buy in bulk is a strongly recommended strategy. Ordering directly from a wholesale flower company enables you to avoid the additional markup associated with purchasing from a traditional flower shop. This not only provides a more cost-effective solution but also gives you the flexibility to choose whether you want to personally arrange your wedding flowers or enlist the services of a floral designer. The advantage of bulk purchases extends beyond affordability, allowing you to tailor your floral arrangements to your unique vision.

3. Arrange Your Own Wedding Flowers

By infusing a touch of creativity and dedicating some time, the prospect of arranging your own wedding flowers opens the door to significant cost savings compared to hiring professional services. Another viable option is to enlist the help of skilled friends, family members, or bridesmaids in undertaking the responsibilities of flower arrangement. For the best results, it is generally advised to schedule the flower arranging tasks for the day before the event or, if possible, the morning of the occasion. This hands-on approach not only adds a personalized touch to your floral arrangements but also fosters a collaborative and meaningful experience with your loved ones.

4. Strike a Balance with Your Wedding Flowers

Consider identifying your floral must-haves to align your budget with what matters most to you. For instance, if you have a strong desire for an extravagant bridal bouquet featuring costly flowers such as peonies, you can balance the expenses by opting for more modest centerpieces, or vice versa. Achieving budgetary harmony is about striking a balance and recognizing your top three floral preferences. By focusing on these key elements, you ensure that you don't compromise on the aspects of your wedding flowers that hold the greatest significance for you.

5. Keep An Open Mind

Many of us have found ourselves immersed in endless scrolling on Pinterest, saving captivating and lavish wedding flower inspiration photos. If you've curated a collection on your wedding board and wish to discuss them with a flower consultant, that's strongly encouraged. Navigating budget-friendly wedding flowers involves embracing an open-minded approach. Consult with a professional to assess the feasibility of recreating your desired look while staying within your budget constraints. A seasoned floral designer can offer valuable suggestions and alternatives tailored to fit your budget.

6. Use In-Season Flowers

Certain flowers are in season during specific times of the year, and it's beneficial to align your choices with these seasonal blooms. Identifying which flowers are in season can guide your selection process. Additionally, considering year-round flowers like roses, garden roses, carnations, hydrangeas, and orchids provides flexibility in your choices. It's recommended to steer clear of scheduling your wedding around major holidays such as Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day, as these periods witness heightened demand in the floral industry, potentially leading to increased costs for your chosen flowers.

7. Take Advantage of Statement Blooms That Fill Space

Some blooms such as garden roses or hydrangeas possess the advantage of occupying a significant volume within arrangements, allowing for a visually impactful display with fewer flowers. Known as focal flowers, these blooms naturally attract attention, and their larger size contributes to creating a striking impression, even when used sparingly.

8. Substitute Inexpensive Wedding Flowers For Pricey Blooms

An array of stunning and budget-friendly blooms are available, offering various colors and styles to suit your preferences. Additionally, cost-effective filler flowers can enhance the fullness and volume of your arrangements. Consider alternatives such as dahlia-style cremons instead of dahlias or opt for spray roses instead of ranunculus, providing excellent savings while maintaining a beautiful aesthetic.

9. Only Use A Few Varieties of Flowers

Opting for one to three focal flower varieties can significantly maximize your budget. If your vision includes various flower types, buying in bulk, often necessary, may result in surplus blooms. While these extras can be repurposed in different areas, it entails additional effort in preparation, care, and arrangement. Achieve a remarkable impact with just one or two focal flowers, or explore our DIY combo packs, meticulously curated to provide an ideal assortment of flowers without excess.

10. Repurpose Your Wedding Flowers

Here's a valuable tip for managing wedding flower expenses: make the most of your floral arrangements. The advantage of using ceremony flowers and bridesmaids' bouquets is that they are pre-arranged and match your color scheme, allowing you to repurpose them for the reception. Request the help of your wedding planner or a couple of friends to transfer the ceremony flowers to the reception venue. This not only streamlines the process but also helps you save on additional decor costs. Consider repurposing bridesmaid bouquets as centerpieces or using them to adorn various areas such as the guest book table, dessert table, and cake table.

11. Incorporate More Greenery

Explore a range of cost-effective greenery options to craft a lush bouquet. Consider incorporating varieties such as silver dollar eucalyptus, parvafolia, and leather leaf greenery. Whether you opt for a bouquet with more greenery than flowers or go for an all-greenery arrangement, there are numerous advantages. Increasing the proportion of greenery not only reduces costs but also ensures the longevity of your floral arrangements, maintaining its vibrancy throughout the day. Regardless of the weather, there's no need to worry about wilting. However, exercise caution, as the pricing of certain types of greenery may be comparable to that of flowers.

12. Try Bud Vases

Although extravagant and full-bodied floral arrangements have their charm, there's a special appeal in the simplicity of bud vases with just a few stems. If you have your heart set on featuring luxurious focal flowers like peonies or garden roses, consider placing them in small vases, such as bud vases. Since a peony is usually 3-4 inches wide, a few of them can create a significant impact. Embracing this simplicity not only adds elegance but also proves to be a budget-friendly choice, benefiting your wedding flower budget in the process.

13. Skip Boutonnieres and Corsages Altogether

Here's another excellent suggestion for cutting costs on wedding flowers: consider skipping boutonnieres and corsages. However, if you have a strong preference for these floral accessories, you can still have them by crafting them yourself using wholesale flowers.

14. Combine Flowers With Other Decor Elements

A fantastic money-saving strategy is to pair your affordable wedding flowers with additional decor elements such as candles. By incorporating candles or other decorative pieces, you can achieve a well-filled table without relying heavily on flowers. Not only do candles contribute to setting the mood and ambiance, but you can also explore budget-friendly options for vases, such as the Dollar Store or thrift stores, to attain the desired aesthetic without exceeding your budget.

15. Use a Monochromatic Color Palette

Selecting a color palette can pose a challenge, given the abundance of beautiful options available. To streamline your decision-making process and save costs, consider adhering to a monochromatic color palette. This approach involves using variations of the same color in both light and dark shades. Explore the variety of monochromatic combo packs available, offering an assortment of flowers in your chosen color scheme. Additionally, you can conveniently narrow down your options by searching for specific wedding colors on our website.

From establishing a realistic flower budget to exploring DIY options, incorporating greenery, and making strategic choices on floral varieties, you've gained valuable insights into maximizing both beauty and savings. Remember, your wedding day is a celebration of love, and with these practical tips, you can craft an enchanting floral backdrop that complements your joyous moments without breaking the bank. So, as you embark on this exciting chapter, may your wedding flowers bloom with elegance, meaning, and a touch of your personal style.