Planning Tips :: 6 Tips for Budget Friendly Flowers

Talking about flowers with brides and vendors lately made me want to put this post together for the blog! We do a lot of florals and décor for weddings and events, and what I'm probably asked most often is for suggestions to keep the budget down. There are definitely a few good tips to remember, so these are the answers I always give! 


1. Choose what's in season.
Sticking with what's in season will always be your most budget friendly bet. Seasonal flowers will be readily available and abundant, which makes their cost lower. Choose your favorite flower as the main attraction, and use inexpensive seasonal fillers and greenery to finish it up.

2. Use ceremony flowers at the reception.
Lining the aisle with flowers or chair bows? Take them to the reception to line the head table along with the bridesmaids bouquets. Larger floral arrangements from the entry way or from the altar can be used at the reception as well. We've lined the aisle before with arrangements that became centerpieces at the reception. All it takes is a bridesmaid, friend, florist, or planner/coordinator to move them and set them up for you between ceremony and reception (essentially during your cocktail hour while guests are otherwise occupied).

3. Add on the greenery.
Greenery comes in larger sized bunches and is less expensive than most flowers, so giving your arrangements some oomph with greenery makes larger arrangements that won't kill the budget. You can choose from so many different textures, styles and shades of greenery, you're sure to get something amazing that's your style!

4. Fruits & Veggies
Get creative with your centerpieces using fruits like lemons, limes, strawberries, oranges, apples, grapes, pomegranates, etc... Fresh veggies have also been known to make an appearance in centerpieces and arrangements such as asparagus, artichokes, radishes...

5. Use artificial alternatives.
Seashells, feathers, paper or wood roses, brooches, or a number of other floral alternatives can be used to make bouquets, corsages boutonnieres, and accents for centerpieces. These range from very inexpensive to free, so they're great for the budget!

6. Consider an outdoor ceremony for natural beauty.
If you're set on a floral wedding but don't have the huge floral budget, consider choosing an outdoor ceremony location in a season that will give you what you want! A garden, a lakeside park, a field of wildflowers....let nature be your backdrop of florals and greenery and you'll have to do less to spruce it up!