Weddings often involve significant costs, including floral arrangements. However, it’s possible to stay within budget without compromising the aesthetic of your day.
Focusing on strategies like selecting seasonal flowers, simplifying designs, and choosing florists who work well with modest budgets can help achieve a stunning look without overspending.
Reusing flowers and incorporating non-floral elements also helps reduce costs while keeping the venue elegant.
Careful planning and thoughtful choices can make a big difference, allowing beauty and affordability to coexist.
Let’s get straight to the point
To save money on wedding florists, focus on key areas like using in-season and local flowers, repurposing arrangements, and incorporating non-floral decor.
Opt for simpler designs, limit expensive installations, and consider DIY options for smaller pieces. Stick to fewer flower varieties and consider potted plants for centrepieces.
Working with budget-friendly florists and selecting venues with natural beauty can also help reduce costs.
You can maintain a beautiful event without overspending by prioritising high-impact areas like the ceremony space and reception tables.
How To Save Money On Wedding Florists
Weddings can be expensive, and florists often take up a large portion of the budget. However, with smart choices and careful planning, it’s possible to reduce costs without compromising the beauty of the event.
By focusing on key areas, communicating clearly with your florist, and making thoughtful decisions, couples can save money on florals without sacrificing style or quality.
Plan Your Flower Budget Wisely
Before diving into the specifics, start by setting a realistic flower budget. Determine how much of your wedding funds you want to allocate to flowers.
While it’s tempting to go all out, identifying the necessary arrangements can help. Essential items include bridal bouquets, boutonnieres, and centrepieces.
Consider skipping non-essential pieces, such as elaborate floral arches, if they don’t fit within your budget.
Once you have a clear idea of what you need, contact several florists to get quotes. Comparing their prices and services will give you a better understanding of what’s possible within your budget.
This early research ensures you work with a florist who can provide the best value while still delivering on your vision.
Choose In-Season And Local Flowers
One of the easiest ways to save money on wedding flowers is by choosing blooms in season.
Flowers in season are generally less expensive because they can be sourced locally, reducing import and transportation costs.
For example, roses are often available year-round, but flowers like peonies can be more expensive when out of season.
Ask your florist for advice on which flowers will be in season during your wedding.
Locally grown flowers are another way to keep costs down. Not only are they often fresher, but they’re also cheaper since they don’t have to be transported over long distances. This makes local flowers a smart and sustainable choice.
Simplify Your Floral Arrangements
Floral arrangements can become costly when they are overly intricate or complex.
Opting for simpler designs can significantly reduce expenses. For example, choosing a single-flower bouquet or a few flower varieties for your arrangements can still look beautiful without being overly elaborate.
Incorporating greenery is another great way to fill out arrangements while lowering costs.
Greenery like eucalyptus, ferns, and ivy is often more affordable than flowers and can add volume and texture to your bouquets and centrepieces. By using foliage creatively, you can achieve a lush look for less.
Repurpose Floral Arrangements
Getting the most out of your floral arrangements can help stretch your budget further. Instead of creating separate arrangements for each part of the wedding, consider reusing flowers throughout the day.
Bridesmaids’ bouquets can be used as centrepieces at the reception, while ceremony flowers can be moved to decorate the reception area.
Talk to your florist about which arrangements can be easily transported and repurposed. This can save you the cost of ordering new flowers for every location, making the most of each arrangement.
Limit Expensive Floral Installations
Large floral installations, such as flower walls or arches, can make a big visual impact, but they come with a hefty price tag.
To keep costs down, consider scaling back on these larger pieces. Smaller, well-placed floral accents can be just as effective in creating a beautiful atmosphere.
For example, rather than covering an entire archway with flowers, you could decorate a portion with a simple garland or a few blooms. This creates a stunning focal point while using fewer flowers.
Incorporate Non-Floral Decor
Mixing flowers with non-floral decor is another way to save on floral costs. Items such as candles, lanterns, or decorative vases can add elegance and charm to your wedding without additional flowers.
Incorporating these elements allows you to create beautiful table settings and arrangements with fewer flowers, ultimately lowering your floral expenses.
For instance, a centrepiece combining a few blooms with candles or fairy lights can be just as striking as one made entirely of flowers. This approach allows you to achieve a stunning look while keeping costs manageable.
Diy Some Floral Elements
If you’re feeling creative and have the time, consider making some of the simpler floral arrangements yourself.
Tasks like creating table centrepieces or boutonnières can be manageable for couples who want to save money.
However, more complicated arrangements, like the bridal bouquet or large installations, are best left to the professionals to ensure they look their best.
DIY can be a great option for those looking to cut costs, but it’s important to be realistic about the time and effort involved.
Flowers must be arranged close to the event to stay fresh, so ensure you have enough help and time if you decide to take this route.
Keep The Bridal Bouquet Simple
The bridal bouquet is essential to the wedding but doesn’t need to be overly extravagant. A smaller, simpler bouquet can still be stunning and elegant.
By keeping the bouquet modest, you can allocate more of your budget to other floral arrangements with a larger visual impact, such as the reception centrepieces or ceremony decorations.
Additionally, choosing a bouquet with more greenery and fewer flowers can save money while giving you a natural, fresh look. This approach works well for weddings that feature rustic or minimalist themes.
Work With A Budget-Friendly Florist
Not all florists cater to the same type of wedding, and some are more willing to work with smaller budgets.
Seek out florists who specialise in more affordable weddings, as they are often experienced in finding creative ways to make the most of limited resources.
When meeting with potential florists, be upfront about your budget. A good florist will help guide you toward both beautiful and budget-friendly options, offering suggestions for less expensive flowers or ways to simplify arrangements without sacrificing style.
Choose A Venue With Natural Beauty
The wedding venue can also affect the amount you need to spend on flowers.
Venues with natural beauty—such as gardens, beaches, or historic buildings—often require fewer decorations to create the desired atmosphere.
If your venue already has a lovely backdrop, you may be able to reduce the number of floral arrangements you need.
Additionally, venues with built-in decor, such as chandeliers, large windows, or architectural details, may need fewer flowers to enhance the space.
By selecting a venue with its charm, you can save money on florals while achieving a beautiful setting.
Stick To A Limited Variety Of Flowers
While it’s tempting to use a wide variety of flowers in your arrangements, sticking to one or two types can help control costs.
This streamlined approach can still look elegant and cohesive while reducing the number of different flowers you need to purchase.
For example, using only roses or lilies throughout your wedding creates a uniform and polished look.
Depending on your theme and colour palette, speak with your florist about which flowers will work best for this type of arrangement.
Use Potted Plants
Potted plants offer a budget-friendly alternative to traditional cut flowers. They can be used as decor during the event and taken home by guests as favours, reducing waste and providing guests with a lasting memento of the day.
Succulents, ferns, or other small plants make great centrepieces and can be scattered around the venue to add greenery. Potted plants are often less expensive than floral arrangements and are reusable after the wedding.
Focus On High-Impact Areas
Instead of decorating every part of the venue with flowers, concentrate on a few key areas.
The ceremony space, bridal bouquet, and reception tables are often the most photographed locations, so focusing your floral budget there will provide the greatest impact.
For example, all your guests will see a well-designed floral arrangement at the altar, which will be featured in many photos.
Meanwhile, smaller arrangements in less prominent areas may go unnoticed. You can make the most of your floral budget by prioritising high-visibility areas.
Conclusion
Saving money on wedding florists doesn’t mean sacrificing style or beauty. By choosing in-season flowers, simplifying arrangements, and focusing on key areas, couples can create a beautiful wedding while keeping their budget intact.
Making smart decisions—such as reusing flowers and incorporating non-floral decor—ensures you get the most value from each arrangement.
With careful planning, it’s possible to have stunning florals that add elegance to your wedding day without the financial strain.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it better to use a local florist?
Going to a local florist allows you to build a face-to-face relationship. You get to know someone by name, and they become invested in your life.
Often, you get to see many floral arrangements before you buy flowers. If you tell them the flowers are for a funeral, they care about that because you’re their neighbour.
Why are wedding flowers so expensive?
Not only does it take a lot of room to process, design, and store completed designs, but it also takes room to house all the other stuff we need. Space costs money. And even if a florist is designing in their kitchen, it still costs money to live there.
Are flowers from a florist better?
When you buy fresh flowers, the #1 difference between the grocery store and a local florist is the quality of flowers.
Florists have an absolute passion for providing the very best florals in terms of freshness and quality and superior floral services.
Who gets corsages at a wedding?
The bride’s mother, groom’s mother, all the grandmothers, and any female readers during your ceremony traditionally wear a corsage on their wrist or a pinned corsage to their clothing.
If you have a female officiant that you connect with, you could even consider giving them a corsage.
How far in advance should I order flowers?
We recommend placing your order for custom bouquets two to four weeks before your event. If you plan to order seasonal flowers, consider doing so even earlier.
