How to Save Money on Wedding Florists

how to save money on wedding florists

It bears repeating, but weddings may easily break the bank. As an added bonus, this can put an undue amount of stress on the budget-conscious couple. When you add in the cost of the flowers for the wedding, the entire amount can be overwhelming. Need help planning your wedding? Check out our list of Wedding Event Planners here.

Table of Contents

The Average Cost of a Wedding Bouquet

A reasonable rule of thumb is to spend 10–15 percent of your total wedding expenditure on decorations and flowers. This number can be adjusted upwards or downwards based on the size of the vase or flower arrangement you have in mind. Here you may use our online calculator to get an estimate of how much you'll need to spend on wedding flowers.

Why Have Flower Prices Increased?

The cost of flowers has increased dramatically since the start of COVID-19. The decreased number of flights into Australia has caused a shortage of imported flowers.

Where are the flowers you said were cultivated locally? The volume of imports has tripled since 2009, and as a result, many indigenous manufacturers have been forced to shut down. Extreme weather has also reduced the availability of several varieties of flower (such as those recently experienced in Australia). This means that supply pressure is at an all-time high.

Wedding Flower Ordering Procedure

Unlike picking selecting a bouquet of flowers at a whim, ordering flowers for a wedding involves a number of steps. It is the florist's responsibility to realise the bride's vision for the wedding's aesthetic.

In most cases, you'll want to start by filling out an information sheet and then calling the florist to talk about the specifics. The next step is a visit with the florist to discuss your floral decor preferences for the wedding, such as the floral arrangement, bridesmaids' bouquets, centerpiece, and more.

The florist will next take your broad ideas and refine them down to the finer points, such as the types of flowers and foliages to order, the number of vases required, and the time frame during which the flowers will be picked up and delivered to the wedding venue.

The procedure takes quite some time. It also costs money. Florists do more than just design bouquets, and you may not know it. They need to check in with their growers and suppliers to ensure they have what they need, coordinate with the church or other venue to figure out logistics, estimate their fixed expenses, timing the flower bloom correctly, account for the weather, and prepare for the event's timeframe. Giving money to a florist will not just go towards purchasing flowers, as florists have many other responsibilities.

Your wedding flowers, including all the bouquets and centrepieces, must be bought well in advance. The most pretty flowers are usually the ones the bride had imagined when she was first starting to plan her wedding and they tend to be the most expensive. What you don't see is all the work that went into making it happen. As an added cost and hassle, wedding flower deliveries and setup frequently occur at inconvenient hours.

In the end, it's the florist's expertise that makes this happen. Products and services in any market tend to cost more when they offer higher quality. Having made flower arrangements for dozens, if not hundreds, of weddings, is invaluable experience that can be used to justify the high price tag.

Our Budget Wedding Flower Buying Advice

One approach to cut costs on wedding flowers is to use blooms from a friend's gorgeous garden. There are a lot of ways to save money on wedding flowers, and I've listed a few of them here.

Be Flexible in Your Demands

You can save money by having fewer requirements. Talk to the florist about what you want and take their advice. Think about what flowers are in season, and then let the florist turn your dream into a realistic, budget-friendly plan. If you tell your florist the colour, quantity, and theme you want, they can do the rest for you at a price that is easy on the wallet. Instead of focusing on individual flowers, you can make beautiful flower arrangements on a smaller budget by putting the focus on these elements.

Keep In Mind That Flowers Are Purchased in Bulk

Remember that flower shops often buy in bulk from distributors or other sources. White roses are the florist's go-to, but their wholesaler only sells them in bunches of 30, so they can only buy them in such large quantities. You'll have to cover the expense for the projected large amount of flower waste that will occur when planning the wedding's floral arrangements. When organising your flower arrangements, keep this in mind.

Consistent Communication

how to communicate with your wedding vendors1

Having open lines of communication will help you save money on the bridal bouquets. Talk to your florist if you desire to get the maximum enjoyment from your flower purchase. Maybe different colours can be used in place of the white roses if that is an absolute necessity for the centrepieces. If you encounter problems like these, now is the time to discuss them with your florist, who will definitely have advice to provide.

Avoid Last Minute Changes

In order to ensure that your wedding goes smoothly, it's important to have a plan in place. But it's pointless if you can't finish the job the way you imagined it. The cost of the flowers may increase if members of the bridal party decide to make adjustments or add special demands at the last minute. Perhaps if it seems like a small change to you, it could push your florist to reassess their strategy or even hire more people to keep up with demand. Cut down on the number of alterations, or at least try to guess how much each one will set you back. Budgeting for wedding flowers

Make the Best Use of the Flowers

It's no secret that a higher budget means more flowers in the decorations. One option to cut costs is to recycle or repurpose your existing floral arrangements. If you're going to reuse the flowers from the wedding at the reception, it might not be worth it to pay for the florist's transportation services. But will there be a flower boy at the ceremony? When that's the case, even the best plans can bring smiles.

Be Open and Honest About Your Priorities

Some individuals place a high value on floral arrangements while organising a wedding. In order to get the dream flower arrangements, they must go all out. If flowers aren't crucial, though, you can talk over your demands with the shop's experts and start to work immediately.

Create a Budget

If you are upfront with a florist about your budget and what you hope to spend, they will appreciate it. Taking this out of the way early on can help you create trust, get precisely what you desire from the experience, and give you more time to devote to other areas of planning, such as the flowers or the budget. You will easily be able to tell whether the florist you are dealing with is attempting to deceive you. You understand what you should do if this feeling ever returns.

Use Seasonal Flowers

Consult your florist about the general feel, style, and colour scheme you're going for. Give all of the specifics to the wedding florist arranging the flowers.

If you want to save money, use flowers that are in season and cultivated close to where you live. When planning your wedding flowers, don't be afraid to ask your florist for advice on what flowers will be in season. However, if you're on a budget, you can save money by being flexible with the flowers you use in centrepieces, bouquets, and other similar arrangements. If you engage a floral designer, they may have suggestions for you that won't break the bank.

Reduce Flower Options

how to save money on your wedding budget2

One wedding bouquet can contain as many as ten different types of flowers. Florists can save money by limiting their inventory to just two or three popular flower varieties.

If you want numerous different kinds of flowers, the florist will still have to buy them in quantity. Since some farmers will only sell in specific numbers, such as a minimum of fifty stems per bunch, this is the case.

Bear in mind that the florist will most likely have to purchase a whole bunch of flowers even if they only require a few stems in order to fulfil your online flower order. Because of this, there could be a significant amount of extra stuff and wasted effort. The florist will charge more because they will need to devote more time on flower preparation.

Conserve Premium Flowers

Beautiful but pricy blooms include peony, David Austin rose, and phalaenopsis orchid. Using these blossoms as table centrepieces is an expensive proposition.

However, if you're bent on using them, keep in mind that you should only use the costly flowers sparingly. Put one in your floral arrangement, or use it as a focal point in a table arrangement with cheaper flowers.

While many future brides may find their dream wedding flowers on Pinterest, they may be surprised to learn that the arrangements are generally made with more expensive premium flowers.

Wedding flower pricing in Australia are different from the United States, and many of the photographs on Pinterest are patterned on weddings in the United States. Even though white hydrangeas play a significant role in your flower-design motivation, you'll be dismayed to find out that they're out of your price range in Australia.

Check out our Top Wedding Planners here to help make your special day as smooth as possible.

Some of these blossoms may potentially be seasonal or unavailable. You should also anticipate paying more if the flowers you want for your wedding have to be imported or are out of season.

Choose the Floral Elements or Items That Are Most Important to You

Think about which aspects or qualities are most important to you. Our ability to make an impact should be taken into account when making this decision.

Suppose you've settled on an outdoor wedding and that the garden you've chosen for the event is breathtaking. Therefore, you can save money by forgoing the conventional wedding arch or flower centrepiece at the venue where you and your fiance will be uttering your vows.

Avoiding flower-centric traditions like garter and petals-thrown-down-the-aisle helps save money on the big day's floral budget.

If the reception site has low ceilings, you can save money on the flowers by not getting any tall centrepieces. This is because raised table centrepieces often cost more than shorter ones since more flowers are needed, it is more expensive to hire the requisite stands, and it takes more time and work to deconstruct and repurpose them after the celebration.

Consider an Intimate Wedding

Flowers for the table centrepieces might be scaled back if only a small number of guests are expected. In addition, smaller floral arrangements are in order because of the smaller bridal party. So, you might save money on flowers if you arrange them yourself.

Florals Can Be Repurposed or Reused

If you're looking to save money on your wedding, you can reuse the flowers you purchase. As an example, the bridesmaids' flowers can be recycled as centerpiece or dessert table decorations. The flowers used at the signing table can be reused at the guestbook table. Arrange to have someone transport and set up the flowers between the ceremony and reception venues.

You shouldn't have to waste the beautiful flowers you bought for the ceremony just because they were used once. This is a fantastic idea, as is decorating the cake table with the bridesmaids' bouquets once the pictures have been shot. A florist is an unnecessary expense if you have a friend who is prepared to help bring the flowers to the reception location.

Avoid Major Special Occasions to Save Money on Wedding Flowers

Having your wedding on a big holiday, such as Mother's Day or Valentine's Day, is not recommended. At this season of year, flower prices will go up.

Take into account that many wedding florists and flower growers in Sydney take time off towards the end of the year and the start of the new year. This could potentially restrict your flower and seller choices.

Mix Flowers and Other Décor Elements

One further option to save money on wedding flowers is to include them into centrepieces that include other low-cost elements, such as lights, lamps, and bud vases. It's easy to create a relaxing atmosphere by lighting candles. Combine pillar candles with votive candles for a dramatic effect.

In general, it's best to make purchases in multiples of three, five, seven, etc.

Support Local

Using flowers that are in season and easily accessible to guests in the area around the wedding venue will help keep costs down. Many florists choose to import more expensive flowers because they cannot get them locally. Elegant, fragrant, and inexpensive wedding flowers are available year-round, and some of the most popular are roses, lilies, and chrysanthemums.

Be Minimalist

Minimalist weddings have caught on recently, and we're not the only ones who've already noticed. In modern times, brides are less likely to be seen with bouquets as big as their heads. A bouquet doesn't need to be flashy to be meaningful; it's all about what you choose.

Be Honest With Your Florist

A skilled florist will work within your budget to come up with creative solutions. We suggest telling your florist how much money you have to spend on flowers up front, but also leaving them some room to manoeuvre. Given their expertise, you can rest assured that they will do all of their power to meet your needs while staying within your wedding flower budget.

Select Larger Flowers

Instead of utilising filler greenery, you can use larger, more eye-catching flowers to cover any gaps in your arrangement. The larger the bloom, the less you'll need to produce a stunning arrangement that will leave your visitors awestruck, thus this helps keep expenses down thanks to economies of scale.

Looking for the Top Wedding Planner in Melbourne? Look no further and check out our ultimate list of Wedding Planners here.

Conclusion

The work of a florist extends much beyond the creation of floral arrangements, which you may not even realise they do. Having fewer criteria is a great approach to cut costs on wedding flowers. By keeping lines of communication open, you can cut costs on the bridal bouquets. Keep in mind that flower shops frequently make large purchases from wholesalers and other vendors. If you want to get the most out of your flower purchase, consult your florist.

Telling a florist how much you can spend is always appreciated. A florist can save money by carrying only the most popular flower types. If you need to save money on floral arrangements, you can get creative with the types of flowers you choose. The cost of wedding flowers in Australia varies from that in the United States. If you forego the wedding arch and floral centrepieces, you can reduce your overall wedding budget.

For those looking to save money on their wedding flowers, forgoing flower-centric rituals like the garter and petals-thrown-down-the-aisle is a great idea. Weddings should not be scheduled on important holidays like Valentine's Day or Mother's Day. Numerous flower farmers and florists typically take vacation time between December and January. You can save money on flowers by using seasonal ones that your visitors can easily find. You may get beautiful, fragrant, and reasonably priced wedding flowers at any time of year. The larger the flower, the less you'll need to make an impressive bouquet.

FAQs About Wedding Florists

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

CONTENT SUMMARY

  • When you add in the cost of the flowers for the wedding, the entire amount can be overwhelming.
  • Here you may use our online calculator to get an estimate of how much you'll need to spend on wedding flowers.
  • There are a lot of ways to save money on wedding flowers, and I've listed a few of them here.
  • Talk to your florist if you desire to get the maximum enjoyment from your flower purchase.
  • One option to cut costs is to recycle or repurpose your existing floral arrangements.
  • If you are upfront with a florist about your budget and what you hope to spend, they will appreciate it.
  • Give all of the specifics to the wedding florist arranging the flowers.
  • When planning your wedding flowers, don't be afraid to ask your florist for advice on what flowers will be in season.
  • You should also anticipate paying more if the flowers you want for your wedding have to be imported or are out of season.
  • A florist is an unnecessary expense if you have a friend who is prepared to help bring the flowers to the reception location.
  • At this season of year, flower prices will go up.
  • Using flowers that are in season and easily accessible to guests in the area around the wedding venue will help keep costs down.
  • A skilled florist will work within your budget to come up with creative solutions.
  • Given their expertise, you can rest assured that they will do all of their power to meet your needs while staying within your wedding flower budget.
  • Instead of utilising filler greenery, you can use larger, more eye-catching flowers to cover any gaps in your arrangement.

About The Author

Scroll to Top