Wedding Flowers

Image via Wikipedia

I wanted fantastic flowers for our wedding, but I didn’t want to $5000 on something that was going to die in a few days.  So I found several ways to have lush flowers, but still keep costs down.

First I considered DIY, I quickly decided this would be a nightmare and was not a good option for me, however it can work for other brides.  Look at Costco, BJs, and Sams Club to get bulk flowers.  These stores also offer packages of flowers which include bouquets, centerpieces, boutonieres, ceremony flowers etc.

Also check out www.fiftyflowers.com and www.post-a-rose.com.  I have read good things about both companies on wedding messages boards.

Don’t forget about local flower markets which can offer great prices for bulk flowers.

If you are thinking of  going the DIY route, you might want to take a flower arranging course at a community college, they are often quite affordable.

I would also suggest doing mock ups before hand so you know what look you are going for and you can estimate how long it may take you to make your flowers before the wedding.

When looking for a florist try to find one who works out of their home.  That way they don’t have the overhead of a store, they don’t have stock that goes bad and they need to pay for even if it’s not sold, no rent, no cost of huge coolers.  All of these costs are passed on to you the consumer.  So finding someone who works out of their home could save you money.

I also suggest meeting with more than one florist, I met with four.  I clicked with some better than others and their prices varied a great deal.  You want to trust your florist, you want to make sure they get your vision, and your budget!

I said before I don’t like several flowers, they are flowers often used by “cheaper” florists, such as mums, carnations, and daisies.                                                                                                                                        Image via FlowerPictureGallery.com

I think these flowers look cheap, I want things to be inexpensive, not cheap.  So I had to make sure my florist was on board with the budget I wanted to meet, but my snobbish ways as well.

Other ideas to keep costs down:

-Stick to seasonal flowers.

-Use greens in your arrangements.  Use ferns and ivy to fill large spaces without flowers, these are good to hide ugly elements in a room.

-Have smaller bouquets, the very large bouquets increase costs and are quite heavy.

-Incorporate other elements in your centerpieces other than just flowers to make it more visually interesting and cut down costs.

- Add curly willow branches for example for height at a low-cost.  Candles are also cost-effective and add a romantic feel.

-Bigger blooms take up more room so you need fewer to fill up a bouquet or a centerpiece.  Flowers are bought by the stem so although Peonies are more expensive they take up more room so you will need fewer stems then say tea roses.

-Ask your florist for suggestions for different flowers to get a simar look for less money.

Do you have any other suggestions?

Daily Deals:

US:

$40 of product from BeautyChoice.com for $20 on Moolala.

40% off tanks and tees at Loft.

Tada has Mother’s Day flowers for $15 instead of $30.   

UK:

Get two 15 minute spray tans for £15 on KGB. 

Related Articles

• The Vendor Chronicles: Flower Power (weddingbee.com)
• Finding a proper florist (amazus.org)
• The Vendor Chronicles: Wilted Flower Dreams (weddingbee.com)
• When Selecting a Wedding Florist-Ask These Questions (makeyourweddinginexpensive.com)
• Figuring the Flowers: Part II (weddingbee.com)
• Fresh Flower Arranging (momblognetwork.com)
• Blood and bandages? (charioteers.org)
• Fresh (evergreenwedding.wordpress.com)
• Costco Wedding Dresses (londonsnobonabudget.wordpress.com)
• There’s a royal wedding on the horizon (interflora.co.uk)
• How to Avoid Wedding Projects and Influence No One (weddingbee.com)