How to Stretch Your Wedding Flower Budget: 8 Tips from a NC Flower Farmer
Planning a wedding is exciting, but it can also come with a hefty price tag. Staying within budget can be tough with all the dreams you might have. And economical wedding flowers may seem like an oxymoron.
If you want the beauty and ambiance fresh flowers add to your wedding, there’s good news. You don’t have to sacrifice fresh flowers to stay within your budget. Finding affordable wedding flowers is about knowing where to put your emphasis.
As a flower farmer and a florist, I’ve seen both sides of the wedding flower fence! Here are eight ways to maximize you wedding flower budget and beauty.
View my NC Wedding Flower Guide to see what’s in season for your NC wedding.
Choose in-season flowers
In our global economy, a wedding florist can get nearly any flower year round - at a cost. Using flower varieties that are in season in your area is like buying fruits and vegetables in peak season. Flowers are fresh, available in abundance and the don’t require extensive shipping.
I recently saw lisianthus for sale at a flower wholesaler in December for DOUBLE their normal summer price. That means you get half the flowers or double the cost.
Either way, choosing in-season flowers is the single biggest way to maximize your wedding aesthetic and stretch your flower budget.
To learn which flowers are in season for your NC wedding date, see my NC Wedding Flower Guide.
Spend on Focal Areas
Flowers set the mood for the wedding experience for you and your guests.. Flowers also play a surprisingly big role in your wedding photos, which you’ll have for years (unlike the food or music).
Spend your flower budget on areas with the greatest impact: your bouquet, his boutonniere, your ceremony altar or backdrop. Put a few of the expensive, show-stoppper flowers in the most photographed arrangements (i.e. your bouquet and possibly the head table).
Use Seasonal Decor
To fill in other areas like aisle entrances, welcome areas and cocktail tables, think seasonally. Potted plants, small trees, seasonal gourds or branches, and wreaths or garland make great floral extensions.
Bonus: some florists may offer plant rentals that allow you to use lots of flowering plants for the price of buying just a few yourself.
Go Green
If you want more florals without the big-bloom cost, greenery is your friend. Vines or garlands on your ceremony arbor and reception tables can add a natural touch at a lower cost than full-scale floral arrangements.
Take advantage of the natural ambience of an outdoor venue. Lights in trees or on fences or arbors with greenery can add a decorative touch for little money.
Skip the hanging installs on ceilings and chandeliers. Those are expensive additions that draw the eye up and away from the stars of the ceremony - you and your groom!
Repurpose Everything
This may seem obvious, but if you’re on a budget, every arrangement needs to do double duty. Instead of a floral backdrop or arbor, opt for 2 large arrangements on pedestals which can be reused at your reception head table. You and your guests won’t notice the repeat but it will give the illusion of more abundance. Plan on vases to reuse bride and bridesmaid bouquets on reception tables. Once the bridal party photos are done, you’ll want to put them down anyway. These are great for gift, cake, buffet and bar areas.
Bud Vase Bonanza
Having a crowd at your reception? Bud vases are a great low cost way to flower your reception tables. If you’ve got a wedding tribe, this is a great day-before project for aunts, cousins or in-town friends who want to help (and it’s hard to get it wrong.)
Your biggest hurdle is usually finding bulk flowers that match your other wedding florals. See this blog article for ideas on where to find bulk wedding flowers.
Buy Only what You Need
Wedding flower packages often bundle many elements. Look for a wedding florist that lets you buy flowers a la carte. By choosing from a menu, you’ll get exactly what you need and keep costs in check.
Skip Delivery
A big portion of wedding flower costs is labor. And rightly so, the design, transport and setup is a lot of work! But if you’re only buying a few items, see if you can save on delivery costs by picking up your flowers the day before your wedding.
Be sure to designate someone with an enclosed vehicle (not a pick up truck) to get the flowers. Then ask your planner or a trusted friend to handle any flower moves on wedding day for repurposed items.
This requires some special care to keep flowers at their best. But any good florist will advise you on how to store and transport your flowers.
Seasonal elements and altar flowers can be repurposed after the ceremony. Arbors cannot!
Local farmer florists and flower farms are great resources for the budget-friendly bride. We are the experts on which flowers are in season and often offer options and flower varieties that many traditional wedding florists can’t.
To search for a local wedding flower farm near you, visit localflowers.org for a searchable list from the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers.
Wedding planning on a budget doesn’t mean you’re stuck with stiff artificial flowers. By thoughtfully planning which elements are most important to you and knowing what is seasonally available, you can host a beautiful flower-filled wedding event and have the photos to remember it for a lifetime.
