Budget Weddings Forum

budget flowers

I love flowers. I would like them at my wedding, However I don't want to spend $500- $800 on  them. Anyone have any suggestions on how  to reduce the price?  I seriously am thinking  of asking my mom  and my aunt to help me  make our own. I'm just worried about timing  and  I don't want to stress anyone out. What can I use instead of flowers? 

Re: budget flowers

  • I love flowers. I would like them at my wedding, However I don't want to spend $500- $800 on  them. Anyone have any suggestions on how  to reduce the price?  I seriously am thinking  of asking my mom  and my aunt to help me  make our own. I'm just worried about timing  and  I don't want to stress anyone out. What can I use instead of flowers? 
    I guess it depends on what you need.  If you're not picky, you might be able to walk into a florist and say, "what can I get for $300?"  Flowers come in seasons, what might be really cheap today might be the most expensive thing ever in December.

    My one thought is to walk into a florist and telling them that I like pink and need a bouquet, some corsages and bouts.  Pink.  What's in season?  I need flowers.
    For me, option two is picking up grocery store flowers and putting a single stem in brown beer bottles and bombers, maybe with baby's breath.  Simple, inexpensive, pretty, and "us".
  • Large flowers = fewer flowers = less money.  I am a 40 something bride and every one I spoke to about saving money said go light on the flowers.  I am using individual cakes on the tables. Using branches, eucalyptus, flowers that can be used in small volume like Calla lilies you can use less and save money. Also incorporating your favors into the centerpieces may helpful...like small flowers plants that people take home or small baskets with favors in them, floating candles. 
  • All of the PPs are spot on. Also, try Costco, Sam's Club, or your local grocer. We got beautiful flowers for the tables at Costco and would have considered them for bouquets, etc. if they had packages that made sense for us.
    Daisypath Anniversary tickers
  • Trader joe's bouqets are super cheap.  Sam's club has bulk flowers for under $100.  You might need to get some filler for bouquets, but a friend of mine used trader joe's and spent $150 there, and another $100 on filler.  But she got a ton of flowers for that price.
  • I think it wouldn't be a terrible idea to come up with a list of what you think you MUST have - a bride's bouquet, bridesmaids bouquets, corsages? boutonnieres?, centerpieces, altar decor, etc. Take your list of musts, and your budget, and talk to some florists. Most will be able to say I can do x for x. Or give you options of cheaper flower varieties or things to cut out of your list to  make your budget happen. As long as you are 100% honest about your budget, a florist should be able to come up with something that is reasonable.

    Costco and Sam's Club both offer wedding flower packages too if you want to go a DIY route. I've personally ordered bulk flowers from Costco and been very pleased with them! My friend also ordered a package from them for her wedding and everything look gorgeous!



  • I was able to get hydrangeas for 7 tables, long stems for wine bottles (15), my bouquet, two corsages, and 3 bouts for around $500. I agree with looking for large/fuller flowers (you'll need less) and to keep things simple. I just told my florist I wanted lots of color for my bouquet, corsages and bouts and they came out beautifully. One thing that can drive up a floral quote is if you have them purchase the vases - buy those on your own from the dollar store or thrift shops. Much cheaper.
  • The number one thing is to be smart about your pennies and bloom choices.  You're going to get a lot more daisies for $50 than you will roses. 

    I agree with the PP, make your list of what you NEED (bridal bouquet, nosegays for the bridesmaids, bout for your FI & groomsman, FOG/FOB, coursages for the key players, etc.)..  Then go in to a florist and say "I have a budget of $$$" slightly below what you are comfortable spending so you have a little wiggle room for things like tax, delivery, etc.), what can I get for the money" and go from there.  Usually the more flexibility you give to your vendors the better off you'll be. 

    You don't have to sacrifice having a florist do your flowers for you just because you don't have a large budget.  Picking them up yourself/WP can often save you easily $50.  Giving your florist as much to work with as possible also helps your budget (assorted "filler" flowers will add color without adding lots of price).  Also choosing easier to obtain blooms will help keep your budget in check.  Absolutely check out Sam's Club/Costco/online wedding flowers as they sell entire groups of wedding flowers/centerpieces and you can do add-on packages.  We did this for my parents anniversary and I used them again for a commodity royalty type event and while the flowers were lovely and got the job done in such a way that I couldn't have found a florist to achieve the same vision, there were a few drawbacks (i.e. nerves waiting for them to arrive since they're coming from overseas going through customs, cutting bases and getting them in to water storage bins of water, keeping them cool, rogue rough blooms, vases for the centerpieces I ordered being far too small, etc.), but when they arrived the blooms/arrangements were so beautiful and guests found it hard to believe that I had used Sam's instead of a florist (there was only a grocery store florist for 40+ miles from the anniversary reception venue, my options were limited!). 

    Another idea for centerpieces is just a small plant from the greenhouse in a pot protector. Usually this can run you around $5-10 for a simple one which is much cheaper than a vase and cut flowers.  You can also send them home with guests as a favor/gift...


  • nyyanks1 said:
    I have made tissue paper pomanders balls and they looked beautiful.  I hung some with ribbon and others with strings of pearls I got from www.weddingdecorboutique.com  Such a money saver and they look beautiful.  Check out the website as they have photos too and DIY tutorials.
    @nyyanks1, you have been reported as a possible vendor. Promoting your own business is against the TOS.
  • I second @labro's suggestion to find ask some florists what they can do with your budget.

    I went the DIY route for our small-ish wedding and it worked out fine. I think we spent a little under $500 including all the flowers, vases, and other supplies. It was a little stressful, but it did save a lot of money. Pro tip: use artificial flowers for your bouts and corsages so that you can do them farther in advance.
    Wedding Countdown Ticker



  • blabla89 said:

    I second @labro's suggestion to find ask some florists what they can do with your budget.

    I went the DIY route for our small-ish wedding and it worked out fine. I think we spent a little under $500 including all the flowers, vases, and other supplies. It was a little stressful, but it did save a lot of money. Pro tip: use artificial flowers for your bouts and corsages so that you can do them farther in advance.

    That's a good idea. I don't need much only 2 bouquets, 4 bouts, 5 centerpieces and cake flowers. I found vases I love at hobby lobby and am thinking of just doing it myself the day before and setting up the morning of.
  •  

    That's a good idea. I don't need much only 2 bouquets, 4 bouts, 5 centerpieces and cake flowers. I found vases I love at hobby lobby and am thinking of just doing it myself the day before and setting up the morning of.
    If that's all you need, you should be able to accomplish that from a florist for $300 or less depending on what blooms you choose...  Which IS going to be less than you're going to fork over to DIY by the time you figure every last supply, bloom, the value of your time when you don't have a lot of it, and trial(s)..  Figure out what you're comfortable spending and give your florist that number to work with - that's not a big order, you could even FTD or Sam's Club or Costco and not lift much of a finger...
  • MesmrEwe said:
     

    That's a good idea. I don't need much only 2 bouquets, 4 bouts, 5 centerpieces and cake flowers. I found vases I love at hobby lobby and am thinking of just doing it myself the day before and setting up the morning of.
    If that's all you need, you should be able to accomplish that from a florist for $300 or less depending on what blooms you choose...  Which IS going to be less than you're going to fork over to DIY by the time you figure every last supply, bloom, the value of your time when you don't have a lot of it, and trial(s)..  Figure out what you're comfortable spending and give your florist that number to work with - that's not a big order, you could even FTD or Sam's Club or Costco and not lift much of a finger...


    I bit the bullet. I  got  what I mentioned for $525 (I budgeted $570.00).  The florist said because my date was close to mother's day flowers are going to be  more costly. Also I didn't want an all hydrangea  bouquet, I wanted white garden roses(expensive). I got spray roses for the bouts.  So I did  spend what was in my budget but I got exactly what I wanted with out having to sacrifice a lot. I did choose gold plastic bowls for the centerpieces, not ideal, but it works.

  • I've gone DIY with the help of a friend (who also did her own and has an eye for these things), and also gone silk! We went to Hobby Lobby on a couple of their 40% or 50% off sales and I purchased enough flowers for 16 centerpieces, 3 small bouquets, my bouquet, a toss bouquet, and all the boutonnieres for about $200 and they're going to look amazing! Oh, and petals for the aisle as well. I'll have to share pics when they're all put together. (My wedding isn't till February so we're holding off till closer to January to actually assemble.)

    For the ceremony space (since the reception is literally right outside where the ceremony will be), I think we may bring in some of the centerpieces and arrange them... then just have someone sneak them back out to the tables when we're done!

    One perk to silk flowers is that I'm going to be able to have a nice keepsake (so will my wedding party), and I may sell what's left of my decor on the cheap to another bride!
  • Hello!


    I was just like you when it came to the flowers. I actually ended up making my bridesmaid bouquets and the boutonnieres ( All supplies including the flowers, silk wrap and glue for about $85.00). I then bought a bouquet of orange roses from Costco and made my own bouquet out of those ($20.00 for 2 dozen roses). I did buy my corsages from a local florist for 10 a piece. I have some pictures attached. I hope this helps!

  • I bought beautiful handmade vases on Etsy in my color scheme ($180),  and I'm getting 100 mini calla lillies from Sam's Club for $134,  & 8 bunches of assorted greenery from Sam's for $54.  Fiancee will be putting it together while we girls get ready!
  • I ordered from fifty flowers.com and made my own centerpieces and bouquets.

    The centerpieces were just a mix of different clear or teal glass bottles, jars, and vases I'd been collecting (some were super cheap at resale shops and garage sales).  I put hydrangeas in the shorter ones and purple stock (stock is soooo cheap) in the taller ones.  They looked great.  And my sister and I made the bouquets out of hydrangeas and peony roses.  Everyone thought they'd been professionally made.  And I'm NOT super crafty.  

    The only thing I bought professionally was boutonnieres and corsages because I didn't trust myself to make those well.  I searched around until I found a woman who would make them for cheaper than normal florists (she runs her business out of her house).  

    It still wasn't super cheap (hydrangeas are pricey), but I still saved money over a professional florist.

    SaveSave
  • I love hydrangeas because it is the flower my grandmother is named after.
  • Here's a pic of my bouquet.  Just used floral tape to wrap, then put white satin and lace around it.  The bridesmaids and I put our bouquets in vases at our table during dinner to serve as the centerpieces for our table (double duty!).

    SaveSave
  • I ordered my flowers from Costco and then did the bouquets, centerpieces, and bouts myself. I actually just pinned a single rose on the guys, I didn't want a "real bout". But I had 8 BM bouquets, mt bouquet, 11 bouts, and about 30-35 centerpieces, 2 large arrangements, and a flower collage wall thing. I did all of that for $600.

    For what you are needing, you could definitely do something you are looking for for much less whether you choose to do it yourself or see what a florist can do for you with your budget.



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