Wedding Flowers Fit for Any Budget

It’s impossible to imagine a wedding without beautiful bouquets and boutonnieres or bunches of blossoms at the center of each table. But the cost of these one-day-only floral arrangements can quickly add up. Before you let budget-constraints wilt your burgeoning fantasy of a picture-perfect event, check out these tips for more affordable flowers. Opt for Easy Typically, blooms that are in season and locally grown are the most economical, says Karen Bussen, a wedding expert in New York City and author of “Simple Stunning Wedding Flowers” (Stewart, Tabori and Chang, 2007). That means making selections like peonies and flowering branches (cherry, forsythia, crabapple, quince and lilac) in the spring, sunflowers in the summer or dahlias in the fall. People in tropical climates should check out proteas, monstera leaves and ginger flowers, whereas couples in cooler climates might like stock, a showy, fragrant bloom that comes in a wide variety of colors, including peach, pink, fuchsia and lavender. “By using regional blooms, you’ll not only save money, you’ll also be more eco-friendly and you’ll be supporting the local economy,” Bussen says. Trim Your Stems When it comes to flowers, sometimes less can have more of an impact. For example, Bussen suggests making your bridesmaid bouquets smaller. “I love chic posies of just ten stems of tulips, calla lilies, freesia or sweet pea blossoms, rather than big pom-poms,” she says. “They’re more elegant, easier to carry and much more budget-friendly, especially if you have a big bridal party.” Bussen also recommends focusing on your vow space (alter, chuppah) during the ceremony and limiting your reception flowers to the most eye-catching areas, such as entrances, fireplaces and your dinner tables. Skip fancy bar décor, as the bartender will likely need the room for bottles, glassware and garnishes. For more affordable centerpieces, try changing up the arrangements so that there are a few different sizes, or make one more floral while another focuses on candles. “Taller table arrangements tend to be more expensive and are kind of passé, so use them sparingly and alternate simpler arrangements throughout the room to create texture and visual interest,” says Bussen. More Bang for Your Bloom Consider asking your florist for double duty arrangements (think ceremony flowers shifted to reception centerpieces), but only when it makes sense. Bussen doesn’t like moving arrangements if it means doing it in front of guests in the middle of the celebration. “But,” she adds, “if you can think in clever ways, you can save a lot.” For example, place a single flower (dahlia, tulip, freesia, alstroemeria, solidago, etc.) in a narrow, inexpensive glass vase and attach business card-sized escort cards to the stems with a pretty ribbon. Each guest or couple carries their bud vase/escort card to their table and it becomes the centerpiece for the reception. At the end of the party, they get to take their personalized floral arrangement home. “That’s a unique win-win-win,” says Bussen. “Escort card, centerpiece and guest favor!” DIY Décor Consider a rustic theme, including vintage vases filled with fresh-from-the-garden flowers. You can save hundreds of dollars by picking and arranging the flowers yourself. At the 110-acre Little River Flower Farm in Buxton, Maine, couples can stroll through the gardens and greenhouse and fill their buckets with over a hundred organically grown options, including everything from wildflowers, herbs, grasses and cottage garden standards like zinnias, snapdragons and asters, to the latest hybrids and specialty blossoms, such as Asiatic lilies, peonies, lisianthus and deep burgundy-colored chocolate cosmos which actually smell like cocoa. “Every year I add in something different,” says owner Nancy Stedman. This year it’s the Hens and Chicks Poppy, which produces huge, showy pink blooms with a large central pod surrounded by smaller pods, giving the impression of a mother hen and her chicks. Stedman usually charges by the bunch and offers discounts for bulk orders. The average couple spends around $150 for all their floral wedding needs.