5 Ways to Save on Your Bouquet

Flowers can be one of the most important details and biggest expenses of your wedding. Our best advice is to find a florist that you can really trust so you can be sure that you are getting the best deals and the most options for your big day. To save big on such a big expense, try some of these tricks of the trade.

1. Color Before Type

You might know right away that you want to see a cascading wall of roses at your reception, but try going into your florist with your colors in mind, rather than a specific color type. This will help keep your options open to many alternative flowers that you've never even heard of before. In addition, you might be able to get your florals to closely match your wedding colors, rather than settling for the closest color available for roses. 

2. Look Alikes

Popular flowers like roses, peonies, and orchids can get pricey fast! Do your homework ahead of time and look into cheaper alternative flowers that share the same look. For example ranunculus (above) look similar to peonies, but save you $4.00 a stem, which could add up to hundreds in the end. Roses can similarly be replaced by lithianthus or begonias.

3. Purchase in Season

Another quick tip to save money on flowers – buy in season. For a Spring wedding that opens up the door for daisies, lilies, sunflowers, tulips, roses, orchids, and hydrangeas. Instead of paying additional fees for rare out of season flowers that may have to be flown in, know what will be available for you wedding date.

Keep color in mind too, when purchasing in season flowers. Roses are available year round, but certain colors are cheap in certain seasons. Perhaps make your florist one of your first stops in planning a wedding to see which colors truly go with the season.

4. Fewer Stems

Some flowers are naturally larger than others and since most florists will charge you per stem, a bigger flower bloom means fewer stems and more savings. Hydrangeas and amaryllis will provide much more coverage for a lot less money.

5. Flower Alternatives

Consider complete alternatives to flowers as your bouquets or centerpieces. This year we are seeing more and more brides forsake a floral bouquet in favor for one with a bit more personality. Try broaches or buttons as a bouquet to create an antique look or feathers to really amp up the glamour. As for your centerpieces, there a many options out there that can add more drama for less. Manzenita trees are the perfect way to create a “wow” statement and raise the height of your reception. Lanterns and candles add a touch of soft lighting. Even fruit can be a star player for your wedding centerpieces. Centerpieces can also be a great way to reincorporate your theme – sailboats for a nautical wedding or even old stacked books for a vintage feel.