If you’re here, you already know just how expensive wedding flowers are. But the fact that you’re here also means you’re open to a little creativity to find ways to save money on your wedding flowers without losing the grand feel you’ve been going for.
In this article, we want to share 11 ways to save money on your wedding flowers that actually work. You don’t have to use all of these suggestions (or any of them), but the more you use—the more you can save.
1. Choose flowers that are in season.
Ever try and buy a fruit or vegetable at the grocery store that’s out of season? You either can’t get it or the price is jacked way up. It’s the same with flowers. If the flowers you’re interested in aren’t in season when it’s your wedding, they’re going to be more expensive.
Take some time to learn about the seasonality of the flowers you’re interested in and purchase accordingly.
2. Choose flowers that grow locally in your region.
Not only does seasonality play a big part in the cost of your wedding flowers, but so does the location where they grow. If the flowers grow locally in your region, florists have lower shipping costs and usually a higher supply, which all means lower prices for you.
If you want to save money on your wedding flowers, you’ll need to become a bit of an expert on what grows where (and when—like we talked about earlier). Generally, your florist should be able to help with this, but the more you learn and take control of the situation, the more you’ll save on your wedding florals.
3. Increase your greenery to flower ratio.
Greenery is far less expensive than flowers. So, a great way to save money on your wedding flower arrangements is to include more greenery than flowers. Be careful not to go overboard where the flowers get drowned out. But in things like aisle decorations, alter decorations, and gift table decorations—you can go green and save a lot without compromising the quality or grandiosity of your wedding day.
4. Bigger flowers go a longer way.
While larger flowers generally cost more than smaller flowers, it’s not always the case. Additionally, the higher cost is not proportionate to the size increase. For example, one large flower that is the size of two smaller flowers is not double the cost. Without diving heavy into the math, the point is that many large flowers can make your displays look bigger and better while saving you a few bucks.
Fewer flowers will almost always be cheaper.
5. Consider renting your wedding flowers.
Here’s a tip that we are particularly fond of (because it’s what we do here). There’s a new trend sweeping the nation right now that brides are realizing is an incredible way to get an amazing floral presentation for their weddings at about 60%-70% less than a standard flower budget.
We’re talking about renting faux (silk) flowers for your wedding. These flowers look real, they feel real, and they are just as jaw-droppingly beautiful as “real” flowers at a literal fraction of the cost. If you’re interested in seeing some examples of rented wedding flowers, check out some of our gallery photos here.
Simple to use too. Pick out the flowers you want, get them delivered or dropped off, use them for your amazing wedding, and then return them afterward.
Spoiler alert: the flowers in the featured image at the top of this post—are silk rented flowers.
6. Decide what flowers you need versus want.
Okay, this is probably the least fun answer on this list of ways to save money on wedding flowers, but it’s an important one. The single easiest way to save money on flowers is to limit how many flowers you need. Often, weddings we see in magazines have flowers literally everywhere, and it’s beautiful. However, in reality, do you actually need flowers everywhere?
The answer for most people (if we’re being honest and out of bride mode) is probably not. Things like bouquets, boutonnieres, centerpieces, etc. are all going to be a must. But when you look at things like aisle decorations, gift table decorations, cake flowers, etc., you may find some spots where you don’t really need to have flowers to still have an amazing wedding.
If you can find these spots, the wedding flower savings will add up quickly.
7. If you don’t want to cut down on the number of arrangements, consider the size and complexity of each.
Floral arrangements for weddings come in all different shapes and sizes. A general rule of thumb is the more complex and the larger things are, the more expensive they’re going to be. One way to save on your wedding flowers is to consider cutting down on the complexity and size of your arrangements.
Remember, this does not have to be across the board. For example, you could keep an over-the-top bridal bouquet but have slightly toned down aisle decorations. And remember, even small size changes (like a few fewer flowers) will add up. For example, if you cut out a couple flowers and save $10 on a centerpiece, that might not sound like much. But if you have 10 centerpieces, you’re saving $100.
8. Shop several florists.
Not all florists charge the same. Even if they were to charge the exact same for their materials (which they don’t), a lot of what you are paying for is the labor to make your wedding flowers. The rates from one florist to another are going to vary greatly.
Figure out exactly what you want and contact several florists. Get price quotes and find the one that will give you the best rate alongside the quality that you want.
Side note—if a price seems too good to be true or is wildly out of line with what you are getting from other florists in the area, be wary.
9. Reuse flowers from your ceremony at your reception.
This is a bit of a fun and “sneaky” way to save money on your wedding flowers, but we love it. Consider if there is an opportunity to use flowers from your ceremony in your reception area. For example, your aisle decorations from your ceremony might work perfectly to adorn your head table or your gift table. Or maybe you use your bridesmaid bouquets as decorations on some tables?
The possibilities are endless and with the usual gap between the ceremony and reception, you could pull this off without anyone knowing you did it. Just make sure you have someone in charge of moving things over so you don’t have to worry about it and can enjoy your wedding.
10. Find flowers that resemble what you want.
How often have you seen people look at a flower and think it was a different flower?
Oh are those roses? No, they’re peonies!
Take advantage of these lookalikes. You can save a ton of money by selecting flowers that resemble their more expensive counterparts. A florist should be able to help you with this, but doing some research on your own can also go a long way. Even getting a lookalike special ordered may be far more inexpensive of an option.
11. Find ways to work in non-floral displays.
The last tip we want to share for saving money on your wedding flowers is to look for opportunities to work in non-floral displays. Just because you decide not to have flowers on your gift table doesn’t mean you have to have no decorations. Get creative. Leverage Pinterest for ideas. There are a million and one ways to decorate your wedding without using flowers.
And remember, this is also not an all or nothing thing. You could leverage non-floral items to cut down on the number of flowers you need in things like your centerpieces. The more creative you can be, the more money you can save.
Our Final Thoughts on Saving on Wedding Florals
Remember this—don’t add months or years of financial stress onto the beginning of your marriage just to have an overabundance of flowers at your wedding. Take these tips to heart and find a good middle ground.
And again, we’d also encourage you to check out our rental wedding flower collections! You’ll probably be amazed at not only how beautiful and “real” they look, but just how much money you can save. You owe it to yourself to at least explore the option.