Monday, December 16, 2013

Wedding Flower Woes: Flowers on a Budget

Wedding Flower Woes: Decorative Options that Won’t Break the Bank

You’ve been dreaming about your wedding since you were a little girl. What that little girl didn’t know was how much weddings cost. Your innocent inner child still believes flowers should be free because they grow out in nature, just waiting to be picked by sticky hands. Your adult self knows better now. But don’t give up on your dreams just because you’re limited by a budget. Here are some tips for saving money on wedding flowers.

Multipurpose flowers
One of the most common ways brides save money on flowers is by using them for more than one purpose. Bridesmaids carry bouquets down the aisle during the ceremony and those same bouquets are used as centerpieces at the reception. This simple step can save you up to fifty percent on flower costs.

Buy in bulk
Skip the middleman and buy your flowers wholesale. There is a catch to this option, though. You have to create your own arrangements. Because fresh flowers don’t last forever, you have to create the arrangements within a day of the ceremony. Some brides find this too stressful. Others have their bridesmaids build their own bouquets a couple of hours before the rehearsal dinner, as part of the wedding festivities.

Single stems
Instead of having your wedding party carry intricate bouquets down the aisle, give them one single flower. A long-stem rose or a vibrant sunflower can create a simple elegance for significantly less money.

From the garden
There is nothing that says your wedding flowers can’t come from your garden. If you or somebody close to you has a garden of flowers, your inner child can fulfill her fantasy of picking her own bouquet. There is some risk to this option, not knowing for sure how the flower “crop” will produce each season, but the fragrance and the nostalgia make it a risk worth taking.

Paper flowers
If you would rather create your own bouquets ahead of time, without the risk of your flowers wilting, you could always make your own flowers. There are numerous DIY and crafty people who show you how on Pinterest. The bonus of this option is that you can be very precise with color selection.

Do something completely different
Break down the traditional expectations and do something completely different. Have your bridesmaids carry candles instead of flowers. Be sure the candle will last the length of the ceremony and that there is something to protect the girls from hot, dripping wax.

Other options could be to carry scarves folded to look like flowers. (Groomsmen could wear pocket-handkerchiefs to match.) They could carry paper lanterns lit by battery powered tea lights. They could even carry balloons. It’s your wedding. Use your creativity to come up with something unique that’s meaningful to you and your groom!

The point is that your dreams grow and change as you get older, but the creativity of childhood can bring them to life in ways you never imagined!



Tiffany Marshall is a freelance writer who has been a bridal consultant, a wedding videographer and a bridesmaid many times over. She writes about budget weddings, DIY decorations and Cutting Edge Entertainment.

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