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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