Wedding Flower Budget Hacks (2024)

Weddings are expensive. Notice that I said expensive, not overpriced. Weddings are a lot of work and the professionals behind them earn every dime you give them. But this isn’t about wedding vendors, this is about you and your budget.

As a broke bride myself, I can totally relate to the whole “champagne taste on a beer budget” thing. Pinterest doesn’t do us any favors by flashing luxury events in our face and acting like we can achieve an over-the-top look on a modest budget. I feel like what some consider a “modest budget” falls somewhere between a brand new SUV and a beachfront vacation home. WHAT IS UP WITH THAT?

So, like a lot of people, I decided to DIY a lot of my wedding things. Mind you, everything I’m saying is still based on current me’s intention of what future me will actually pull off. I was supposed to get married in June of 2020, and while I did end up tying the knot with my immediate family on our wedding day, I still have an attic full of stuff I’ve been collected for my real wedding.

Working in the flower biz definitely has its perks, and since I know more about wedding flowers than I will ever care to discuss, I’m going to clue you in on a few budget-saving hacks that I’ve learned along the way.

1. Silk flowers will NOT save you money. It sounds crazy, but silk flowers can actually cost more than real flowers! Sure, you can enjoy them for as long as you can stand to watch them collect dust, but flowers aren’t supposed to be this everlasting thing. When you buy a bridal bouquet from a florist shop, one of the biggest things you’re paying for is the design. And for good reason - these folks have spent lots of time and money perfecting their skill. If your bridal bouquet is something simple that you can handle, you’ll almost always save money if you use fresh flowers.
2. Use flowers that are IN SEASON. Not only will you pay out the kazoo for flowers when they’re out of season, but they’ll also never look as good as they do when they’re in season. There is nothing more disappointing to a florist or the bride when the “must-have” flower shows up in terrible condition because it’s just not supposed to be alive at that moment in time.
3. Work from a color palette, NOT a specific type of flower. When you work from a color palette, you can achieve the look you want for a much better price because you’ll have more choices! Being laser-focused on peonies or anemone or ranunculus can be expensive (especially if they’re out of season!), but allowing yourself or your florist creative freedom based on a color palette will help you stretch those dollars much farther.
4. Use bridesmaid's bouquets as centerpieces! Once your crew is done with pictures their bouquets are usually cast to the side, but when placed in a nice vase with greenery, they can save you some serious dough on centerpieces! Put greenery vases on guest tables and have your bridal party drop them in when they get to the reception.
5. Use garland for a lush look on a long table. Long tables create a lot of ground to cover when thinking about dressing them with compote centerpieces and garland is a great way to fill the space! You can leave them organic, or tuck in bulk flowers for a little extra color.
6. Get GOOD bulk flowers. I get it, Costco has everything in bulk for cheap and flowers are no different. The problem is, the flowers aren’t great quality. The truth is that over 80% of the flowers in the US are imported, so they’ve been cut and in a box long before they’re delivered to you. They’re usually well past their prime and honestly, not that much cheaper than if you were to get them from a local flower farm. Fresh flowers are supposed to be -FRESH- and the last thing you need to deal with on wedding week is a bunch of sad blooms. There are plenty of places to get bulk flowers (*cough* us *cough*) that can be shipped directly to your door and are as fresh as they are breathtaking.

All of these hacks are the reason that we’ve reworked the types of wedding services we provide. We decided to make wedding flowers that cater to people like me. People who want something nice, but have a real-life definition of a “modest budget”. Just because you’re not a skrillionaire, doesn’t mean you don’t deserve amazingly beautiful flowers.

All of our wedding flowers are pickup only and designed based on a variety of color palettes. This allows us to make sure your flowers are seasonally appropriate, fresh, and deliver that pro-florist look within a budget that works for you! You can choose to have us design a bouquet for you, or order bulk flowers and put your creativity to work. If you don’t live near us, that’s okay! Check out our bulk flower collections and DIY bridal bouquet tutorials and get that farm-fresh feeling while knowing your supporting American flower farming families.

These are all the things I’ve learned about wedding flowers on a budget. Do you have any hacks to share? I want to hear them!

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