Everywhere you look you can find inspiration for your wedding day florals. From Pinterest to bridal magazines, pictures of grand and gorgeous flowers grace pins and pages. There is definitely no shortage of creativity out there, but how do you fulfill your botanical dreams without blowing your budget out of the water?
Putting together your floral package starts with setting your budget and research, research, research! Typically, 8-10% of your wedding budget goes towards decor, which includes florals, but vary depending on a variety of factors, including the types of flowers you use, the arrangements you desire, and the experience level of your florist. Here are a few hints and tips to keep the costs down.
After determining your budget, your next step is to decide your color palette, which can help narrow down your choices. Some flowers are available in most colors (for example, dahlias, carnations, mums, roses, tulips, or lilies), while others are more limited (peonies, lisianthus, hydrangeas, and anemones). Don’t make the mistake, however, of being so focused on a very specific shade of quartz pink that you lose the ability to be flexible.
Once you have your budget and theme chosen, figuring out where you want to allocate your money is the next step. Here’s a quick look at what the “typical” wedding package could look like: the bride’s bouquet, bridesmaids’ bouquets, boutonnieres, corsages, aisle markers, and centerpieces. That isn’t to say you need to splurge on all of them. Eliminating corsages and boutonnieres are a great way to save, but if you really want them, diy with wholesale will help, or talk to your florist about using their cast-offs to create something small. Rather have your bridesmaids walk with lanterns? Trendy and also cost-effective.
There are so many ways you can stretch your dollars.
- Source locally grown and in-season blooms for the best value. You might love the look of tulips in the fall, but flying in blooms or finding a greenhouse to provide them could be tricky and expensive!
- TONS of greenery! Plants like myrtle, fern, eucalyptus, and lemon leaf can really bulk up the lushness of an arrangement and it’s more economical than flowers.
- Big blooms will create a grand look and you’ll need much fewer of them.
- There’s nothing saying it has to be just flowers in your bouquets either! Feathers, ribbon, tulle, grasses, succulents … all of these can add impact.
- Repurpose your flowers – have your wedding planner transport those gorgeous arrangements you had lining your ceremony aisle to your reception space. They, along with your bridesmaids’ bouquets, can serve as centerpieces or decor for your sweetheart or guest tables.
- Filler flowers are your friend! There’s a wide variety of budget-friendly blooms that can add so much fullness and volume. Statice, poms, delphinium, dianthus, bells of Ireland, and alstroemeria are just a few alternatives that can offer amazing savings.
- Combine flowers with other decor elements! Not only can you save a ton of money combining your florals with budget-friendly decor items, but it can add so much flair and personality to your tables and overall theme. Votives and fruit, along with taper candles and twinkle lights were used in our moody RockOn themed shoot. You can bargain hunt at thrift and dollar stores for so many non-floral elements that will add a WOW factor for your guests.
- Go for silks. Silk flowers have come a long way in the last several years, lots of them looking nearly indistinguishable from the real thing.
- And lastly, there’s always the DIY bride. If you feel confident in your arranging abilities, wholesale is your best friend. Then you just have to roll up those sleeves, put some elbow grease on and get ‘er done!
The beautiful florals featured in this blog post were created by https://www.stemsfloral.ca/, an amazing floral shop, gift shop and cafe all rolled into one. Owner, Amanda Hadland, took over the location in 2017 and has been building it into the amazing shop you see today. Not only does she, along with her talented crew, design stunning arrangements, but she also hosts a myriad of workshops during the holiday season, so you too, can be an artist! This package of moody, edgy rock and roll themed florals can be yours for $500.
The team at STEMS Flowers & Cafe, not only have over 18 combined years of wedding experience, but they have also published in magazines such as Wedding Bells Magazine and Florist Review. They are experts at offering guidance, advice and can supply beautiful wedding flowers to suit any budget that include everything from bouquets, to tablescapes and reception displays to DIY packages.
So, get that Pinterest board going, take a deep breath, and let the experts guide you!
Vendor Team for the RockOn! styled shoot:
- Lead Photography: www.bucklandimagery.com
- Rentals and Concept Design: http://www.themabystudio.com
- Mixologist: www.ontheroadpop.com
- Behind the Scenes Photography: The SnapHappy Photographer
- Planning & Coordination: Vesta Weddings
- Venue: 52 North Venue http://www.52northvenue.com
- Invitations & Stationery: http://www.ajscraftcreations.com
- Florals: Stems Flowers & Cafe: www.stemsfloral.ca
- Cake/Cupcakes: http://www.youhadmeatcupcake.com
- Bridal Couture: Your Wedding Place
- Men’s Attire: Rob Rae Clothiers
- Videography: Flying Goose Media
- Makeup Artistry: Maici LeFevre Makeup Co
- Hair: Michelle Doupe: https://www.facebook.com/CENTRALALBERTAHAIRSTYLIST/
- Models: Jay & Tiara Adams
