Wedding flowers can be so pricey. Here are the most common ways you can save some money.
1. Arbor pieces can be moved to the reception area and placed along your table. If you have arbor pieces on the ground, you can "reuse" them and place them in front of your table. This would work out best if you are getting married at the same location the reception is.
2. Bud vases instead of centerpieces. This really cuts back on the cost of flowers. You will have a couple nice vases with some mixed flowers at the table without breaking the bank.
3. Mix high end flowers with lower end flowers. This kind of thing is for the florist to work out for you. The florist knows what flowers cost more than others. Just one David Austin rose in a bridal bouquet can really make it "bougie" then using lower end flowers - but pretty - like a fluffy peachy carnation... Everyone will think wow, but really it was affordable. I tend to do this for brides. I want them to get a taste of the bougie while keeping money in the bank.
Now, these are other options you can consider when you are a DIY bride.
4. Costco, Wegmans, buy flowers from a grocery store. If you have a crafty eye and the motivation - you can totally save money to do this. The downside is you won't get your hands on higher end delicate flowers like sweet peas or certain roses with this method, but hey if you don't care about that, then this is a great way to save.
5. Going off the previous step - you can look around your area for local flower farmers to get those cool varieties you won't see at Costco. BUT- you'll pay more for this...but you get very beautiful flowers. I have a list of flower farmers in addition to myself who can help you with finding help. You can also look up local growers on the ASCFG website (there is a map with local growers listed).
6. Fake/ silk / artificial flowers don't necessarily cost less...you must buy them in bulk on sites like Amazon to save the money and have the crafty eye to make them look nice. I feel the key here is using some nice looking greenery and even dried flowers to help give them a more natural look.
7. Buy pre-made wedding florals on sites like Etsy. Prices really range here, and it takes some looking around to find the right price and quality you want.
Thanks for reading. I hope this helps some of my brides with finding the best option their budget and the look they're going for.