Budgeting: How to save money on wedding flowers
To save money on wedding flowers, set a budget early, choose seasonal blooms, focus on a few pieces guests will notice and reuse arrangements between the ceremony and reception. In a worked example, a flower budget falls from 1,200 to about 600 with these changes.
By Wealtie Team · 3 min read
Key takeaways
- To save money on wedding flowers, set a budget early and focus on a few key pieces.
- In a worked example, the flower budget falls from 1,200 to about 600.
- Seasonal, local flowers usually cost less and look their best.
- Reusing ceremony arrangements at the reception gets two uses for one cost.
How do you save money on wedding flowers?
Decide what matters most, then plan around it. Flowers can add colour and atmosphere to a wedding, but costs rise quickly once you add bouquets, buttonholes, ceremony arrangements, table centrepieces and decorations. With a clear budget and a few smart choices, you can have beautiful flowers for much less. Collecting photos of arrangements you like, and noting what you love about each, helps a florist suggest cheaper ways to get the same look.
Start by setting a flower budget as part of your overall wedding plan. The wedding budget covers how to split the whole day.
How much can you save?
Here's a worked example of a flower budget after making some changes, in round numbers that work in any currency:
In this example, the couple cut their flower budget from 1,200 to about 600 by choosing seasonal flowers, fewer centrepieces and reusing ceremony arrangements. Your own costs depend on the size of your wedding, the flowers you choose and where you live.
Which flowers cost less?
Seasonal and local
Flowers in season, grown locally, are usually cheaper and fresher than imported or out-of-season blooms. Ask your florist what will be at its best around your date, and be flexible about exact varieties. Choosing a colour palette rather than specific flowers gives your florist room to find good value. Avoiding dates around big flower holidays can help too, since prices often rise then.
Fuller, cheaper blooms
Some flowers look generous without costing much, and greenery and foliage can fill arrangements beautifully for less. A few statement flowers mixed with seasonal greenery often look more natural and cost far less than arrangements made only of premium blooms.
Where should you focus your flower budget?
Spend on the pieces people will notice and photograph:
- Bouquets, which appear in most photos
- One or two statement arrangements, like the ceremony backdrop
- Buttonholes for the wedding party
Table centrepieces can be smaller or replaced with candles, potted plants or simple bud vases. Many guests won't remember the centrepieces, but they'll remember the atmosphere. Fairy lights, candles and natural greenery from a garden can create a lovely feel for very little.
Reuse arrangements
Ceremony flowers can often be moved to the reception, decorating the top table, the cake area or the entrance. Ask your venue and florist whether this is possible, and who will move them. Choosing a venue that's already beautiful, like a garden or a decorated room, means you need fewer flowers.
Is DIY worth it?
It can be, for simple arrangements. Buying flowers from a wholesaler or market and arranging them yourself, with help from friends, can save a lot. But flowers need care, time and space in the days before the wedding, when you're likely to be busy. A middle option is to have a florist do the bouquets and buttonholes, and arrange simple table flowers yourselves. Practising a sample arrangement a few weeks before shows how long it takes and what you'll need.
What are the alternatives to fresh flowers?
Dried flowers, silk flowers and potted plants can cost less and last beyond the day. Potted herbs or plants can double as guest favours, which saves buying separate gifts. Second-hand silk arrangements from other weddings are often available cheaply. How to buy second-hand has tips.
Ask friends and family
A relative or friend who enjoys gardening or flower arranging may be glad to help as their gift. Flowers from a family garden, or borrowed vases and jars, add a personal touch and save money. Just make sure they have the time, since the days before a wedding are busy for everyone.
How do you get the best price from a florist?
Get quotes from a few florists, with the same list of items, so you can compare. Share your budget and ask what they can do within it. Ask about delivery, set-up and collection fees, which can add up. Booking early gives you more choice. Some florists offer packages for smaller weddings that can be good value. After the wedding, giving arrangements to guests or a local care home means the flowers are enjoyed again.
How do you track wedding spending in Wealtie?
Add a savings account for the wedding and move money into it as a transfer, which isn't counted as spending. Log flowers and other wedding costs in an events line in your expense categories, so you can compare spending with your plan. A limit in the budget tracker keeps everyday spending steady while you save.
Questions people ask
Choose seasonal, local flowers, focus on bouquets and a few key pieces, reuse ceremony arrangements and consider DIY table flowers.
What fits your overall budget. In a worked example, about 600 after making savings.
For simple arrangements, often. Leave bouquets to a florist if you're short on time.
Dried or silk flowers, potted plants, candles and greenery.
This article is general information, not financial, tax or legal advice. Your situation is your own; check the numbers that apply to you before you act on them.
