Wedding Flowers

 

Choose flowers that are in-season and locally grown as out of season flowers are often more expensive and can include transportation costs.  Your local florist will be able to assist you with what is cheapest in what season (whether they do wedding flowers or not your local corner florist can be a wealth of information).

Buying flowers and arranging them yourself can save money, but it can also add a stress to your day as this is not something you can do in advance.  In order to stop flowers wilting it is recommended that most (depending on the variety) are wired, and this is time consuming if you’ve never done it before.

Bulk up your bouquet with foliage to save on the cost of the actual flowers.

Don’t go to a florist that specialises in wedding flowers.  You will pay a premium.

 

Limit your flowers (and other wedding decorations) to what the guests will see most of throughout your wedding.  For example, don’t pay extra for flowers at the church if the church is pretty enough without them.  Don’t pay extra for flowers at the reception venue if you can put your and your bridal party’s flowers in a vase as decorations (they are just going to sit around dying, you might as well make good use of them!)

Candles are a fraction of the cost of flowers and still look elegant as centre pieces on tables.  You can save them and use them for other events, give them to guests as gifts afterwards, or sell them to other bride to be’s after your wedding.

Ask at your local horiculture club, floristry school, TAFE (for students studying floristry) and hire one of these people to do the arranging for you.  They might also be able to pick up bargain flowers at wholesalers for you.

Consider flower alternatives for the bride, such as carrying a bible down the isle. 

Use ribbon to decorate the ceremony venue and reception venue instead of flowers.  Ribbon can be purchased inexpensively from discount variety stores and re-used.

While fake flowers used to make everyone cringe, you can now buy great material flowers that look just like the real thing.  While they are often as expensive (or more expensive depending upon what and where you buy them) than the real thing, they last forever, and can be on-sold to other brides after your wedding.

If you are wanting to decorate your ceremony venue with flowers, be selective with placement and only decorate the entrance, back row and front of the church, where they are going to make the greatest impact.

If you are using rose petals for decoration or sprinkling, buy your roses from a standard corner shop rather than a wedding specialist.  You will get better quality petals from roses that are half way open also, and these older flowers will be cheaper than the more attractive buds.

If you are using a florist to arrange and deliver your flowers to your venues, ensure your quote covers delivery charges. If your florist charges extra or unreasonable amounts for delivery, can you get a friend to pick up and deliver your flowers on the day?

Many florists who are wedding specialists will promote their services by offering extras such as a free throw away bouquet with the bridal bouquet.  Treat these with suspicion, because the wedding industry don’t offer anything for “free”.  Do you really want a throw away bouquet?  Ask the florist what it would cost without the throw away, and I’m positive their price would come down.

Do you have a relative or friend with a garden full of flowers that you could take your bouquet from?  Or table decorations from?

Ask a friend to do the flowers for the ceremony or reception venue for you as a wedding gift (or put it on your gift register – I can guarantee it will be one of the first things taken as it is more special than a cutlery set or some sheets).

Some florists also work from home on the side, and they will arrange your flowers (provided by you) for cheaper than their retail outlet.

Road side flower vans offer cheaper flowers than retail stores (they pay less up front costs such as rent) however disadvantages include:

• You often can’t order your flowers from them in advance;
• Don’t count on them actually being there the day of your wedding (even if they have been every day previously – it’s too hard to predict);
• The flowers may not have been treated with as much care as a professional florist and therefore may not last as long.

Safeway / Woolworths and Coles often sell cheap flowers at the front of their stores (near the cigarette / return counter.  There are things to beware of here too:

• The flowers are stored here day and night, while florists will refrigerate their flowers overnight to help them stay healthy.
• The water the flowers are stored in is not changed regularly.  Florists do this daily, sometimes twice a day or more to help them stay healthy.
• The cheaper ones are the ones on the way out, and may not last through your day.

More:

The Wedding Dress    

The Bridesmaid Dresses
The Groom & Groomsmen’s Attire   
The Shoes  
Hair, Makeup & Jewellery    
The Ceremony    
The Reception Venue    
The Catering    
The Drinks    
The Cake    
The Bonbonniere    
The Music    
The Flowers    
The Photos    
The Transport    
The Bridal Shower, Hen’s Night & Buck’s Night    
Invitations    
The Gifts    
The Honeymoon 

____________________________________________________________________________

© 2009

No part of this publication / website may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, including photocopying, printing of multiple copies, forwarding by email, downloading onto multiple systems, or reproduction in any form of verbal or written media without the prior written permission of the author.

DISCUSSING THE CONTENT OF THIS PUBLICATION ON INTERNET MESSAGE BOARDS OR FORUMS CONSITUTES A BREACH OF COPYRIGHT.

Disclaimer
This publication is the opinion of the authors, and the author’s do not guarantee any savings as a result of following the tips offered in the publication. The authors do not take any responsibility for the use or application of the information provided.

This publication is provided on the understanding that:
The author expressly disclaim all forms of liability to any person (purchaser of this publication or not) in respect of the publication and any consequences arising from its use.