Wedding flowers are the biggest expense in a wedding. But it needn't be if you plan and make your choices more budget friendly. There are many ways you can still come within your budget when ordering flowers. You can order flowers from a florist, do your wedding flowers yourself, or have someone who does this type of work as a side business. Here are some creative ideas for the flowers that you may want to order for the wedding ceremony and reception.
Many brides choose not to have flower centerpieces for the reception. This can save you some money if you eliminate flowers and place a simple centerpiece or none at all on the table. This is one of the most flexible places to compromise. A crystal or glass bowl with floating candles is a good option as well or it can be as simple as placing the table number in the center with floral embellishments drawn on the card. Votive candles are very inexpensive and can set a nice touch to a table setting. Sprinking rose petals is also a great idea and much less costly than a traditional floral arrangement.
The reception site may have pillars or banners that you may want to decorate with ivy, ribbons or floral garlands. You can pick any one of these up at a local craft store and put them on yourself. This is much more cost effective than real flowers and more practical due to the location of where they will be placed. Tulle can also be purchased at the craft store to intermix with the silk flowers for an added elegant touch. If your getting married outdoor within a gazebo and need to dress it up a bit, this would be a good cost saver as well.
You can add lights to any floral arrangment decoration which really adds to the sparkle and design. Balloons are also another addition to flowers that often accompany arrangements. Clear balloons with colorful confetti inside or balloons that match your wedding colors are a nice touch.
If your working with a florist, be up front on what your budget is. That way, they can then proceed to choosing the flowers within that budget. The florist should be one of the first to arrive at your wedding location on your special day. This way they can setup and decorate the area before guests arrive. Make sure you have a written contract with any florist you select that itemizes what exactly your getting, colors, dates and location of the decoration.
Bring color swatches to the florist at your meeting so they can match or compliment the flowers with the wedding colors. Your florist should guide you to the flowers that will most suite your style, wedding dress, taste and maybe even skin color. For example, if your petite, you may not want to carry a huge or elaborate wedding arrangement down the isle. If your fair skinned, you may not want an all white bouquet. The florist should inform you which flowers would look best at your ceremony and wedding reception locations.
The flowers for your wedding attendants can be elaborate or as simple as a single long-stemmed rose. The miad of honor should have a slightly different floral arrangement to stand out from the rest of the bridesmaids. You can also choose to have the bridesmaids have flowers in the hair which should be simple wih a few baby's breath sprinkled in the flower. The groomsmen usually have boutonnieres and are dyed to match the bridesmaids dresses. Other wedding flowers include the mothers of the bride and groom which may consist of a simple corsage. If you want, you can also have corsages for anyone playing a special part in the wedding.
Flowers at the ceremony can be placed on each pew or row of chairs and there should be some at the front altar as well. These can be more elaborate. Some also like to have flowers on their wedding cake itself. You will have to remove them before eating, unless they are the etible kind, otherwise the cake decorator can create flowers from the icing. Keep a worksheet on the various areas you will need to decorate with flowers. This way it will keep your thoughts and ideas in order as well as the cost for each. You can then see in which areas you will be able to compromise the costs and trim down, if needed.
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