As a you and your fiancé begin your incredible journey together in planning your wedding, chances are you have an exact vision (or at least close) of what you want your wedding to look like. Beautiful bouquets for the bride and bridesmaids, boutonnieres for the groom and groomsmen, the special corsage for your grandmother, stunning centerpieces, an arbor draped in flowers, and let’s not forget the rose pedals for the flower girl. But…with this perfect vision of your wedding, there is one major factor that must be considered, the cost.
Define your Budget
Among all the different areas in which flowers can play a role in a wedding, you need to decide, together, what aspects of the wedding need to be focused on flowers. Realistically, couples should shoot to spend about 5-10% of their budget on flowers. You may not need, or want, to spend your money on floral centerpieces, whereas another couple may have this as their main priority. Your wedding dream can be achieved, just be ready to compromise on some areas of the flower budget along the way.
Determine your Flower Checklist
As a couple, you need to decide what areas need to have flowers present. The ceremony is going to have multiple areas for flowers. This includes the bouquets, boutonnieres, arbor, aisle, flower girl, corsages for family, flower arrangements at the entrance and on the sides of the seating, and other little extras to make the ceremony pop. For the reception, there is the throw bouquet, cake florals, table centerpieces, rose pedals for the tables, and garland accents for the bridal table. Pick the items that best represent your theme, and go with it. You can get your ultimate flower checklist HERE.
Focus your Money where Flowers are seen Most
Now that you have your checklist completed, narrow this down to the items that are at the top of your priority list. Find these items, then ensure that the money is allocated to make them pop. For the rest of the items, it is time to get creative. Consider doubling the use of some items; instead of paying for both floral centerpieces and accents for the aisle, create a multipurpose arrangement to hang off the edge of the chairs on the aisle to then be used as a centerpiece at the reception.
Love isn’t Seasonal… but Flowers Are
Florals have the potential to make or break the décor budget of a wedding. Your dream wedding wouldn’t be your dream wedding without the beautiful flower arrangements you’ve envisioned since you were a little girl. It is important to know that with different flowers come different seasons. If you have your heart set on peonies, then start marking your calendar for a spring wedding! If a winter wedding suits your taste more, then violets may be in the cards for your big day.
Trust your Decision
There is a lot to think about when it comes to planning a wedding and having to decide on flowers seems like such an easy part of it. It can be, as long as you and your fiancé know what you want and go into your planning with a vision and a budget in mind. Stick to the budget and make the vision become a reality. If this can be achieved, it will be easy for you and your fiancé to Ball on a Budget!
