How to Get Your Dream Wedding Flowers on a Budget

The prospect of sticking to a tight budget for wedding flowers may be a little intimidating; it's a well-known fact in the wedding industry, and among those planning a wedding, that flowers can be very pricey. But we're here to relieve your worries: While it may take some extra time and planning, you can still find ways to have your dream flowers and stay within a reasonable budget! It's all about strategy.

For the very best wedding flower budget tips, we speak with wedding florist extraordinaire Sophie Felts, the founder of Sophie Felts Floral Design, all about the best ways to save money on your wedding flowers while still making your vision blossom to life.

Swap Out Pricey Options for More Affordable Blooms

Felts emphasizes that you can certainly achieve the same (or a similar) look while choosing slightly less pricey flower options. For example: "Opt for sweet peas, tweedia, astilbe, nerine lilies, or other delicate white blooms in lieu of lily of the valley," she suggests. Another popular but pricey bloom? Peonies. Consider swapping these (or just mixing in) lisianthus, cockscomb, or ranunculus. And keep in mind that you don't have to wave farewell to a pricey wedding flower type entirely—you can just choose to have fewer of this particular type of bloom mixed in with more affordable options. Greenery is a wonderful backdrop to emphasize the star of the show and individual stems, too.

Use Transportable Floral Gardens

It's no secret that repurposing flowers from one portion of the event, like the ceremony, to another, like the reception, is one of the best ways to maximize your floral budget. One of Felts' best tips is creating "floral gardens" that can be easily transported from one location to another. These can be arranged in transportable vessels (like wooden boxes or gardening crates) and used around the ceremony seating and altar, and again at the reception entrance or around the dance floor.

Source Flowers Locally

When you're thinking about your vision and the key components of your floral design, instead of thinking of the type of flower first, consider factors like vibe and color, then let that guide you toward budget-friendly options. Sourcing locally and seasonally is one of the very best ways to ensure you're keeping costs lower, and you can still work within that initial vision. "Know your season and plan to use flowers locally to avoid shipping costs," recommends Felts.

Think About Timing

You don't need to schedule your entire wedding around peak flower seasons, but if flowers are a really important design component for you, think about which flowers peak at certain times of the year. "Try to avoid huge flower weekends like Mother's Day and Valentine's Day," warns Felts. "Wholesale flower costs skyrocket around those days."

Emphasize Candles in Your Centerpieces

"Incorporate a 'candle-centric' centerpiece design," says Felts. "Possibly a collection of pillar, taper, and votive candles with a few blooms in bud vases." She goes on to explain that because candles are often less expensive than blooms (especially in bulk) they can be a great filler, of sorts—and you still get to feature your favorite flowers against a beautiful background of flickering lights.