Flowers
Wedding Experts Share Their Best Flower Tips
We asked our florists to tell us their top tips for brides on a budget. Here's their advice.
Budget Ideas
I try to show the bride how she can get second uses out of her flowers. Alter decorations can be used to decorate the entrance to the reception; pew decor can be clipped to the skirt of a cake table.
– Custom Design Floral
Prioritize which flowers are the most important to you. For example, for one bride it might be bouquets, for another it might be the centerpieces. Your priority pieces can include your "splurge" flowers.
– Karla Ramirez Floral Design
When we go to the flower market, I ask the bride to bring her father, if he's paying. The bride will say, "Daddy, what do you think?" and he just glows.
– Dale Rohman
Tone down your flowers at the ceremony site. It is normally never over one hour long, compared to the average 4–5 hours for receptions. Let the guests focus on you, the bride, and the beautiful dresses. Also, try using beautiful blooming plants at the ceremony site, which you can also give as gifts to family members.
–Elegance and Simplicity
Splurge on your bouquet; your wedding day is about YOU after all. Save by reducing flowers for the ceremony, approach table centerpieces in a minimalist fashion, or be creative when designing special, cost-effective bridesmaid bouquets.
–Ultra Violet
Be flexible. Some brides walk into my shop with pictures and a list of the names of the flowers they want. I advise them that we can accomplish a very close look with seasonal flowers and save money.
– Elegant Celebrations
Don't spread the money and the florals too thin. For instance, don't put tiny arrangements all over the reception. Try a simple grouping of votives on the tables and a large, high-impact buffet centerpiece.
–Urban Earth
We would rather see our clients create three things that are done beautifully, right, and with flair than do a dozen things that are mediocre and half-baked.
– Avi Adler
We suggest a simpler approach to the maids' bouquets. Instead of labor-intensive bouquets set in oasis holders, we can tie a ribbon around flowers that hold up well out of water, for a savings of $20–$50 a bouquet.
– Flowers and Finery
I stress simple math when it comes to the bottom line. If you have ten bridesmaids, everything you buy for them will be multiplied by ten. The number of guests simply makes the bottom line grow or shrink exponentially.
– David Beahm
Learn to love the flowers that are in season during the time of your wedding, and never underestimate the power of candlelight.
– L'olivier.
Select a space that already embodies your vision rather than transforming a space into something it is not.
– Prudence Designs
Utilize resources provided by the venue. Complimentary votive candles and table linens can be enhanced with an overlay or table runner.
– White House Flowers
A bride who wants specific flowers or colors should consult a floral designer before setting the wedding date. A flower might be out of season—and too expensive for her budget.
– Bob Gail Special Events
To cut costs, stockpile the things you would love for your tabletops, such as glass candlesticks, hurricane lamps, or candles, when they're on sale.
– Laurels Custom Flora & Events
If you have a gazebo or a chuppah, don't think the entire thing has to be covered with flowers. You can always go up one side and do the top.
– Mark's Garden
One strategically placed large arrangement makes a better impression than lots of small bud vases.
– Karla Ramirez Floral Design
Pillar candles with massed fruit or flowers at the base create an effect for a few dollars.
– Max Gill
Spend less on flowers for areas where guests will not linger. Think of it as a little tease of what's around the corner.
– Scentiments Flowers
Use single-species flowers and make bold statements. Consider a few fabulous orchids or hydrangeas to give you a lot of bang for your buck.
– Blumen
To cut costs, I suggest keeping the maids' bouquets small and inexpensive.
– Blossoms
Brides pick the venue, the food, and make a huge guest list—by the time they get to the flowers, they've exceeded their budget. Think about the whole package at the outset!
– Elizabeth Ryan
Tips for Creating Your Personal Style
Brides should listen to their hearts and go with their feelings. Some brides don't realize that they are the ones to set the rules.
– David Beahm Design
A bride who wants specific flowers or colors should consult a floral designer before setting the wedding date. A flower might be out of season—and too expensive for her budget.
– Bob Gail Special Events
When I meet a couple, I ask how they met and what their common interests are. These details spark more creativity than anything else.
– Michelle Rago Ltd.
We may bring in flowering trees to introduce scale at a more affordable price.
– Renny and Reed
To discover your personal style, walk through a garden in your area to identify your favorite colors, forms, fragrances.
– Rose Story Farm
When the bride has her color palette, I search out the most incredible variety of flowers that fit into it, from the softest to the most intense.
– The Velvet Garden
Brides should think about which flowers they don't like, then zero in on the ones they do.
– Elegance & Simplicity
Don't think the color of the bridesmaids' dresses dictates your palette. Go with what you love, your surroundings, the season—you can't go wrong.
– Ariella Cheza
To help a bride create her own style, we talk about colors and looks—but most of all, the overall feel she wants to create at her wedding, be it dreamy, romantic, classic, formal, semicasual, etc.
– Petals & Pearls
Communication is key to learning about the bride's style. When we pay close attention to her wishes, her style always emerges.
– Beco Flowers
How to discover the bride's own style? I have a meeting with her, sans maman!
– Anthony Todd
We like to learn what inspires the bride: art, fashion, music, food. These are important factors in shaping an overall vision for the event.
– Art Fool
I start my conversation with a bride by asking her to describe her wedding dress. This tells me what kind of wedding style she envisions.
– Belle Fleur
It is just as telling for us to know who their favorite fashion designer is, what their favorite movie is, what their favorite restaurant is… These loves translate readily into where their tastes might lie.
– Avi Adler
We spend time talking about the story she wants to visually tell—and what will make her guests feel welcome and comfortable in the style she wants to share.
– David Beahm
I tell the bride to sit back and close her eyes, and then I ask, "Think back to yourself as a little girl. what did you picture when you imagined your wedding?"
– Dejuan Stroud
Although we spend several hours in discussion, by the first ten minutes I have a good idea of her style, based on her choice of gown and bridesmaids' dresses. It tells me if she's traditional or contemporary.
– Elegant Celebrations
I always start with the shoes. Shoes are a wonderful key to aesthetic sensibility.
– Max Gill
We take the bride and groom on a flower-market trip to see what flowers and colors they gravitate toward.
– Prudence Designs
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