Saving Money on Your Wedding Flowers by Making a Simple Switch

Flowers are an important part of your wedding and if you aren’t careful they can take a huge part of your wedding budget.  Silk flowers can be just as pricey as some real blooms.  Silk is a good option if the type of flower you prefer is a pricy option.  If there is a look you are trying to achieve and the particular flowers used are not as important as that look, there are flowers that can be switched for the most expensive blooms or used as fillers to slash the price of your bouquets. Here are some options.  Ask your florist to help you achieve the look you want without breaking your budget with expensive blooms.

If you love peonies – Peonies are a very popular bloom for wedding bouquets.  However, when the blooms are in season they can cost $400 per dozen! Even though peonies are a very full flower you will probably use at least half a dozen per bouquet.  With just a handful of bridesmaids, your flower budget just shot over $1000 without any centerpieces, corsages or boutonnieres. Try carnations and dahlias to replace your peonies or as fillers. Rosebuds and tulips are compatible with peonies in both smell and look.  Though they are both considered expensive when it comes to wedding flowers, they are both cheaper than peonies. Ivy and citrus leaves make great greenery fillers for peonies.

If you love roses – Roses have a very unique and classic look.  Very few flowers can be expected to emulate that look.  Your best bet, if you must have roses, is to have a mixed bouquet. Orchids, ranunculus, tulips and shasta daisies make breathtaking pairings with roses. Tiger lilies can make a gorgeous bouquet when paired with roses, as well as many other types of lilies. Hydrangeas and lamb’s ear also make for good bouquets when mixed with roses. 

If you love tulips – The trick with tulips is to pair them with flowers that won’t overwhelm them.  Tulips are another pretty unique flower.  It can be hard to find an inexpensive substitute just like with roses. Bear grass and hyacinths go wonderfully with tulips. If there is a good alternative for tulips, cymbidiums are it. Cattleya orchids make a good accompaniment for tulips and cymbidiums.

If you love lilies – The good news about most styles of lilies is they are very large, so it takes very few to make a gorgeous bouquet.  Alstroemerias are very similar to lilies in appearance and make an excellent filler flower and main flower for smaller floral pieces like corsages. Lilies are a very sturdy flower and look wonderful with lots of greenery used as a filler. Calla lilies are popular but can be pretty pricy.  Try using them as a filler for an elegant touch rather than as a centerpiece for your bouquet. Palm and bear grass make great greenery fillers for most forms of lilies. Wax flowers and the basic filler greenery italian ruscus also go wonderfully with lilies. Baby’s breath adds a delicate touch to a very hard bouquet of lilies. Hyacinths give you a similar shape of lilies with many blooms on one stem.

If you love gerbera daisies – Calla lilies in a similar color to the gerbera daisies you are using can make a gorgeous and unexpected bouquet when one flower is not allowed to overwhelm the other. Hypericum berries are excellent fillers for bouquets that include gerbera daisies.  Carnations are full and come in a large variety of colors just like gerbera daisies. Hydrangeas are a beautiful flower to pair with gerbera daisies as well.

The top ten inexpensive wedding flowers are:

1. Alstroemeria Lily

2.  Baby’s Breath

3. Carnation

4. Chrysanthemum

5. Daisy

6. Freesia

7. Gladiolus

8. Queen Anne’s Lace

9. Sunflower

10. Sweet William

As always you will want to lean towards flowers that are in season locally if you can.  Using fabrics, greenery, baubles and other fillers can also save you money on your bouquets.  Choosing just a few of the flowers you like with some cheaper filler flowers can also save you money. Check out the greenery that grows as part of your bloom choices for fillers as well.  Many flowers have leaves full of stems before they are trimmed for flower arrangements and what better choice for a greenery filler than the one mother nature picked out.

Depending on where you live and what season your wedding is in, your chosen flowers may be cheaper than these alternatives.  The key is open communication with your florist. You also need to be open to suggestions from the professional you have chosen. Search the internet and bridal magazines for photos of flowers that have a look you want.  Find flowers in similar sizes and colors as well as bouquets that make you feel the way you want your wedding flowers to make you feel.  Look through photos of flowers online or in magazines and note the names.  There are so many types of flowers that aren’t well known as the major types, so they don’t get asked for even though they are less expensive. Allow your florist some room to be creative and create that feeling for you.  Just ask that he or she keep you updated as to any changes.