Wedding Flowers For Less
With costs of pretty much everything rising these days, planning a wedding can be a real financial nightmare. In particular, it's easy to go overboard with flowers, which tend to be a big-ticket item and can easily grow into a big budget-buster.
But that doesn't have to be the case.
On The Early Show Saturday, Rebecca Dolgin, executive editor of The Knot magazine and TheKnot.com led brides and grooms down the aisle to some beautiful floral arrangements with receptively low costs.
The average wedding in the United States today costs almost $28,000, and that's just the average -- in many places, that tab is much, much higher!
Flowers are typically about eight percent of the overall wedding budget, running about $2,200, and it's easy to get carried away with them: What bride doesn't want a beautiful, lushly-decorated wedding?
But The Knot knows there are ways to keep the cost of flowers down without sacrificing beauty.
In general:
Swap Out Expensive Flowers
The Knot says that 50 percent of brides pick bridal blooms based on color. So, why not grab a bloom that's less expensive, but has a similar look and the same color?! You can almost always find a less expensive alternative that will still give you the feeling/look you're after. For instance, cymbidium orchids are $60 a stem, while similar-looking dendrobium orchids are $3-to-$4 a stem! Tulips are $2-$3 a bloom, while calla lilies are $6-$7. The second example doesn't have a huge difference, but it adds up when you're buying hundreds of flowers!
Choose Single Flowers with Large Blooms
Incorporate large, single-hued flowers, such as hydrangeas, into your table decorations and bouquets. That can be a less expensive option because it enables florist to buy fewer stems to fill the same space and create a lush look.
Give Your Bridesmaids Nosegays
Nosegays are simplified, smaller bouquets. Dolgin has noticed more and more brides choosing nosegays over traditional bouquets for their bridesmaids. She says the reason brides seem to like nosegays is that they enable everyone to actually see the bridesmaids and their gowns. Bridesmaid's dresses today are more attractive and flattering than ever, so there's no need to hide them behind big sprigs of flowers and greenery!
Re-use!
You can slash hundreds from your florist's bill by re-using arrangements, such as the bridesmaids' nosegays, throughout the day. Perhaps the nosegays could decorate the cake table. Your ceremony altar arrangements could become part of the reception décor, as could the bridal bouquet. You may have to pay a slight labor fee for the arrangements to be moved and recast as centerpieces, but it would be much less than paying for more flowers.
RECEPTION TABLE 1: SIMPLE, ELEGANT, CLASSIC
It used pink hydrangeas and white linens. It's probably the most classic look Dolgin showcased. It utilizes the idea of choosing flowers with large blooms. Also, you save when you use just one type of flower. And, you save even more when you use one type that's all one color.
RECEPTION TABLE 2: FUN, CASUAL, "GREEN"!
When decorating your tables, consider alternative arrangements. In the past, many people were decorating with fruits, citrus, or perhaps sand and seashells. All of these items cost less than flowers, and can really bring home a wedding's theme. The newest trend is to create centerpieces with herbs. Table 2 also incorporated some small daisies and other "weedy" looking flowers. The result was a casual, cheerful, chic look and feel. Another money-saver: Plant the herbs in small pots, then allow your guests to take them home after the reception as party favors!
RECEPTION TABLE 3: ROMANTIC RETRO
This one was decorated with light blue linens and coral peonies. The color combo feels a bit retro, and Dolgin says she's seeing it more and more. This look saves you money in a couple of ways. For starters, the peonies are in season right now so, just like seasonal fruits and vegetables, they cost less. ($3 to $4 a stem now; $18 apiece in the fall!). Other flowers in season now include calla lily, dahlia, gardenia, gerber daisy, hydrangea, lily, sunflower, rose and daisy. Also, this table didn't have the traditional floral arrangement, opting instead for blooms in single bud vases. You need fewer stems to pull this off, and you'll pay your florist less in labor costs. If you spend some time before your wedding shopping at flea markets and thrift stores for bud vases, you can play up the mix-and-match retro theme AND you'll be able to take the vases home (instead of returning them to the florist) or again, give them away as party favors. Remember, too, that candles can really dress up a table, and they cost very, very little.