Inexpensive, Diy Wedding Flower Arrangements: A Guide

Planning a wedding can be expensive, and flowers are no exception. But there are ways to make inexpensive flower arrangements without compromising on your dream wedding. One way to save money is to opt for wholesale flowers from local markets or membership-based stores, or even make your own arrangements with flowers from your garden or a local flower farm. You can also save by choosing flowers that are in season, or by using a mix of real and artificial flowers. If you're crafty, you can make your own bouquets and centrepieces with store-bought flowers, or even dried flowers, and if you're flexible, you can let your florist choose flowers that fit your budget and colour scheme.

Buy wholesale flowers from local markets or clubs like Sam's Club

Buying wholesale flowers from local markets or clubs like Sam's Club is a great way to save money on your wedding flower arrangements. Here are some tips to guide you through the process:

Sourcing Wholesale Flowers:

• Local Flower Markets: Visit your local flower market to find wholesale flowers at affordable prices. Some markets may cater specifically to florists and wholesalers, so make sure to check if they accommodate regular customers.
• Sam's Club: Sam's Club offers a wide range of wholesale flowers at excellent prices. You can find various flower types, including roses, tulips, hydrangeas, sunflowers, and lilies. The prices are often discussed in terms of price per stem, and you can order online for convenience.
• Other Wholesale Sellers: Aside from Sam's Club, there are other online wholesale flower delivery services like FiftyFlowers and BloomsByTheBox, which offer a diverse selection of flowers and flexible ordering options.

Advantages of Buying Wholesale:

• Cost-Effective: Buying wholesale flowers allows you to purchase flowers in bulk at a lower price per stem. This can significantly reduce your flower budget, especially if you need a large number of arrangements for your wedding.
• Customizable Arrangements: Wholesale flowers give you the freedom to create your own unique flower arrangements. You can choose the types and colors of flowers that fit your wedding theme and make personalized bouquets, centerpieces, and decorations.
• Flexibility: Ordering wholesale flowers lets you be flexible with your creativity. You can mix and match different flower types and create a variety of centerpieces and bouquets to adorn your wedding venue and tables.

Tips for Buying Wholesale Flowers:

• Compare Prices: Compare prices between different wholesale sellers to find the best deals. Prices may vary, and you can often find flowers for less than a dollar per stem at clubs like Sam's Club.
• Order in Advance: Plan ahead and order your flowers in advance. Wholesale flowers may need to be ordered a few days before your wedding to ensure freshness and allow for arrangement preparation.
• Storage and Care: Wholesale flowers will likely arrive dehydrated, so it's essential to have a plan for storing and caring for them. Have buckets of water ready to hydrate the flowers immediately upon arrival and follow flower care instructions to maximize their lifespan.
• Consider Greenery: Filler greenery, such as eucalyptus, is an excellent way to create fuller bouquets and centerpieces while saving money. Greenery can be purchased in bulk and used to complement your floral arrangements.

By buying wholesale flowers from local markets or clubs, you can create beautiful and affordable flower arrangements for your wedding while staying within your budget. With a bit of research and planning, you'll be able to craft unique and memorable floral displays that will impress your guests.

Source flowers from the same place as your caterer

If you're lucky, your caterer may have leftover vases, lanterns, and candles from previous weddings that you can use for your flower arrangements. This will reduce the number of flowers you need to buy, saving you time and money.

For example, one bride was able to use her caterer's leftover vases, lanterns, and candles to decorate her wedding. She still put a small flower arrangement in a vase on a few cocktail tables, but she saved herself time and money by not having to create elaborate centerpieces with floral foam.

Another bride was able to use her caterer's leftover vases, lanterns, and candles to create small flower arrangements for cocktail tables and larger flower arrangements for other tables. She also saved money by buying wholesale flowers from FiftyFlowers, an online wholesale delivery service. The flowers were shipped in from Ecuador a few days before the wedding, and she and her bridesmaids arranged the flowers themselves.

Opt for single-stem, cluster centrepieces

Opting for single-stem, cluster centrepieces is a great way to save money on wedding flowers. This is a more affordable option than classic iterations that require multiple types of flowers.

Elena Seegers of Le Fleuriste suggests that you "think about the individual bloom and how beautiful that is, as opposed to a large squashed floral moment. Let them breathe and let each bloom have its moment!" This approach will make a big impact while costing a fraction of the price.

Single-stem centrepieces are also a great way to showcase the beauty of each flower. By choosing this style, you can focus on selecting flowers that are unique, high-quality, and stand out on their own. This could be an especially stunning option if you're working with a smaller number of flowers or want to highlight a particular type of bloom.

Additionally, this style of centrepiece can be easily transported and rearranged. If you're looking to repurpose your flowers from the ceremony to the reception, single-stem arrangements in vases or other transportable vessels can be a great choice. This will allow you to get more use out of your flowers and create a cohesive look throughout your wedding.

Single-stem, cluster centrepieces are a creative and elegant way to save money on your wedding flowers. By choosing this option, you can focus on quality blooms, showcase unique flowers, and create a stunning display that will make a lasting impression.

Choose local, in-season flowers

Choosing local, in-season flowers is one of the best ways to keep your wedding flower costs down. Local flowers are a more sustainable option, as they don't have to be shipped in from overseas, and they are also more affordable. The transportation and chemicals used on imported flowers can add to the costs and the environmental impact. Local growers can help you avoid these additional costs.

If you're getting married in the winter, a bouquet of in-season amaryllis is a much better option than paying a premium for out-of-season hydrangeas. Amaryllis also has a very long life and can last up to 75 years if properly cared for. Carnations are another great, affordable option for year-round weddings. They are long-lasting and sturdy, making them ideal for tall arrangements.

If you're set on a particular flower that isn't in season, consider using it sparingly. You can still include your favourite flower, but by using fewer stems, you can keep the costs down.

Another way to save money is to be flexible with your flower choices. Let your florist guide you towards budget-friendly options that fit your desired colour and style. For example, if you love peonies, you could opt for less expensive blooms like sweet peas, tweedia, astilbe, nerine lilies or other delicate white flowers.

Remember, the best way to save money on wedding flowers is to be honest about your budget and work with a florist who can help you achieve your vision within your price range.

Repurpose flowers from the ceremony at the reception

Repurposing flowers from the ceremony at the reception is one of the best ways to maximise your floral budget. Here are some ideas for reusing flowers from the ceremony at the reception:

Floral Gardens

Arrange flowers in transportable vessels such as wooden boxes or gardening crates, which can be easily moved from the ceremony to the reception. These can be used around the ceremony seating and altar, and again at the reception entrance or around the dance floor.

Bridesmaids' Bouquets

These bouquets are generally smaller and less expensive than the bridal bouquet, so they can be reused on bars or refreshment tables, coffee tables in a lounge area, grouped around the wedding cake or dessert tables, or evenly spaced along the head table. However, they may look out of place on a standard-sized table.

Large Ceremony Arrangements

These can be reused as elevated centrepieces on reception tables, but the couple needs to understand that the arrangement will need to be created so that flowers are evenly arranged around all sides, which will be reflected in the price.

Large Arch Arrangements

These arrangements are often very large, heavy, and wet, which can make repurposing tricky. If the arch structure is light enough, it can be moved to the reception area to serve as a beautiful backdrop for the sweetheart or head table. If it cannot be moved, it can be left in place and used as a photobooth backdrop.

Ceremony Aisle Decor

Small floral, greenery, and/or ribbon bows that were hung on the chairs or pews of the ceremony aisle can be reused on the backs of chairs on the sweetheart table or the head/bridal party table, or placed beside photos on a memory table.

Frequently asked questions