The Top 5 Things That Determine Your Wedding Flower Budget 

Selecting floral design is an important factor to expressing your overall vision and feeling of your wedding day. Wedding flowers express a celebratory mood, fill the venue with fragrance, and reflect the joy you are feeling but can’t express. According to The Knot, most couples spend about 8% of their total budget on flowers, but it can be difficult to determine the right amount to spend. Where can you cut costs? Where should you splurge? We’ve narrowed it down to 5 simple factors you should consider when setting the budget for your wedding flowers.

1. How large is your wedding party?

A large wedding party equals more wedding flowers. Many brides are not aware that this is typically the single largest factor in determining the cost of your wedding flowers. Many arrive at our consultations with the assumption that a small guest list will mean less floral costs, but if you have 7 bridesmaids and groomsmen, you’ll need to set aside a larger budget to accommodate.

Joy Tip: Picture your dream wedding and make a list of every way you would like flowers incorporated. The list may change as your wedding planning progresses, but it will help to determine a realistic budget. Click to learn more about floral pricing.

2. Are your envisioning centerpieces, aisle flowers, arches or other types of floral décor?

How many guests are you inviting?  For centerpieces, the number of guests equates to the number of tables. Keep in mind that a larger guest list will mean more tables, so be prepared to have a higher budget if you are incorporating floral centerpieces, aisle flowers, arches, side table greens, or any other floral decor. Click here to learn about more ways to reuse florals.

Joy Tip: A great way to save is to repurpose your bridesmaid bouquets after the ceremony. Place them along your head table for beautiful centerpieces.

3. Do you love Pinterest-style wedding flowers? 

If you truly want the Pinterest design, you’ll need to find a florist comfortable working with premium wedding flowers without tacking on the extra charge. Creativity requires flexibility.  Look for florists that aren’t afraid to cut into their profits to deliver premium design.

Joy Tip: Ask if the florist charges additional for premium or out-of-season flowers. Bouquets should be priced by a stem-range without an upcharge for premium flowers or out of season.

4. Does the wedding venue provide vases and votives? Is it naturally ornate?

Will you be using something else as decoration for the ceremony and reception, or are flowers the only decoration? If you are using something else, like special lighting, signage, drapery, or a fancy backdrop, maybe you can keep the flowers to a minimum. However, if you’ve decided that flowers will be used as the primary decoration, you should be able to allocate most of your decor budget to your florist company to work their magic.

Joy Tip: Ask your florist and venue if they are able to provide vases and votives. If flowers are important to you, this can be a huge help and the money you save can be put towards more flowers for your wedding.

5. Do you love flowers?

How important do believe your wedding flowers will be to enhancing your celebration? Do you believe floral design compliments your overall theme and aesthetic of your wedding? Whether you’re going for airy, moody, glam, boho, traditional, or modern, flowers are a beautiful and natural way to help create the atmosphere. Remember, your florist should help execute your vision while maintaining your budget.

Joy Tip: Think ahead and hire someone to preserve your bridal bouquet for you after your big day! Read here to learn about bouquet preservation.

While there are many factors and “industry standards”, it’s really up to you. Weddings as a whole are becoming less traditional and more customizable. The main thing to remember is IT’S YOUR DAY! Do what feels right to you, and make decisions that will make your vision come to life.

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