Budget Wedding Planning for Bridal Flowers
How to Choose Wedding Flowers by Cost, Style, Color and Season
Feb 12, 2009
Today's bride has more than just a bridal bouquet to consider when choosing her wedding flowers; there are flowers for bridesmaids, flower girls, boutonnières, church and reception flowers to consider too. Co-ordinating budgets, styles, colors and the latest floral trends can be a daunting task but with a few inspirational ideas and good wedding planning, wedding flowers can still be spectacular on a limited budget.
Planning A Wedding Flower Budget
Today, cost is probably one of the biggest factors which influence a bride when choosing wedding flowers; it is estimated by professional wedding planners that 8 – 10% of the overall wedding budget can be spent on bridal flowers. Factors which influence the overall wedding flower budget include seasonal flowers, complexity of flower arrangements, the size of the wedding party and number of guests.
Wedding flowers which are expensive include:
- Lily-of-the-valley
- Orchid
- Peonies
- Magnolia
- Gardenia
- Hydrangea.
Less expensive options for wedding flowers include:
- Lavender
- Roses (due to the ease of availability of many rose species)
- Daisies
- Carnations.
Costs can be saved on wedding flowers by considering alternative flower bouquets for bridesmaids, decorating reception tables with alternative wedding flower themes, such as rose petals instead of elaborate floral arrangements and choosing seasonal flowers. A good wedding florist will be able to advise on other ways to save on wedding flowers without compromising factors such as style and color.
Wedding Flower Color
Today's bride can literally choose any color of flowers for her wedding; traditionally, paler colors of soft pink, white, lavender and other pastel shades have been used for bridal flowers. It is now becoming common to see wedding flowers of orange and red, yellow, purple and bright blue, not just for wedding floral arrangements and decorations, but in the bridal bouquet too.
Bridal Flower Style
Some wedding bouquet styles have become more elaborate over the years whereas others have become simpler, following the concept less is more. A bride may choose to follow family tradition and carry the same flowers which her mother and/or grandmother did at her wedding. Whatever style of bridal bouquet is chosen, it is wise to consider the bride's shape and size; full, cascading bridal bouquets will overwhelm brides with a petite figure.
Church and wedding reception displays have become more inventive with the use of herbs, grasses and fruits replacing some of the more traditional wedding floral arrangements. For fall and Christmas weddings, use fall fruits or Christmas wreaths and garlands for reception and church decorations. An outdoor summer or spring wedding may make use of the natural surroundings of a garden and/or wedding arbor.
Seasonal Wedding Flowers
Wedding flowers which are in season in the location of the wedding will be both easier to obtain and cheaper than those which have to be obtained out of season; weddings held in exotic locations enable a bride to choose some more unusual flowers which are available locally. However, seasonal wedding flowers of the USA and Europe include (depending on exact location):
- Spring wedding flowers – lily-of-the-valley, hyacinth, iris, tulip, pansy, daffodil, peony, lily
- Summer wedding flowers – rose, hydrangea, daisy, stock, calla lily, delphinium, iris
- Fall wedding flowers – sunflower, marigold, gerbera daisy, chrysanthemum, rose
- Winter wedding flowers – Forget-me-not, snowdrop, myrtle, holly, cymbidium orchid.
Using a Wedding Flower Workbook
Finally, keeping a record of wedding flower planning can be made easier with the use of a wedding flower workbook; a wedding flower workbook enables the bride to record ideas, costs, colors and styles of her favorite wedding flowers, making it easier to make the final decision of some beautiful bridal bouquets and wedding flowers.
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