All About Florals!

A hanging statement piece and a large arrangement for the grazing table – Florals by Vera Flora Design & Photo by Oh Honey Photos

Tips on planning your floral budget & ways to save without looking cheap 😉

It’s no secret that the flowers are one of the biggest ways to convey the design aesthetic of your wedding, and it can also be one of the biggest budget items! Let us walk you through what a floral budget can and might include and a few tips on how to save on your florals (without it looking like you skimped!)

Floral Budget – How Much?

One of our most asked questions when planning, and there is not really an answer that will fit every budget or couple! As with ANYTHING related to your wedding budget, it comes down to your priorities as a couple for how to spend your wedding funds, whether you have $30,000 or $100,000 to spend.

Our couples in the Birmingham, Alabama, market often spend 8-15% of their overall budget on florals, and this line item can also include special design rentals, since many of our wonderful florists also will do cohesive design work.

Food for thought:
The Pandemic has thrown off many of our traditional metrics of figuring out wedding budget line items. Food, florals, hard goods… it seems that everything had gone up in cost to the provider, in an industry where our profit margins are already tight.

Here is what the most common floral budgets can include:

Personal flowers for the marrying couple (a bridal bouquet and a groom’s boutionniere; or two of one type)
Personal flowers for the wedding party attendants – bouquets and boutionnieres are the most common
Personal flowers for family – usually parents and grandparents
Personal flowers for other wedding day “helpers” such as ushers, program attandants, or house party
Ceremony flowers usually include:
- Altar or central statement piece that is the focal point of the ceremony
- Pew/aisle markers
- Guestbook/welcome table arrangement
- Wreaths or swags for entrance doors to the facility
Reception flowers usually include:
- Seated guest table centerpieces, possibly with a sweetheart table
- Standing table (often referred to as highboys or cocktail tables) accents
- Buffet or food station arrnagemnts
- Bar arrangements
- Focal point for the reception, that may be a specialty backdrop or statement piece
- Cake flowers and cake table accents
- Wreaths or swags for entrance doors to the facility
Florist’s service fees etc.
- Labor fees/production fees/cleanup fees/disposal fees/other overhead
- Tax
- Travel fees

Ceremony statement pieces at Sonnet House – Florals by CD Florals, Photo by Meghan Gray Photography

Tips on making the most of your floral budget, large or small

We love a good statement, custom floral design, but we also love to be practical whenever possible! We want those beautiful, photo-worthy vignettes too. Here are some of our best tips to help you make the most of your wedding flower budget, no matter what your bottom line number is:

1. Repurpose, repurpose!

If you have bridesmaids who will be carrying bouquets, don’t let them get tossed in a chair and forgotten at the end of the night! Ask your floral designer to work the bouquets into reception arrangements. We have seen them repurposed as highboy table centerpieces, accents at the bar, and incorporated into a larger tablescape.

Another favorite is ceremony pieces that can be moved to the reception area. (This works well if your event is all in the same venue) Reuse that huge floral piece that you got married in front of as the band or cake backdrop! Be sure to ask your florist about staying around to move those pieces if moving is needed.

2. Consider the seasonality of your florals

Usually, in-season flowers will help the overall costs be lower for your florist. And be open to your floral designer’s substitution suggestions! Simply ask him or her what their recommendations for lower-cost/in-season flowers are – they have the knowledge and resources to guide you best, to bring your vision and preferences to life.

3. Incorporate non-floral elements

This is an excellent way to highlight your hobbies or interests as a couple! Most people stop at making centerpieces candle-focused – which is of course beautiful – but what about the collection of travel mementos you have? Or books that reflect your hobbies? Do you have a collection of glassware or pottery? Let’s use it! Don’t be afraid to think outside the box on table centerpieces in particular. Talk with your planner and your floral designer about how best to style and incorporate non-floral decorative pieces!