The Savvy Bride’s Guide to Wedding Flower Options

By: The Budget Savvy Bride
| Published:
November 15, 2022

Wedding flowers have a storied history. Since ancient times, flowers have been used to symbolize love and decorate ceremony spaces. While traditional, wedding florals don’t have to feel stuffy or over the top. Modern brides and grooms are constantly reinventing how these natural elements are incorporated into their weddings. The good news is that there are so many wedding flower options to consider to incorporate florals (or at least a floral look!) into your wedding day.

Chances are good that you, too, plan to use flowers in some capacity for your own big day. As you roll up your sleeves and begin nailing down details, you may be curious about the most budget-friendly options for wedding flowers. Whether you plan to hire a professional florist, use faux flowers, take a DIY approach, or ditch flowers altogether, it’s good to do your research. Allow us to walk you through your choices and help you settle on the one that’s right for your special day!

Hire a Pro

You can never go wrong with hiring a professional florist to handle your wedding flowers. These experts often have years of first-hand experience building bouquets, constructing boutonnieres, and putting together dramatic centerpieces. Their insight is truly priceless, as they can guide you through the best colors, flower types, and arrangements that best fit your vision. That knowledge doesn’t come cheap, though. Even the most basic of orders can run into the thousand-dollar range. At the same time, handing off your wedding flowers to an expert can bring you real peace of mind. When you’ve got a professional florist at your disposal, you’ll have one less thing to worry about!

Should you decide to go this route, do your research early. Not every florist will fit your budget or your aesthetic. Meet with a few vendors to chat about your goals for your wedding flowers. Bring photos of bouquets you like and see if they can create something similar. Don’t forget to ask about fees on top of the flowers themselves – some vendors charge for setup ahead of the ceremony. You can be honest with these professionals about your budget, too. By looping them into your plans, they can create gorgeous options that align with your finances.

Use Faux Flowers

Once dismissed as tacky and unnatural, faux flowers are having a major moment. Faux flower designers have crafted gorgeous, lifelike florals that look perfect no matter the season. They offer a lot of advantages for brides and grooms on a budget. Though many people are initially surprised at how much faux flowers can run, they warm to the idea that these are keepsake items that can be reused later. Unlike real flowers, which wilt and die after a few hours or days, faux flowers can last a lifetime. 

While it’s certainly possible to source your faux flowers from a local craft store, investing in high-quality silk flowers may be the better option, especially if you care about them looking as real as possible. Be aware, however, that there may require some legwork to make even the best silk flowers work on your wedding day. Most of the time, ordering silk flowers means assembling them into bouquets and arrangements yourself. While this isn’t difficult, there’s more of a learning curve than you might expect. Since they can be purchased well in advance of your big day, though, you can chip away at your floral projects over time. Solicit a bridesmaid or two to help bring your vision to life!

Or, if you’re wanting a savvy and stress-free option and not into the DIY, consider renting your wedding flowers from Something Borrowed Blooms! They have a wide assortment of styles to choose from, and every piece matches cohesively, from the bouquets to the centerpieces and even boutonnieres!

Take a DIY Approach

If you’re really on a budget, taking a DIY approach to wedding florals isn’t a bad idea. Much like with faux flowers, DIY wedding flowers do require a degree of effort and skill that not everyone has right away. Thankfully, there is no shortage of excellent online resources and classes to help you learn the ropes. With a little practice, creating a bouquet or boutonniere can be a lot of fun. 

DIYing your wedding flowers also requires serious organization. When working with fresh flowers, timing is everything. Centerpieces should generally be completed no more than two days before the wedding. Bouquets should be finished the day before. Boutonnieres and corsages will need to be created the day they’re being used. You’ve also got to figure out how to store them all after bringing them home from the farmer’s market, grocery store, or floral wholesaler. Finally, you’ll need to determine who will transport them to your venue and set them up in the hours ahead of the ceremony. 

The logistics of DIY florals can be intimidating, but these challenges are not insurmountable. So long as you have a solid plan in place – and plenty of friends and loved ones to help execute that plan – DIY flowers can be a great option. You may want to do a test run when you’re deciding between buying flowers from a florist and creating bouquets yourself. Keep your vision simple and the assembly process should go smoothly.

And if you want to attempt DIY but would love some insight and guidance from a pro, we highly recommend Bloom Culture Flowers. They give you everything you need to execute this wedding task yourself.

Buck Tradition with Floral Alternatives

If you’re not big into flowers or don’t see them fitting into your wedding budget, you can buck this tradition altogether. There’s no rule that says you have to incorporate them into your big day, after all. Maybe you’re a house plant aficionado and want to use potted plants to line your wedding ceremony aisles. Perhaps you’re big into Legos and want to build your bouquet out of colorful bricks. We’ve even seen professional chefs tie the knot surrounded by fresh gourds and root vegetables. When it comes to wedding flower alternatives, the sky really is the limit.

Ultimately, wedding decor should reflect the preferences, interests, and passions of the two people tying the knot. There are numerous ways to say no to flowers without sacrificing the freshness and beauty they often bring to a space. Rather than limit yourself to florals, consider other sources of natural beauty and greenery. Incorporating fresh elements is always a good idea, but you really can decorate using anything you find aesthetically pleasing.

Questions to Guide Your Wedding Flower Decisions

If you’re feeling torn on which route to take with your wedding florals, keep these questions in mind:

  • How crafty are you? Will you feel like assembling faux or real flowers in the day leading up to your wedding?
  • How far are you traveling to get married? How will you transport the flowers to the venue?
  • What’s your budget for flowers? Are they a priority, or lumped into an overall decor category?
  • Do you want to keep your flowers after your wedding? How do you want to preserve and display them?
  • Beyond florals, what fresh elements are you incorporating into your decor plans? Do you need to purchase greenery, moss, or other plants?
  • What aesthetic are you aiming for? Which plants and flowers will help you achieve that vision?
  • Can you mix real and faux florals? Will a blend of the two look cohesive?

While there are no right or wrong answers to these questions, they can help you and your future spouse decide how best to spend your flower budget. Be honest about your skills, energy level, and free time in the lead-up to your wedding. The best of intentions often go out the window when we’re feeling stressed!

Wedding Flower Resources

Whether you’ve decided to hire a florist, aim to DIY your real or silk flowers, or want take an alternate route altogether, Budget Savvy Bride has the resources you need to begin planning. Our flower tutorials section is teeming with useful guides, tips, and advice on how to achieve your dream wedding day florals. Learn which flowers will be in season on your big day, get guidance on where to buy bulk flowers, and discover how to create gorgeous boutonnieres yourself. With the right tools in your arsenal, there’s no limit to what you can bring to life for your wedding!


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