A Guide to Wedding Floral Budgets: Where to Save & Where to Splurge
Written by Curator Paula Jimenez, co-owner of Cresco Stems
Walking down an aisle lined with lush florals and saying ‘I do’ in front of an arbor filled with luxurious blooms as a backdrop is the wish of many couples. Its safe to say that most would want to enter their reception space with guest tables filled with golden candle light and artful, beautiful florals. Most newly engaged couples dream of breathtaking floral arrangements on their special day. That is, until they discover that this all comes at a hefty cost.
You don’t have to sacrifice the beautiful backdrop or the floral lined aisle if you take a moment to understand how floral pricing works while also prioritizing the right items. The cost of wedding flowers is impacted by the following things: quantity, design style, location and labor. Let’s get into it!
Where to Save
1. Personal Florals include the bridal bouquet, bridesmaids’ bouquets, groom’s boutonniere, groomsmen boutonnieres, corsages, flower crowns, and any wearable floral pieces. A large wedding party and giving every family member a floral piece quickly adds up and absorbs a good chunk of the floral spend.
Consider –
A small wedding party. Less bouquets and boutonnieres is the fastest ways to cut costs.
Floral pieces for wedding party and parents only. We often have couples ask if the officiant, God parents, grandparents, stepparents, siblings’ spouses who are not part of the wedding party – should carry a corsage or boutonniere. Our answer is NO. Personal florals are completely optional. There is no golden rule saying that specific people must carry florals.
Boutonnieres & Corsages – HOT TAKE! This might be controversial for some but feel free to skip these all together. Aside from the groom’s boutonniere, you can have the groomsmen go without and it’s likely no one will notice. The same for corsages. If you have to choose between spending a few hundred dollars on these items or spending it on your sweetheart table – the choice is clear, prioritize your sweetheart table.
2. Centerpieces Types and Quantities. These are determined by your guest count. The guest count determines the number of tables and centerpieces that go on them. This quickly adds up. Keep in mind that round tables likely seat up to 10 guests whereas rectangular tables will usually seat 8 guests. If you’d like to cut costs, consider –
An intimate wedding with a smaller guest count. This will considerably reduce your overall spend across the board with floral, catering, rentals, etc.
Alternate your centerpiece type. Perhaps placing a more lush, luxurious floral piece on half of the tables and a cost-effective option on the other half. We often recommend that our clients have tall, lush floral centerpieces on some of the tables and candles with bud vases on the remaining tables. The result is equally luxurious!
3. Location or rather multiple locations for ceremony and reception.
Two separate locations involves 2 teams, 2 deliveries, 2 setups and breakdowns and more labor.
Religious ceremonies that take place in stunning buildings with intricate architectural features tend to need very little décor. Don’t feel pressured or obligated to add to that. It’s perfectly ok to skip the décor there and let the space shine on its own!
4. Labor – it adds up quickly! Labor costs are usually 20-35% of the total floral cost.
Room flips, if your ceremony and reception take place in the same room, your floral team will likely need more people to transform the space. Ideally, the ceremony takes place in one space of the venue while the reception takes place in another but that’s not always possible.
Intricate designs and installation, hanging florals from the ceiling or greenery hanging from staircases, candle heavy designs, XL floral centerpieces, cascading florals from tables, bars, banisters – these all usually involve a lot of time and multiple people. The labor cost will likely increase.
Where to Splurge
Bridal Bouquet – you SHOULD have the bouquet of your dreams. Given the choice between creating a 5 rose mini bouquet for your bridesmaids or adding the orchids, we’ll always steer you towards elevating the bridal bouquet with the premium flowers.
Ceremony Backdrop – the ceremony is why everyone is there. Its likely the most photographed floral component. Go all in! If you have a budget, don’t hesitate to ask your floral team what needs to be cut to make your ceremony backdrop happen. Be ready to sacrifice a big but it will be completely worth it. Skip the tall centerpieces and redirect the budget to a beautiful arch or lush grouping of arrangements. Don’t forget that you can likely repurpose these for your reception!
Sweetheart Table – we are very much team sweetheart table! It’s your day and you should be the center of attention. That said, kings tables are also a favorite of ours. The long table filled with lush florals, candles and your wedding party always has potential to give a wow factor. No matter which you choose, it’s the table where you will have your first meal as a married couple. Don’t hesitate to prioritize these tablescape above other parts of your reception space
Bars – a statement piece at the bar over florals at the welcome sign, guest book table, memorial table or gift table. Skip the florals for the tables that your guests see for a few minutes and prioritize the space where they will likely spend a good part of the night – the bar!
Photo Op Moment – there’s a trend of couples choosing to create a floral moment for their guests to use a photo op either at the booth or with a designated photographer. We love this!
Planning a wedding at any budget can be stressful. It’s likely that costs will vary amongst different floral teams. It’s important that YOU and YOUR NEEDS are prioritized. A dedicated floral design team will ensure that they understand your vision while also helping you navigate costs that fit your budget. Saving on flowers should not mean that you can’t have stunning wedding florals. It means that you’ll have the perfect florals customized for your needs.