Last Updated on September 11, 2022
Learn How To Save Money on Wedding Flowers
There are many things to consider as you prepare for the big day. The list of guests, invitations, venue, food, and entertainment are just some of them. It is easy to get lost in the organizational chaos, especially if you handle the wedding alone. By the time you reach the end of the wedding checklist, your budget might be already exhausted. Then, you have to rethink your spending.
Go through all the expenses and see where you can cut costs. There might be minor adjustments you can make. For example, you could choose more affordable flowers or use fewer floral decorations. These are just two options we will explore for how to save money on wedding flowers.
How to Save Money on Wedding Flowers with Better Planning?
Planning is key to a successful wedding. In general, planning for any event ahead of time is a good idea. This way, you prepare yourself mentally and financially. You have two options when it comes to organizing your wedding:
- Work with a wedding planner
- Handling everything on your own
Working with A Wedding Planner
There are advantages and disadvantages to each. If you use a wedding planner, you will pay a service fee, but you may have more peace of mind. Organizing your own wedding can be stressful. Besides budgeting for the big event, there are many things to consider. You might not even think about them until they strike you.
A wedding planner likely already has a wedding checklist and knows the ins and outs of the industry. They have contacts and many options for all wedding-related needs.
From venues to catering firms and entertainers, they know who to reach out to. If you go it alone, you will need to research to find all these. The research alone can take hours of your precious time. Then, you have to make calls to check availability and negotiate rates. But if you feel up to the task, you can save money if you do it on your own.
Below are the main pros and cons of working with a wedding planner.
Pros | Cons |
They handle every wedding task for you, helping you gain time and peace of mind. | They cost money. |
They know how to organize a beautiful wedding. | Choosing one might take time as there are multiple options. |
They can offer you solutions that are suitable for your budget. | They might limit your vendor options to the persons in their circle of collaborators. |
Organizing the Wedding on Your Own
If this is your final decision, start planning. The earlier you begin organizing your wedding, the better. Starting early allows you to explore more options. This way, you make the best decisions budget-wise. Organizing your wedding too close to the big date can lead to:
- Money problems. You’ll spend more as you won’t have time to check a lot of options.
- A lot of mental pressure. You’ll have lots of responsibilities and a tight deadline.
- Style and quality compromises. You might settle for less as you’re in a rush.
The bottom line is you should start planning a few months ahead. Make lists of all the suppliers and items you will need. Then, start looking for solutions. Keep a written list of:
- Names
- Prices
- Contact information
After you have options for each category of suppliers, you can start making calls. Get a feel of the people you’ll be working with and try to negotiate the rates. Many service providers are ready to offer custom rates. These are especially important if you have a large number of guests. For example, you can book accommodations or transportation at a lower price.
Planning a wedding like a pro is all about establishing and sticking to a budget. If you do this, you can avoid unpleasant surprises.
How to Budget for Your Wedding to Save Money
Budgeting sounds scary. It sounds like something only financial experts can do, but it’s not at all like this. Anyone can budget, all it takes is three simple steps
- Determine how much you want to spend.
- Make a list of all your wedding-related expenses, plus a buffer (emergency fund).
- Start allocating money to each expense category.
Try not to spend more than you can afford, considering your income and the rest of your expenses.
Here is a budget example containing the average costs for some of the most common wedding expenses
Average wedding budget as of 2020: $20,300 | |
Wedding expense | Average cost |
Wedding flowers | |
Wedding dress | |
Wedding venue | |
Remaining budget | $5,700 |
After the plan is ready, you only have to follow it. Before you budget, you need to have an overview of the average prices. You might believe that wedding flowers can cost only $500.
The truth is they can, but you need to organize things well to stick to this budget. You might need a smaller venue or specific flower arrangements that cost less to be able to spend this amount. In reality, the average price for wedding flowers is somewhere around $2,300.
Depending on your preferences, you could end up paying more. That is why it’s essential to get informed and be realistic. When you budget, you need a clear view of how much wedding-related expenses amount to. You will only know this if you’ve done prior research.
With your expenses list in one hand and prices list in the other, start budgeting. See if the amounts you add up allow you to stay within your budgets. If they don’t, move to stage two. That is when you start cutting wedding expenses. You can do this by choosing more affordable solutions.
You can also increase your wedding budget to afford all your expenses. To do this, you should plan your wedding as far ahead of time as possible. It will allow you to save more money. Here are three strategies to help you budget and save money before and for your wedding day.
The half-payment method
This method was designed to help people pay bills easier. You can use it for this purpose. It will help you avoid penalties and save more money for your wedding. You can also repurpose it for your wedding. The half-payment method means setting aside 50% of your paycheck for your bills.
With two paychecks, you have just the right amount to cover your bills at the end of the month. Do the same if you have a wedding budget to gather. Divide the amount by the number of months until the wedding date and the number of paychecks. Then, start saving that amount from each paycheck.
The 50-30-20 budget
This is a straightforward budgeting strategy to save money. It can also help you fix your credit as fast as you can. You divide your income into three categories – needs, wants, and savings. Each month, you put aside 20% of your income into the savings account. Then, allocate 50% to necessities and 30% to wants.
The digital envelopes budgeting method
By creating different envelopes, you put aside a fixed amount for each type of expense. For example, create envelopes for savings, groceries, housing, and non-essential expenses. Each envelope will be digital. In other words, it will represent a different bank account. You can also tailor this strategy to your wedding budget. Create envelopes for the:
- Venue
- Catering
- Entertainment
- Accommodations and transportation
- Decorations
Once you have an amount in each envelope, limit your use to those funds. That way, you avoid overspending.
How to Save Money on Wedding Flowers – 10 Tips
Here are ten practical tips to save money on your wedding flowers.
1. Choose DIY
If you’re handy, the easiest way to save money on wedding flowers is to DIY, do it yourself. You don’t need to pay anyone to handle your wedding arrangements. Buy the flowers and do it yourself. There are lots of tutorials you can find on YouTube and use for inspiration. Plus, you will get the flower arrangements that best suit your tastes.
2. Use more candles
Candles are a more affordable alternative to fancy flowers. You can create quite stylish combos from candles and flowers. The advantage is they take up considerable space in the flower arrangement. As a result, you can spend less on flowers. You can even afford more sophisticated flowers if you combine them with candles.
3. Use what you already have
Another good idea to save money on flowers is to reuse the same arrangements from the ceremony. They still look great, so why throw them away? Decorate the reception venue with whatever flowers you can reuse from the ceremony.
4. Drop the wedding bouquet
The wedding bouquet is one of the most pressing choices. You need to think about the size, color, and flower types. It also comes at a hefty price. The average bridal bouquet can be anywhere between $100 and $350. There are plenty of other costs to cover with that money.
Besides, you don’t need a bouquet to look great on your weddin