Flowers.
So. Many. Flowers.
According to www.brides.com, we spend a total of 10% of the wedding budget on flowers. 10%, y'all. That's a lot when you start to think about it. I mean, you have a lot of territory to cover when thinking about flowers for the wedding. There's the bride's bouquet, bridesmaids' bouquets, corsages for moms and grandmothers, boutonnieres for the groom (his has to look the best obviously!), the groomsmen, the fathers, the grandfathers, table arrangements, church/venue decorations, reception decorations, flower petals on the aisle for the flower girl to throw, corsages for the flower girl(s). It can be overwhelming.
Now, of course this blog has no bearing on you if you wish to spend 10%+ on flowers for your wedding. By all means, it is your wedding, you do what you want; however, if money is a little tight and you wish to cut come corners, flowers are the perfect place to compromise!
First, let's talk fake/silk flowers:
Here is a photo of my bridesmaids and myself on the day of my wedding at #ashleymanor. Can you spot the silk flowers and the real ones? If you guessed that my bouquet was real, then you are right! We decided to go all fake EXCEPT for my bouquet, which, looking back on it now, I wish I would have done fake for my bouquet as well. Not because I think you can tell (I actually can't tell the difference), but because if I would have had silk flowers in my bouquet, I would still have it today. I still have two of my three bridesmaid's bouquets and I use them for decoration regularly either around my house or for bridal shows.
There is no shame in fake flowers. They look just as beautiful as real ones and cost half the price! My philosophy is that it's just going to die eventually, so why pay more for real flowers when you can pay less for fake ones and they look just as amazing?!
Second, If you absolutely need real flowers, try to consolidate and do the minimum. Do you need a ginormous bouquet, or do your bridesmaids need full bouquets. Is there any wiggle room for compromise.
Here is a #throwback to my best friend's wedding. In order to cut down the cost of flowers for her wedding, we decided to have a small bouquet for herself and we all had a single rose that we carried instead of a full on bouquet.
Another thing that helped out the cost of her flowers is she got married right after Christmas! I know everyone has their ideal time that they want to get married, their specific date, however, if you are getting married around a holiday and at a church, odds are the church will already be beautifully decorated and you won't have to spend a penny on arrangements for the venue.
Third (and lastly), try to find places to ask yourself, "do I really need flowers here?". Can you stick to your theme and have a few less flowers? Can your flower girl throw rice? Do your bridesmaids NEED a bouquet? Is there a way to make elegant centerpieces for your tables without flowers?
The answer to all this is YES! I promise there is somewhere in your big day that you can cut the flowers and nothing will be lost on the elegance and beauty of the day!
But, above all, the number one rule is that it is YOUR SPECIAL DAY! And if you want all the flowers, then get ALL THE FLOWERS! You will have the secret garden wedding and it will be beautiful. But if you're looking to find a way to save a little bit of money, look into fake/silk flowers, and find places were you can cut flowers completely! Happy planning!!