You don’t have to be a financial expert to know that weddings are one of the most expensive things you’ll ever pay for. Everything from the venue, outfits, food, and drink can cost a significant amount of money, and that’s before you’ve even started thinking of the decor.
The traditional route for wedding decor is to employ a wedding florist to create elaborate floral arrangements for the bridal party and wedding venue. But considering the average cost of this is $2,300, we don’t blame you for trying to find ways to save money.
The good news is that with a little effort and creative thinking, you can get yourself show-stopping wedding decor without busting the budget. So let’s take a close look at exactly how to save money on wedding flowers and decor.
If you’re looking to reduce the cost of your wedding then the flowers and decor is one of the easiest and fastest areas in which to cut costs. Rather than coughing up for expensive flowers, there are plenty of ways to make it affordable.
Furthermore, inexpensive wedding flowers are highly unlikely to impact the enjoyment of your day or be noticed by your guests. After all, ask anyone what their fondest memories of a wedding are. Literally no one says they remember the decor the most.
Before you get down to business, it’s vital to set a firm budget for the decor and flowers. Even more crucial is that you stick to it – no matter what.
It’s easy to get carried away and go way over budget. But we’re trying to save money here so this is non-negotiable. Whether your budget is $50 or $5,000, set it, and stick to it.
Traditional weddings are so last century and more and more couples are creating weddings that resonate with their personalities and tastes. This means you can get creative and shy away from the usual offering of wedding day decor.
We’ve heard of couples using Lego for their bridal bouquet, using shells and pebbles for centerpieces and balloons for decor. Remember, it’s your day and you can choose to theme it however you wish.
If you are more of a traditionalist and determined to have fresh flowers for your wedding then there are ways to go about it to make it much cheaper. It can take a bit of searching, but the cost savings will be well-worth the effort:
If you’re less of a traditionalist but still want florals at your wedding then there are a number of money-saving options to consider:
As you can see, it’s possible to save money on wedding flowers but what about the rest of the decor? Well, the obvious route here is to DIY.
If you’re panicking at the thought of glue guns and glitter, don’t. It doesn’t have to be complicated and nor should it be. Plenty of DIY wedding decorations are simple to put together and require little technical skill.
Another massive way to save money on wedding decor is to buy preloved. Since wedding decor is only used for a single day, many newly wedded couples decide to recoup some of the cost by selling their wedding decor online.
That means you can pick up everything you need to deck out your venue at the fraction of the cost.
Good places to look for preloved wedding decor are:
If you plan to go down the DIY route then the key is to keep it simple. The last thing you want is to start spending every waking hour trying to put together intricate decorations. Here’s some quick – and easy – ideas:
You can make wedding flowers less expensive by buying wholesale, using prearranged bouquets and choosing in-season, inexpensive blooms. Bulking out flower arrangements with greenery also lowers the cost.
There is no straight answer to this question as it depends on your overall wedding budget. Choose an amount that seems sensible and affordable for your circumstances and find ways to purchase wedding flowers without going over budget.
You can save money on wedding decor by buying it preloved from sites such as Facebook Marketplace or Wedding Recycle. Alternatively, if you make your own wedding decor, this can be much cheaper than purchasing new or from a vendor.
$1,000 is unlikely to be enough to hire a florist, have them purchase flowers, and arrange them.
However, if you are willing to get creative, $1,000 is plenty for other options such as dried, paper, or silk flowers. Alternatively, if you are prepared to buy fresh flowers wholesale and arrange them yourself, $1,000 is ample.
Bulking out centerpieces with inexpensive items such as candles, jars with lights, or thrifted items is a good way to save money but still have an impressive arrangement. If you want to use flowers as a centerpiece, choose large statement flowers and bulk them out with greenery.
Ceremony flowers needn’t be expensive if you are willing to go slightly off the traditional track. By applying a bit of creativity, you can still have stunning decor without going crazy with the budget.
And the added advantage is that you will likely end up with something far more interesting and memorable than the same old fresh-cut flowers.
For more money-saving wedding tips and valuable wedding-planning advice, check out our other articles on The Groom Club.
