When I talk to prospective brides, a couple of questions
I’m often asked are

“How much should I plan to budget for my wedding flowers?”

or

“What’s the average cost for wedding flowers?”

Questions like that usually indicate to me that the bride may have a tighter budget when it comes time to choosing her wedding flowers, and she is starting to shop for price. If that’s the case, here are a few budgeting guidelines that I suggest to help you extend your budget…

Plan to split your flower budget into these three areas. In order of importance, they are:

1. Personal flowers. They are the most important element in the wedding. They have the greatest visual impact, and are also the most photograhed. Most of your wedding flower budget should be allocated in this area, perhaps all of it, if your budget is tight.
2. Reception flowers. If your budget allows, flowers for the bridal and guest tables, because you and many of your guests will spend the most time at the reception.
3. Ceremony flowers. Again, if your budget allows it. Since most ceremonies are held in church, you need to think size – not quantity. It’s usually better to have a couple of larger, more impressive arrangements, rather than a bunch of smaller ones. For brides on a budget, things like pew decorations, candleabra flowers, and unity candle arrangements can also be used at the reception.

Keep in mind, these are only my suggested guidelines. For most budget-conscious brides, they’re a cost-effective way to shop for wedding flowers. However, your priorities may be different. After all, that’s what makes you, and your wedding, unique.

• How much should I budget for wedding flowers?
• How to develop a sensible wedding budget
• Two free wedding planning tools you can use
• Creative wedding centerpiece ideas you can use
• Wedding flowers – Who pays for what