floral arrangement

Wedding Flowers, Simplified: How To Save Time and Money

COVID-19 has certainly changed Canadians’ lives. Many now focus on simplicity and economy in areas, including planning their weddings. They’re ditching elaborate details for elegant, minimalist, and less expensive alternatives. If you want gorgeous wedding flowers with less cost, time, and hassle, keep reading. Some great tips offer more streamlined approaches for achieving your wedding-day vision.

Perfect as a Pair

Several factors can impact the price of your wedding flowers. But simpler orders are often less expensive and easier for your florist to work with. That’s why The Knot’s Lauren Kay suggests sticking with only two kinds of flowers. As she explains, your florist spends less when buying in bulk. And that can translate to bigger savings for you. Try choosing blooms in similar shapes, sizes, and colors – this helps your florist achieve a unified look for your arrangements.

Simple Yet Elegant

Another great suggestion comes from personal finance expert Jennifer Calonia: Choose simpler arrangements. In her MyWalletJoy blog post, she mentions that your florist can create a sophisticated look without the need for huge and elaborate arrangements. A few stems in a glass bottle, for instance, can elevate any table décor. And your florist can craft them to match your event’s style. Olivia Muenter shows some rustic, boho, and traditional flower/bottle centerpieces in a September 2020 Brides article.

Mixing and Matching Flowers

Must all your flower arrangements match? Absolutely not, according to Calonia. Simple and inexpensive doesn’t have to mean uniform or boring. Some great examples include varying tall and short centerpieces and using candles in some arrangements. This approach gives your florist more creative leeway, but it can also cut your total costs.

Year-Round Flower Favorites

Couples often focus seasonally when designing their weddings. That said, it’s worth considering some flower varieties that are available the entire year. The Spruce’s Nina Callaway lists several excellent options – gardenias, garden roses, orchids, and gladiolas, to name a few. If you must reschedule your big day, your florist can still get these blooming beauties.

If you’re concerned about cost, you needn’t worry. While gardenias and orchids are expensive, other varieties fall in low- to mid-range price tiers. As a compromise, you can pair a pricier stem with a less costly one. Talk to your florist for suggestions.

Callaway also mentions carnations in her list. They’re a polarizing choice for many thanks to their reputation as a “cheap filler flower.” But they don’t have to be, as Taysha Murtaugh points out in a Country Living piece. They’re hardy, available in many shades, and can create chic arrangements when clustered together. If you’re needing inspiration, check out some exquisite bouquets in this January 2021 Brides writeup.

From Ceremony to Reception

Creative couples are also repurposing their wedding ceremony flowers for their receptions. Martha Stewart Weddings explains how this can work. You’ll need a smart plan and cooperation with your florist or event planner to pull it off. Some ceremony arrangements can double as décor on the welcome or buffet tables. Large arrangements can sit near the head table to add some drama. Some ceremony chair décor can be shifted to reception chairs with a few modifications. To aid in your planning, take a look at Wedding Wire Canada’s guide to reception flowers by Alice Prendergast.

Weddings are joyful and memorable events, but their planning requires time and attention to detail. Maybe you’re a cost-conscious couple or rescheduling a postponed celebration. Perhaps you don’t have the time or energy to mind all the complicated minutiae. Fortunately, some simpler approaches can make it easier to choose your flower arrangements. From carefully curated choices to repurposed arrangements, you can accomplish an elegant, stylish, and cohesive look for your big day.

Avoid a Floral Faux Pas on Your Wedding Day

Floral arrangements can brighten and augment any wedding celebration, so follow these pieces of advice to make sure you are happy with the final product.

Floral arrangements can brighten and augment any wedding celebration, so follow these pieces of advice to make sure you are happy with the final product.

Nothing can put a damper on your wedding day quite like problems with your floral arrangements. You can probably deal with receiving the wrong flowers if they’re in good condition and match your event’s colors, but what do you do if half the blooms are wilted or in shades that clash with your décor? Even worse, what if your arrangements are gorgeous but overpower with their scents or cause fits of sneezing? Fortunately, you can steer clear of disasters like these by following a few smart steps as you plan your nuptial celebration.

Choose the Right Professional

Your first step for avoiding wedding flower disasters is to select a trustworthy florist. Start by talking to newlyweds in your social circle and checking out area vendors online. If you’re using a wedding planner, ask for his or her recommended list of professionals. Don’t forget to review each florist’s online customer reviews and check out its ratings with organizations such as the Better Business Bureau.

The Spruce’s Nina Callaway suggests that you visit at least three different florists in person. To narrow down your final selection, Callaway advises obtaining some key information about each vendor:

  • Its design philosophy
  • The number of events on its calendar scheduled on or around your wedding day
  • Seasonal and budget-friendly blooms recommended for your chosen date
  • The name of the person designing your arrangements
  • Delivery and setup costs
  • The length of time required for onsite setup

Meanwhile, Callaway also recommends asking each florist if it offers bouquet or centerpiece samples. These floral samples can help you evaluate a professional’s work and decide whom to hire. Brides contributor Kelsey Butler adds that some vendors include sample arrangements in their final pricing while others require an additional fee.

Communication Is Vital

You can also prevent misunderstandings with floral vendors by clearly communicating your expectations upfront. In a June 2017 Brides article, Stefania Sainato emphasizes that you need to precisely describe the type of décor you want. Alicia Prendergast of Wedding Wire Canada adds that you must inform potential vendors of other key details such as your venue, attire, table count, and the size of your wedding party.

Of course, you’ll end up relaying these specifics to prospective florists if you follow The Knot’s advice and request detailed proposals. Besides your desired arrangements, blooms, and colors, these documents should include your preferred alternatives as well as list any unacceptable substitutions. Additionally, the proposal should mention the dates and times of your events, delivery details, fees, a payment schedule, and the florist’s refund and cancellation policies along with any accessories that the florist will supply. It’s wise to work with your chosen professional and make any minor changes to the job proposal before any specifics are incorporated into the final contract.

Be Flexible With Your Floral Selections

Since the availability of preferred blooms can unexpectedly change, Bridal Guide’s Kristen Klein urges nearlyweds not to fixate on having an exact variety and shade of flower in their wedding arrangements. Try to adopt a flexible approach, collaborate with your florist, and consider using seasonal flowers along with other cost-effective alternatives that are available in your event’s color palette. Klein also strongly advises against selecting flowers based solely on looks without accounting for their scent. You could inadvertently pair together varieties with strong scents, causing intense and unpleasant effects for you and your guests.

Whether you’re trying to craft an overall aesthetic or you’re inspired by your love of certain blooms, choosing your wedding flowers can be fun. At the same time, making unwise decisions may lead to less than satisfactory results. Hiring a reputable florist, clearly communicating your desires, and maintaining a flexible attitude towards the final product will help ensure that you’re happy with the floral arrangements created for your special day.