Gorgeous Blooms That Won’t Break the Bank

Every bride’s vision of her big day includes bowers of gorgeous flowers. Unfortunately, the reality isn’t always so pretty: those blooms can cost quite a pretty penny. On the upside, while there’s no disguising an amateur band or overcooked chicken cordon bleu, fancy floral treatments are easy to fake. You might have to get clever, enlist the help of others, or even do a bit of the legwork yourself, but you’ll be pleased with your craftiness and possibly be left with a little extra moolah for the band or dinner menu.

Tips for pulling off affordable arrangements:

1) Broaden Your Definition of “Flowers”

While big, formal arrangements haven’t exactly fallen out of style, there’s been a recent trend toward a more disarranged arrangement – think wild, whimsical and slightly unkempt – the floral equivalent of “bedhead.” And these more natural, effortless-seeming bouquets are perfect opportunities for incorporating non-floral organic ingredients that cost much less than orchids or peonies. Wild grasses, herbs, curly willow, evergreen branches, and flowering weeds bring texture and architectural interest to contemporary arrangements. They also convey an outdoorsy, casual beauty that goes especially well with warm-weather weddings.

Can’t part with the peonies? Try building arrangements that feature just one or two of a pricier flower, and then fill in the rest with less-expensive ingredients or flower varieties, such as daisies, carnations or Peruvian lilies.

2) Keep an Open Mind 

Be upfront with your florist about your budget. After that, be flexible. Give him or her license to get creative and show you what can be done with less-expensive flower varieties. You might think that you hate mums or carnations, but wait till you see what can be done when they’re densely clustered together in single-variety bouquets with all of their stems and greenery removed. You very well might change your mind.

3) Do It Yourself

Don’t dismiss the DIY route – creating your own arrangements gives you ultimate control and doesn’t have to be a major headache. Container-wise, simple clear-glass florist vases are cheap, elegant and easy to come. And for less formal weddings, you can get creative with unusual, eye-catching containers that will make for unique arrangements. Think about galvanized paint buckets (available at hardware stores), beach pails, mismatched pitchers, fishbowls, teapots, glass milk bottles – you name it. Yard sales and antique stores are great places for inspiration. 

Vegetation-wise, most big cities have flower marts where you and a couple of friends can load up on whatever you need for much less than what a florist would charge you. If you live in a suburban, seaside or rural area, don’t hesitate to avail yourself of any backyard plunder or up-for-grabs local flora. In addition to raiding friends’ and family’s gardens, keep an eye out for decorative “weeds”: red and orange bittersweet vines, field daisies, Queen Ann’s lace, black-eyed Susans, bayberry, goldenrod or ivy.

4) Fake it

Even if you’re using top-of-the-market flowers, you can save money by taking advantage of optical illusion. For instance, while your guests will be up-close and personal with the flowers on the dinner tables, they’re not likely to get anywhere near the altar flowers or mantelpiece arrangements. Using cheaper flower varieties that match the colors of your table bouquets is a great way to save. Artificial flowers or inexpensive filler can also save you a bundle without your guests being any the wiser.

While large centerpiece arrangements are impressive, they can also be impressively expensive. But you can make an equally striking visual impact with individual blooms that are prettily or cleverly displayed. Clear or colored-glass bud vases are easy to come by and look gorgeous holding single stems. You can clump them in the center of the table, scatter them artfully, or place one at each setting. The aggregate effect will be just as arresting as a huge arrangement of lilies or hydrangeas.

Finally, don’t rely on flowers alone to decorate your tables. A small bouquet or smattering of individual blooms can be greatly enhanced with other decorative embellishments. Depending on the season, theme and wedding location, consider adding pizzazz to tables with beach glass or seashells; Indian corn, pinecones or autumn leaves; glass balls, holly, mistletoe or holiday lights; dyed eggs, containers of wheat grass, or pastel candies.

…and never, ever underestimate the power of candlelight. Invest in a heap of plain glass votive holders (find them at Target or Ikea) and pile your tables with tealights. Your guests will be so busy basking in their magic glow that they won’t know a dendrobium from a dandelion – trust us.