04 Oct

Wedding Tips

Wedding Flowers and Floral Decor on a Budget

Wedding Flowers on a Budget

When it comes to selecting wedding flowers and the floral decor you’ve dreamed of for your wedding, you want the added romance and beauty but not always the price. So how do you add a stunning floral centerpiece to each table, or and eye-catching bouquet without breaking the bank? Here are a few tips brides have shared with me that I couldn’t wait to pass on. You can still make those wedding flower dreams come true!

Peach floral decor | Brooke Bakken | Utah Wedding Photographer Floral centerpiece for wedding in peach and white | Brooke Bakken | Utah Wedding Photographer

Eye Catching Wedding Decor

Ever heard the saying, go big or go home? That’s what we are talking about here. If you don’t have the budget to go all out and decorate every table, chair and well, person, with fresh flowers then settle on a few main, eye-catching areas at your wedding that you really want to emphasize and make what money you can spend on floral decor speak for itself. Between the sweetheart’s table and the bridal bouquet, you don’t want to skimp on either.

Sweetheart’s Table

Look at the statement this centerpiece is making on the sweetheart’s table! It’s demanding attention!  Think about your reception and what is going to be featured most in all of the pictures from your evening. While you are sitting at that table with your sweetheart, celebrating and toasting together, what do you want to have as the focus complimenting the two of you?

Bridal Bouquet

The bridal bouquet is something you don’t want to skimp on. You have to LOVE it because it is going to be front and center with you as you are photographed all day long with it… from detail pics, to getting ready, to bridal portraits, and then romantic portraits with your man. Make sure your budget has room for the bouquet you want, one that says something about you and about your style.

Peach tart sits on a table set for wedding | Brooke Bakken | Utah Wedding Photographer Wedding table decor | Brooke Bakken | Utah Wedding Photographer

Take a Look Outdoors and Then Buy Wholesale

It’s probably unrealistic for you and your fiance to be traipsing through the outdoors gathering flowers for your wedding but that doesn’t mean you can’t take a look at what is in season. If you’re having a fall wedding, match your decor and color scheme to flowers that will be in season. Buying flowers that are in season means they are readily available and will be cheaper than out of season options. BUY WHOLESALE! Wholesale flowers are much cheaper than floral shops. You can find flower wholesalers online, some even offering additional sales and discounts, or even check out (gasp!) your local Sam’s Club and Costco. True story, brides do it.

Beautiful floral centerpiece with peach, white, and green | Brooke Bakken | Utah Wedding Photographer

Get More For Your Money

If you have a limited budget for floral decor at your wedding, then make your money go further buy choosing from these less expensive flowers.

  • Roses – A classic flower that can be relatively inexpensive if you shop smart and do your homework.
  • Hydrangeas – Adding a stem or two is all you need to make a wedding centerpiece which is perfect for keeping you on track with a smaller budget.
  • Carnations – Perfect for a filler or check out Pinterest for a million more ideas on how this flower is versatile and so much more than a filler.
  • Lilies – These are simple elegant and romantic. Enough said.
  • Gerbera Daisies – Perfect if you are looking to add a pop of bright colors
  • Daisies – Daisies are a spray flower which means they have more than one bloom on their stem which makes them an ideal flower to fill in spaces on bouquets and centerpieces.
  • Alstroemeria –  These are delicate looking flowers but are hardy and can survive the big day in a bouquet like a champ! With three to five gorgeous blooms on each stem, they also make a great filler flower.

Wedding table decor | Brooke Bakken | Utah Wedding Photographer

Mix and Match Flowers of All One Color

If you’re looking to stick to one color that doesn’t mean you have to stick to only using one flower. Mixing floral choices within a bouquet gives it depth and texture and each flower adds it’s own unique layer of beauty. And if you are looking to save on bouquets keep those bridesmaid bouquets small. Keeping them small doesn’t mean they can’t still pack a punch. It also means it will leave you more room in your budget to focus on the bridal bouquet.

Wedding ring sits sits over foliage | Brooke Bakken | Utah Wedding Photographer

Add Extra Accents and Mix the Real with a Few Fakes

Adding accents yourself like ribbon, tulle, or other less expensive greenery as fillers means bouquets and centerpieces don’t have to be all about the flowers.  Heading to your local Hobby Lobby or craft story and purchasing items there means additional discounts and money saving. They love to have these items on sale on a regular basis. You may even want to check out the artificial flower selection while you’re there and see what you can get away with adding to your real flowers. It’s no secret that fake flowers are super cheap but combining them with real flowers won’t make them look that way. If you want to purchase fake flowers online there are many wedding websites that have fake flowers that look very real and blend nicely.

 

Bride holds wedding cake | Brooke Bakken | Utah Wedding Photographer WEdding invitations in peach and white | Brooke Bakken | Utah Wedding PhotographerBride holds bouquet of peach and white | Brooke Bakken | Utah Wedding Photographer Fall outdoor wedding ideas | Brooke Bakken | Utah Wedding Photographer Bride makeup and hair up do | Brooke Bakken | Utah Wedding Photographer Garden Park Ward bridals | Brooke Bakken | Utah Wedding Photographer Black and white of bride holding bouquet | Brooke Bakken | Utah Wedding Photographer Wedding bouquet for bride for fall wedding | Brooke Bakken | Utah Wedding Photographerbride looks at bouquet | Brooke Bakken | Utah Wedding PhotographerBride stands alone next to columns | Brooke Bakken | Utah Wedding Photographer Bride stands next to pond at Garden Park Ward | Brooke Bakken | Utah Wedding PhotographerSprays of greenery surround bouquet | Brooke Bakken | Utah Wedding PhotographerBride clutches bouquet | Brooke Bakken | Utah Wedding Photographer Bride shows ring and bouquet in close up | Brooke Bakken | Utah Wedding PhotographerWedding flowers on a budget | Brooke Bakken | Utah Wedding Photographer Bride stands on stairs and looks in to the distance | Brooke Bakken | Utah Wedding Photographer Fall bridal ideas | Brooke Bakken | Utah Wedding Photographer Fall colors for wedding | Brooke Bakken | Utah Wedding Photographer

Your wedding day is what you have dreamed about since you were a little girl. Don’t let your floral budget intimidate you if it is smaller than you’d like. With these tips you can have a beautiful and romantic day and still have those floral additions you’ve dreamed of.

 

Schedule your wedding or bridal package with me today and don’t forget the flowers.

XOXOXO – Brooke

 

 

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PLANNER/FLORIST: Over the Top Events

HAIR and MAKEUP ARTIST: Janelle Ingram  Instagram: @janelleingram

CAKE : Flour and Flourish

DRESS: Bridal Closet