How Much Do Wedding Flowers Cost?

Now that you’ve booked your venue, it’s onto the next stage of wedding planning! When it comes to decorating your venue for the ceremony and reception, you might want to go with a lovely floral theme. 

Flowers tend to dominant weddings, whether it’s for decor or part of the bouquets the bride and bridesmaids are carrying down the aisle. With flowers everywhere, it’s natural to wonder how much wedding flowers cost. What’s the average price? How much should you be spending on flowers? Are there ways to cut costs on flowers?

Average Cost of Wedding Flowers

The average price of wedding flowers varies according to several factors. The types of flowers you’re choosing for bouquets, centerpieces, and decor will affect how much you spend on flowers as well as what season it is. Like everything else that’s part of a wedding budget, determine if floral arrangements are a priority for you.  

Typically, you should set aside around 8-10% of your wedding budget for flowers. According to Wedding Wire, couples usually spend anywhere from $700 to $2,500 on flowers for their wedding. This price includes a wide range of items, from bouquets to decorations at the reception. 

Average Cost of Bridal Bouquet

One of the best places to showcase a gorgeous floral arrangement is the bridal bouquet. As a bride walks down the aisle, all eyes are on her. Of course, guests will be admiring the bride in her wedding dress, but the flowers won’t go unnoticed.

If you’re a fan of flowers, you might choose to splurge on an elaborate bouquet with many flowers. Thumbtack estimates that an elaborate bouquet will cost $350 to $500. For many, this price sounds outrageous, but this isn’t the price for a typical bridal bouquet. Simple yet beautiful bouquets cost $150, according to Thumbtack. 

Cost of Bridesmaid Bouquet

While Thumbtack puts a bridesmaid’s bouquet between $40 to $60, Wedding Wire’s estimate is a little higher at $75. Bridesmaids’ bouquets are a lot less expensive than a bridal bouquet, but you’ll need to buy several of these bouquets.

If the price for bridesmaids’ bouquets becomes too expensive, keep their bouquets more simple. To do this, make greenery more prominent in your bridesmaids’ bouquets or stick with more affordable flowers like carnations. These flowers come in bright colors, so the bouquets will still bring a pop of color to your ceremony.

Cost of Boutonnieres 

Boutonnieres can really elevate a suit for a wedding. By purchasing boutonnieres, everyone in your wedding party can have matching flowers as part of their ensemble. Since boutonnieres are usually only one flower, they’re much cheaper than bouquets. Based on Thumbtack, the average price of a boutonniere is $18, and they range from $15 to $25 in price. 

Cost of Floral Centerpieces

Bouquets and boutonnieres have their place at the ceremony, but what about flowers as part of the wedding reception? At the reception, centerpieces are a great way to highlight floral decor. Brides provides a breakdown of wedding flowers costs based on the floral company Sea Lily. According to Brides, the centerpiece for the head table falls from $65 to $150 while centerpieces for guest tables is usually anywhere from $75 to $400. 

Average Cost of Florist

Although it isn’t necessary to hire a florist, a professional will be able to put together high-quality floral arrangements. Florists also offer other services; for example, your florist can help you plan your bouquets to match your theme and style, store flowers, and deliver them on the wedding day. Some couples ask family members to help out with the flowers, but florists are worth hiring to make your venue look truly spectacular. 

Thumbtack says the cost of hiring a florist is between $730 to $1,200, so factor this into your overall wedding budget or floral budget. When you’re looking for a florist to hire, ask your venue for recommendations. Some venues have a list of approved vendors, and other venues can provide florists who have worked there in the past. 

Wedding Flowers on a Budget

Wedding flowers are a significant part of the wedding budget, but there are plenty of ways to save when decorating and putting bouquets together.

Generally, opting to use flowers that are in season is a cheaper option. Every season, there’s plenty of flowers to select from, so sticking to in-season blooms really doesn’t limit your options. Gerber daisies are a bright, colorful flower for the spring, summer, and fall. In the winter, add some juniper or holly to your decor for a festive look. 

If you’re trying to save on wedding flowers, think about using some bouquets at both the wedding ceremony and the reception. Reusing flowers cuts down on costs significantly. If you have garlands at the ceremony, it’s quick and easy to bring them to the reception venue and hang them up. Alternatively, you may be able to use altar flowers as centerpieces for the reception.

Another option is to spend more on one eye-catching piece. For the ceremony, purchase a large, beautiful flower arch and spend less on altar flowers. Your guests will be drawn to the flower arch, and your photographer will get gorgeous photos of you under the arch during the ceremony. Similarly, you can mix expensive flowers with more affordable ones in arrangements and bouquets.

Also think about your venue when buying flowers and decorating. With innovative and unusual venues like galleries or botanical gardens, the venue can speak for itself. If your venue is outside, you may want to spend more on flowers for the reception. If you’ve booked an elegant venue, let the venue be part of your decor, so save the flowers for your bridal bouquet. 

Cheap Wedding Bouquets

Whether they are bridal, bridesmaids’, or centerpieces, bouquets take up a significant portion of the floral budget. Luckily, there are tips and tricks to lower costs of bouquets. Greenery is a growing wedding trend, and you can use leafy green plants to fill up bouquets. This really draws attention to the few flowers in your bouquet, so if you have a favorite flower, you can use greenery to showcase it. 

By using larger flowers, you can fill up space without buying as many blooms. Even if you choose a more expensive flower, you may be saving more overall by buying fewer flowers overall. Hydrangeas are a popular flower for weddings. Although they can be pricey, hydrangeas fill up a bouquet well. 

Don’t want to go big? Try a minimalist route! For your centerpieces or bouquets, stick with a few thin stems. With the right colors and vases, just a few flowers can look as elegant as an elaborate arrangement. 

If you’re looking for even more creative alternatives, look for silk flower wedding bouquets. Although silk flowers may not have the scent of real flowers, they can be a keepsake to remember your wedding day. It might seem that silk flowers should be a cheaper alternative, but plenty of silk flowers are just as expensive as fresh ones. However, it is possible to find affordable silk flowers, so stay on the lookout!

Wholesale Wedding Flowers

Looking for wedding flowers in bulk? Consider buying your wedding flowers from a wholesale retailer, like Sam’s Club or Costco. This option might require a little more from you because you may need to put together bouquets yourself. However, Sam’s Club and Costco provide a few different options for wedding flowers that can be more affordable than hiring and buying from a professional florist.

Aside from Sam’s Club and Costco, there are also websites that specialize in selling flowers. Blooms by the Box and FiftyFlowers are great resources to buy flowers and even for DIY advice. If you’re willing to do a little extra research to put together your own bouquets and floral arrangements, check out bulk orders of flowers to save big. 

Conclusion

You don’t need to spend a fortune for a flower-filled wedding! Although some couples spend thousands of dollars on flowers, you can look for options from wholesalers and find ways to decrease costs while still creating a spectacular space for your wedding. Whether you hire a florist to help you create arrangements or search around for DIY advice, choose flowers that you love and are meaningful to you. Take a look at a flower guide to see which blooms are perfect for your wedding day.

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