Controlling Your Floral Budget

We all want the entire day to be gorgeous but what if the budget, after all the squeezing is done, just does not allow every floral decoration the bride ever wanted? The answer is in priorities. In terms of the amount of time involved in each, the reception will be a higher priority for many. After all, most weddings only last about a half hour where the reception can run anywhere from two to six hours. For those brides, it would be wise to spend the floral budget on the reception where the bridal party will spend more time.

On the other hand, some couples will want to emphasize the solemnity and beauty of the marriage vows and want to place the emphasis there. If that is what is important to them then the financial emphasis should be placed with the ceremony.

Of course, the options are not either / or. For example, one simple way to economize is to use a large display at the front of the church that is transported and placed on the head table (have the florist design this with this dual use in mind or it is likely to be too big on the head table or too small at the front of the church).

Likewise, use a larger display at the head table and simpler, less expensive centerpiece displays like a bowl of fruit or seasonal foliage on the smaller reception tables, to make a display that is more impressive than smaller versions of the head table display that is too sparse to have value.

And don't forget that seasonal local flowers can be a great savings over flowers that have to be imported and in the hands of a seasoned florist can be stunning without breaking the floral budget.