If you have been following me for a while, you know that for the most part my couples are floral lovers as much as I am. And thank goodness because my floral love runs deep. With that said, with each and every wedding I spend time with my couples discussing ways to “maximize” their floral budgets as much as possible in an effort to ensure that every floral element has it’s “moment” and is seen by our guests — sometimes 2-3x!
When I polled you all on Instagram last month about topics you would like to see me discuss in upcoming wedding planning blog posts, maximizing your floral budget was one of the most requested topics. So, what I have done below is share a few creative tips, tricks and professional methods I personally use with my clients to be sure the wedding florals make the most impact for the dollar amount spent on them. This post is meant to highlight ways to make your floral budget go further (rather than specific areas to cut your floral budget) and to ensure that the florals you do invest in are used to their maximum potential so that your wedding feels full of blooms… and like your floral budget was much higher than it was!
(Disclaimer: All images shared below are from all different weddings with different styles to give you the best depiction possible for each tip, trick and method — the images are not meant to be cohesive or show one wedding.)
ONE: REPURPOSE CEREMONY FLORAL
Sometimes I hear “the ceremony is short, so we don’t really want to spend our floral budget on the ceremony.” Whenever I hear this my wedding planner heart starts having heart palpitations. The ceremony location is 100% the place where the most photos are taken of you throughout the entire celebration, and so I firmly believe florals in some format are important to frame you during the ceremony. Rather than removing ceremony floral entirely, consider working with your floral designer to create pieces that are moveable and can make an impact somewhere else during a wedding. Lush florals spilling out of stone urns can beautifully frame you at your ceremony and then be repurposed to the front entry to your reception ballroom or tent to create a grand entrance. Floral box lined aisles can make such a romantic and impressive statement at the ceremony when guests arrive, and can be JUST as impressive repurposed in front of the band at the reception to hide that black band stage skirting nobody particularly loves. If you want a ceremony arch, consider a two piece arch such as this one that can be moved easily and repurposed into the entry to your reception or behind the sweetheart table. The idea here is to keep ceremony floral in budget and then to repurpose it elsewhere so you are getting more for your dollar with these pieces, as well as not having to spend on adding additional florals/signage/candles to other areas of the celebration.
(Read the captions below each photo to see how we implemented this method)
Final Thoughts: Make your ceremony floral a statement that is able to be moved so that it can be repurposed and make an equally amazing impact in another location. This gives you more than one use for your ceremony floral, keeping budget in more in tact!
TWO: BRIDESMAIDS’ BOUQUETS
At the end of a ceremony and when formal photos are complete, the first thing I ask my assistants to do is to take the bridesmaids’ bouquets from the girls before the beautiful blooms end up on the floor of the ballroom or left on a cocktail table. Bridesmaid bouquets are essentially flower arrangements that can be put into simple vases and placed all throughout a reception, and if you keep this in mind when planning your florals with your designer, you can reduce the need for added florals on bars, back bars, guest book tables, gift tables, restrooms and more. I will ask my floral designers for extra vases (that match the wedding design) to put the bouquets in and disperse in all locations where more floral is needed. Does the bar need a little floral touch? You bet, and a bridesmaid bouquet goes next to the signature cocktail sign. Does the cake table need a couple extra florals to frame the cake? Yes indeed, pop two there. Does the gift and guest book table look a little bare when nobody is standing there? Yes, and so a few bouquets go there. Does the back bar shelving look nice with all of the glasses lined up, but could be softened up a bit? Sure, let’s add some bouquets there.
(Read the captions below each photo to see how we implemented this method)
Final thoughts: Bridesmaids bouquets are always stunning and should be repurposed wherever possible. While I do not recommend repurposing the bouquets on actual dining guest tables (sometimes bouquets aren’t in ultimate best condition after a long hot day), they are perfect for placing in areas that could use a little extra floral love. Strategically using those bridesmaids’ bouquets can really extend your floral budget and help prevent having to spend on additional pieces for bars, guest book/gift tables, restrooms and more.
THREE: MORE ROUND TABLES, LESS LONG TABLES
If florals are a primary design element at your reception and have a budget in mind, be sure to consider round tables for your reception over long banquet (rectangular) tables. Round tables have less surface area to cover than rectangular long/farm tables do. With a round table you can have one gorgeous, lush and full compote arrangement filled with flowers and greens versus a long table where you need either 3-5 arrangements in various sizes or a even a garland to fill the space. Contrary to popular belief, garlands are not always less expensive than compote flower arrangements since often the garlands have to be handmade (which increases labor cost) and must be filled with excess greens and blooms to cover the length of a long table and look lush enough to make a statement on a table.
(Read the captions below each photo to see how we implemented this method)
This wedding had mostly round tables to maximize seating and floral budget in the tent Floral by The Wild Dahlia | Photography by Elizabeth Laduca 
Final thoughts: The best way to see your reception floral budget go the furthest is to maximize the number of round tables you seat guests at within the reception space. Either mix round tables and long tables or go with all round tables to extend floral budget as far as possible in the reception space.
FOUR: REPURPOSE CENTERPIECES
When the wedding is over, the flowers don’t have to be trashed or, my preference, donated just yet! Have your planner, venue coordinator or floral designer set them aside to be used the next day for your farewell brunch! The centerpiece florals will still be incredible the day after your wedding, and it only makes sense to repurpose these as well! After the brunch let your guests take some of the florals home (be sure to check with your floral designer if the compotes/vases are rented so she or he can provide you with another vessel for guests to take flowers home in), or donate them to a local hospital or hospice to be used for a greater good.
(Read the captions below each photo to see how we implemented this method)
Final thoughts: Centerpiece florals can extend beyond just the wedding day in so many ways! Reuse them at the farewell brunch, send off with your guests after brunch to brighten up your guests’ home, and then donate any remaining blooms to those people who could use a little love from your wedding.
Feeling like your floral budget is going further than you thought it would now?! I bet you do! Try these methods out and comment below or share with me on Instagram to share with me how these tips and tricks worked for you!
Oh! And before you go! Join my newsletter here for more tips, tricks AND be the first in the know when my wedding planning products launching in 2020 make their grand reveal! …. Do you like how I snuck that BIG news in there?!
Happy Planning, friends!
xo, Keri
