Nothing adds a finishing touch to your wedding ceremony and reception quite like beautiful, fresh flowers.
From your bridal bouquet to garlands to floral table arrangements, the right wedding flowers can add drama, romance or elegance to your big day.
Before you start planning your bouquets and centerpieces, however, a wedding flower budget is a must. Knowing how much you want to spend will dictate the size of your order not to mention the types of flowers you choose.
But how much do wedding flowers cost? Our guide can help you to not only plan your budget, but help you get the most bloom for your buck.
Here’s How Much You Can Expect to Spend on Wedding Flowers
The average cost of wedding flowers varies widely depending on your location, how many bouquets and floral arrangements you order and the types of blooms you choose. And that’s why putting a wedding flower budget in place is no easy feat.
While some experts say you’ll need to spend between $3,000 and $3,500, others place the average cost of wedding flowers around $1,500. In fact, Wedding Wire says couples in the U.S. spend anywhere from $175 to more than $4,200 with an average range of $700-$2,500.
In This Article
3 Examples of Different Wedding Floral Budgets
To help you get a better handle on your flower budget, let’s take a look at some different wedding floral scenarios:
Simple Wedding
If you’re getting married in a beautiful outdoor location, you may not need a lot of extra flowers. In this case, you can simply order bridal bouquets, with boutonnieres for the men and corsages for the mothers of the bride and groom being optional. If you have a small wedding party, you could easily set a maximum budget of $700.
Average Wedding
If your ceremony is outdoors but your reception will be held inside, you may need to increase your budget. You’ll need the usual bouquets and lapel florals for the ceremony, but you’ll also want to consider centerpieces for your wedding tables. A budget of $2,500 to $3,000 should have you covered.
Lavish Wedding
If you’re going all out with extravagant flowers for your ceremony and reception, you’ll need to make sure your wedding budget matches up with your flower costs. If you want lavish bouquets, floral arrangements and garlands for the altar plus a fully-decorated event venue, you can expect your bill to exceed $3,000.
The Average Cost of Wedding Flowers
Now that you have a better idea of what the average couple is spending on flowers for their wedding day, it’s time to break down the costs for the most popular wedding florals.
How Much Do Wedding Flowers Cost?
The average cost of wedding flowers will depend on a range of factors including the number of flowers you order, the types of blooms you choose and whether they’re in season, and where your florist is located.
Here’s a price range couples can expect for particular types of wedding flowers:
Ceremony Flowers Cost
Bridal Bouquet: $100–$350
If you want to keep your bouquet cost at the lower end of the range, choosing seasonal flowers for your arrangement can help. Winter brides can opt for camellias, amaryllis or sweet peas to name a few. Summer brides also have a lot of blooms to choose from including calla lilies, daisies or freesia. Be sure to remember that the larger and more ornate your bouquet is, the more it will cost.
Bridesmaid Bouquet: $65–$125
The final tally for your bridesmaid bouquets will depend on the number of ladies in your party as well as the blooms you choose. If you have a lot of attendants or are looking for a way to keep costs down, why not have your bridesmaids carry a single-stem bouquet? Large flowers like hydrangeas, magnolias or peonies are ideal and look beautiful. Long-stem roses are also an elegant choice.
Boutonnieres and Corsages: $24–$50
Just like your bouquet choices can impact your bottom line, so too can the flowers you choose for your boutonnieres and corsages. Many brides and grooms save by eliminating flowers for the groom and his groomsmen although most couples do order corsages for their mothers. No matter what route you choose, opting for in-season blooms will lower your costs. Fringed tulips are ideal for spring while chrysanthemums are a perfect fall choice.
Flower Girl Petals: $50-$100 per bag
Rose petals are the go-to for the traditional flower basket, but it’s certainly not a rule that’s written is stone. You can choose any type of flower you wish. One thing to keep in mind, however, is that not all venues allow the throwing of flower petals. If that is the case with your venue, you can have your flower girl carry a single stem or a miniature bouquet.
Altar Flowers: $75–$500
Flower costs for an altar vary widely simply because there are so many options available to you. A simple garland or table vase, for instance, will cost much less than floral urns or an elaborate pedestal presentation.
Additional Flowers: $75–$300+
From a flower-laden arch or arbor to floral aisle markers, there are dozens of ways to use flowers for your wedding vows. The key is to have one focal point and minimal accents.
Reception Flowers Cost
Flowers for your reception can come in many different sizes and styles from small arrangements to large centerpieces to draped garlands. Many couples also opt for gorgeous, fresh blooms to adorn their wedding cake.
Here’s how much you can expect to pay:
- Arrangement next to sign-in book: $150–$250
- Arrangement next to place cards: $65–$125
- Head table centerpiece: $65–$400
- Sweetheart table garland: $12–$45 per foot
- Guest table centerpiece: $75–$400
- Cake flowers: $25–$150
One of the best ways to stay on budget with your wedding’s floral arrangements is by choosing in-season flowers or varieties that bloom all year. Some of the most popular wedding flowers available 365 days a year include roses, carnations, hydrangeas and orchids.
8 Ways to Maximize Your Wedding Flower Budget
Choosing flowers that are in-season or bloom year-round isn’t the only way to cut back on wedding flower costs.
Here are some additional tips and tricks to keep in mind during the wedding planning process that will save you a lot of money.
1. Mix Your Florals
One of the best ways to get what you want for your bridal and bridesmaid bouquets as well as your centerpieces is to choose one higher-end bloom and mix it with less expensive florals and greenery. Peonies, gardenias and hydrangeas are lovely, but pricey. Choosing only one type of expensive wedding flower to mix with more economical varieties like freesia, baby’s breath or daisies can help you get the look you want without blowing your budget.
2. Limit Your Choices
Variety might be the spice of life, but choosing too many different types of flowers will drive up your costs. The more varieties your florist has to purchase and work with, the higher your final bill will be. Choosing one to three varieties will be more economical.
3. Use Greenery
Using inexpensive greenery to fill out a wedding bouquet or centerpiece is a lovely way to cut costs. Silver dollar eucalyptus, parvafolia, ivy and leather leaf ferns are both cost-effective and pleasing to the eye. Just be careful when choosing greenery that you check on the price. Some varieties are almost as pricey as flowers.
4. Use Additional Decor
As beautiful as flowers are, they aren’t the only way to make your venue look sensational for your big day. Candles, lanterns and votives not only add style and ambiance, they can help fill the table without having to use a lot of floral touches. For the areas where you do want flowers, buying vases from the Dollar Store or other bargain retailers can help keep costs down.
5. Buy Your Own Flowers
Buying directly from a wholesale company means you won’t have to shell out for the markup a florist would charge. You can either create your own arrangements or hire a floral designer to take care of it for you.
6. Arrange Your Own Wedding Florals
If you can avoid using a florist or a professional floral designer, your final bill will be significantly lower. If you’re good at arranging flowers, you can do it yourself. Just keep in mind, that is a lot to have on your plate on your wedding day. Look for some talented family or friends that you can recruit to help. You may even find they’re willing to take the task over completely.
7. Have Your Wedding Flowers Do Double Duty
If you really want to get your money’s worth out of your wedding flowers, why not repurpose your ceremony arrangements for use at your reception? Once your nuptials are over, you can have your floral arrangements transported to your reception venue.
8. Use Plants to Decorate Your Tables
Beautiful, lush potted plants can be used to dress up your tables in place of floral arrangements. Perfect for casual, boho and country weddings, you can take the plants home with you to plant later or gift them to your guests.
Extra Expenses to Remember
No couple wants to be surprised by the final tally on their bill from the florist. Be sure to keep these items in mind when creating your budget.
Set Up and Delivery Fees
Before signing a contract with a florist, make sure you know about any hidden fees. Delivery and set up fees are not always included in the price, so find out how much those extra fees will cost.
Tips
While you don’t have to tip your florist, you should tip the delivery people who set up your wedding flowers. That can cost anywhere from $5 to $20 per person.
Final Thoughts
Flowers are an important part of the budgeting and wedding planning process. With our helpful hints in mind, you’ll be well on your way to choosing the right flowers — at the right price — for your big day.
