Save Money On Your Wedding Flowers

Flowers can make the wedding sparkle, but can also cost a fair bit of money! The best way to save money on your wedding flowers is to buy them in bulk and arrange them yourself. If the idea of entrusting your floral design to your own inexperienced hands scares you, here are a few suggests that mayhelp you save money without the worry!

1. Silk Flowers - silk flowers can make beautiful wedding bouquets, and may also be cheaper then real flowers, especially if you want flowers that are out of season. But the biggest bonus is that you can arrange and rearrange them in advance, and you have enough time to work at it until it is perfect!

2. Find a unprofessional professional! Do you or your fiance have a friend or family member with floral experience? Ask around! You may find that someone you know, knows someone who is a retired florist! Or check out the local Seniors center, they may have suggestions as well! A retired florist will often offer their services at a much lower cost, and if they are friends or family, they may be willing to do it for free!

3. Take a class! Many local colleges and art centers offer flower arranging evening classes to help you learn the basics of arranging flowers for yourself! Local craft stores will often offer similar classes as well!!

4. Search online - many craft stores have websites with craft projects and ideas, including wedding arrangements! Check out Michaels for example! They carry a selction of 20+ bouquets with complete assembly instructions online!

If none of those ideas are particularly calming, and you would prefer to have a professional florist do your flowers, there are still ways that you can save money! Here are a few steps you can take to ensure you get the best flowers for your money.

1. Pick flowers that are in season, they are automatically cheaper then out of season flowers. For example, tulips for a spring wedding would be much less expensive then tulips in December. If you are unsure what flowers are inseason, ask your florist for advice.

2. Pick a bouquet that uses more affordable flowers (carnations, for example) accented with a few exotic flowers for a beautiful finish! When looking through my mother's wedding photos, I found a stunning photo of her bouquet, which was a cascading bouquet of white carnations with one goregous stargazer lily in front! It was goregous, and much more affordable then it woudl have been if she had used roses!

3. Shop around, get quotes from all the shops in your area, and make sure they know you are going to be getting quotes from other shops as well. Often, they will quote you a lower price if they know you are going to be looking around!

4. Look into the cost of silk flowers - especially if you want flowers that are out of seaon. Many retailers, both online and locally, carry exquisite silk flower designs that are fabulous in appearance and in price! Ask around and find out if there is a local craftsperson who does arrangements from their home. Their prices will be lower becuase they have less overhead to deal with the retail locations.

You may choose to save money by arranging your flowers yourself, or you may choose to hire someone to do it for you. Either way, a little planning and research can save you a lot of money!

Crystal Unrau is the owner of Chrys Cross Bridal and a wedding consultant who specializes in low budget dream weddings! You can contact Crystal at dcakru@mts.net if you have questions or you can visit her website at http://chryscrossbridal.com for a great selection of designer wedding gowns and accessories at discounted prices!