9 Ways to Save on Beautiful Flowers

9 Ways to Save on Beautiful Flowers

• Don't choose a popular color schemes. Anytime, a color is in demand especially something uncommon such as sky blue. the price will go up. Worse yet, you may not get what you want. White flower are the exception. Every florist and flower farmer knows to have lots of white flowers available.

• Choose your date away from Holidays. Yes, I know it's easy for guests to travel to your destination wedding. Here's the thing, you may not get the florist you want at all. They may be on holiday too. In addition, ordered in flowers must be shipped and delivered on a non-holiday. Memorial Day flowers may be 10 days old after cutting, transport and early delivery before the holiday weekend. You can avoid this by buying local flowers and working with a farmer florist, but if you are asking for roses the day before Mother's Day you will pay double the regular rate. Flower farmers are super busy on Mother's Day too. If you want someone to focus on you, choose another weekend.

• To go along with the above advice, seasonal flowers means there are only bulbs in early spring. If you hate tulips, expect to pay more to get something else in spring. Ranunculus and Anemones are readily available from both farmers and florist, but they are not inexpensive flowers. Seasonal flowers can be spectacular: dahlias in summer, berries in fall. You will need to trust your florist on what is available, otherwise you pay the buffer factor and the out of season factor.

• Local Local Local, to cut the carbon footprint, shipping and middleman use your local farmer florist for your wedding flowers. Less plastic, fresher flowers along with unique 'sense of place' flowers. 

• Rein in your need for Eucalyptus, it is tropical and semi-tropical. It is not as cheap as you think. A farm table of eucalyptus garland will run a minimum of $160 without flowers. Many local flower farmer grow eucalyptus varieties now. With two differences. It's not ready to harvest in May, sometimes June. It does not hold as well out of water. It does look great otherwise. And a plus from my point of view it does not smell as much. We use it in every wedding. Be open to other foliage even if you don't know what that will be.

• 

  Native Ninebark foliage

• 

  mixed foliage mid-summer

• Farm tables don't save you money on decor. they generally seat the same number of guest with a longer profile they look silly without a garland or several sets of flowers. A few bud vase all along the table can work, especially if you have some other decor like candles added. 

• The ship probably already sailed, but cut out the bridesmaids. You can not have a small budget wedding with 11 bridesmaids, I don't care what else you do. This will break your budget. Southern girls, I'm talking to you.

• DIY bud vases only. I know this may be contrary to general advice, but it will save you relationship with your family, friends and length your Mom's life. Take on small DIY projects and have a good florist assist you in finding economical  solutions for the look you want. Of course, you do have to be realistic, stay away from the Pinterest site. Write down what you want and what's important, without looking at any photos.

May-June flowers all from our farm

• Skip the high dollar flowers, you may not know which those are. So skip Magnolia, gardenia, garden roses, peonies and flowering branches. Plus as mentioned above, anything out of season. Availability Lists and charts