Wedding Flowers: How many? How much?

By: Alexine

Choosing the perfect wedding flowers is quite an obstacle when narrowing down the details. Every flower has a specific list of colors it is available in and depending on the season flowers can be hit or miss. Not to worry my dear! There are plenty of beautiful flowers available in the flower market and most florists can get their hands on prime pickings.

Flower Colors:
When it comes to wedding flowers and color coordination I recommend that you have your wedding colors picked out and then choose flowers that compliment or accent the overall wedding theme or color of the linens. For example at my wedding there was a beach and nature theme so the flowers were in square glass vases with seashells. The flowers were in greens, purples, pinks, and ivory that all blossomed with natural beauty and had the beach garden look.

Linen Colors:
When you have the linen color chosen, make sure to get a swatch for your florist. That way when they go to the flower market the colors will accent your tablecloths. If you choose classic white linens then the florist can cater to the specific flowers you like and find others that coordinate well in arrangements.

Countless Arrangements:
When it comes to determining how many flower arrangements you need take note if you have a open bar, cake table, buffet, standing tables, sit down tables or a head table. Before you give the florist a definite count on the number of centerpieces make sure you have a head count. Then you can avoid having too many flower arrangements or too few.

My recommendation is:
• one medium arrangements for the center of each round table
• two medium arrangements for each longer rectangular tables
• one small arrangement for the bar
• one large arrangement for the cake table
• one small arrangement for the women’s bathroom
• one large arrangement for the appetizer table
• one small arrangement for each standing drink and appetizer table
• boutonnieres for the ring bearer, groomsmen, fathers and grandfathers
• corsages for the bridesmaids, mothers and grandmothers

Finalize Your Order:
Once you have the venue booked and get a head count then comes the fun part. Count up all the tables you need arrangements for and start the elimination process. Get a hold of the nearest florists and see if they are available for your wedding date and how much small, medium and large arrangements cost (roughly). Chat with each one about the types of flowers or colors you would like. If you give them a budget then they will work their magic with what they have. Don’t worry if you only have a limited amount of money. Some flowers can be just as beautiful and half the price.

Really Tight Budget:
If you are on a really tight budget and florists seem to be out of the picture go to a nursery and buy a pretty flowering potted plant for each centerpiece and a terracotta pot. Then you can paint the pots to accent your wedding colors with paint from the craft store. Then you can go to a floral shop and get 2 dozen roses, cut the stems and wrap them in wire and then ribbon for the bride’s bouquet and do the same with different colors (only one dozen instead of two) for each bridesmaid. This eliminates paying for the florist’s long hours of work and allows you to still have pretty flowers at your wedding. Either way it is your special day and it will be special no matter what.