Flowers

It's crazy how many flowers you need for a wedding, you need even more when you are doing a ceremony! When I originally met with my florist I didn't even think of half the flowers I was going to actually need for my reception. Your florist will help you know how many flowers, as long as you tell her X amount of people in the family/bridal party, X amount of tables, decoration ideas etc. In my Budget 101 post, I said to plan for 10% of your total budget going to flowers and that is pretty accurate. To help you spend less on your flower allotment you can order in-season flowers and the overall cost will drop dramatically. 

Here are the typical people and places you have flowers:

-bridal bouquet X2 if you are going to have a throw away one
-Groom boutonniere
-Groomsmen/Best Man boutonnieres
-Bridesmaids/Maid of Honor bouquets
-Mother of the Bride and Groom corsages
-Father of the Bride and Groom boutonnieres
-Grandparents of the Bride and Groom boutonnieres/corsages
-Flower Girls
-Rose pedals down aisle/ flower girl throws out
-Cake flowers
-decorations-entrance, food, guestbook, and gift tables
-centerpieces for dining tables

-Before you meet with your florist collect pictures of flowers you like from Pinterest, other websites, or friend's weddings etc. 
-Bring your exact color palette that she can have
-Print pictures because your florist will want to take these for herself so she can get ideas 
-During your visit, make sure to tell her your budget for flowers and ask her to estimate an overall price 
-Have her show you shapes of bouquets 
-Ask her about set-up charges and if/when she needs a payment by a certain date 
-Make sure you like her and her style
-Some florists do a mock-up bridal bouquet arrangement. See if she does, and ask her to do one for you


Flowers add a lot of beauty to a wedding and are a must-have. You can change the theme or overall feeling by the flowers you choose. Though this will depend on the individual bride, I believe flowers are an area that you can cut costs on. Like I said earlier just using in-season flowers are a way to do so. Below is a list  you can use to see what's in-season for you!

In-Season Flowers 

January/February                      March/April                       May/June
-Anemone                                 -Allium                            -Amaranthus
-Bells of Ireland                         -Freesia                           -Astilbe
-Daffodil                                   -Lilac                               -Gladiola
-Forget-Me-Not                          -Tulips                             -Hydrangea
-Heather                                   -Viburnum                       -Garden Roses
-Hyacinth                                  -Muscari                           -Love-In-A-Mist
-Violet                                      -Ranunculus                      -Peony
-Calla Lily                                  -Wax Flower                     -Pincushion
                                               -Lily                                -Sweet Pea
                                                                                     -Veronica 
                                                                                     -Zinnia

July/August                              Sept./Oct.                          Nov./Dec.                       
-Coreopsis                                -Aster                               -Jasmine
-Cosmos                                  -Marigold                           -Poinsettia
-Daisy                                     -Chrysanthemums               -Amaryllis
-Dahlia                                    -Dahlia                              -Holly
-Godetia 
-Lavender
-Lisianthus
-Queen Anne's Lace
-Tuberose
-Sunflower  
-Herbs