April 5, 2019

Average Cost of Wedding Flowers

Read more about Love

Prepare to spend around $2,300 on your wedding flowers. Even if you plan to DIY your flowers, it's the flowers themselves that are costly.

Keep reading to learn more about what you should expect to spend on your wedding flowers.

Budgeting for wedding flowers

What is the average cost of wedding flowers?
The average couple spends $2,379 on flowers for their wedding. This number can be much higher or lower depending on the season and type of flowers you choose. How you handle your flower arrangements also plays a role. Some brides do all of the work themselves to save a little money, while others leave it 100% in the hands of a professional florist.

How much of your wedding budget goes towards wedding flowers?
The average wedding costs $33,191, making flowers just about 7% of your wedding budget.

What is the average cost of the bride's bouquet?
Brides typically carry the largest bouquet and spend the most on it, with the average around $150 - $250.

What is the average cost of the bridesmaids' bouquets?
Bridesmaids' bouquets can be a smaller replica of the bride's bouquet or be something completely different, depending on the bride's desires. Typically, bridesmaids' bouquets run around $95 per bouquet.

What is the average cost of corsages and boutonnieres?
If you plan to outfit your groomsmen, parents, and grandparents with corsages and boutonnieres, plan to spend around $35 per boutonniere and $55 per wrist corsage.

What is the average cost of eremony flowers?
If you have your ceremony at a church or place of worship, you'll spend between $75 and $500 on altar flowers, depending on the size and complexity of the flowers you wish to have.

What is the average cost of flower centerpieces for a wedding reception?
Your flower centerpieces can be as elaborate or basic as you desire. Many couples have scaled-down flowers on the head table because they can use the flowers from the bride and bridesmaids. Head table centerpieces tend to run an average of $110. Centerpieces for the guest tables cost an average of $235 per table.

What are the cheapest flowers for a wedding?
The cheapest flowers for your wedding are the flowers that are in-season. If you have your heart set on a specific type of flower and it's not in-season, expect to pay a lot more for it. It's a good idea to stick to the "filler flowers" if you want to keep your wedding flower expenses down. Choosing baby's breath, carnations, and mums will keep your flower expenses low. Other inexpensive options include daises, gladiolas, and Queen Anne's Lace.

What are the most expensive wedding flowers?
As we stated above, the flowers not in-season will definitely cost you more. But in general, you can expect to pay a lot for orchids, peonies, and garden roses.

Who pays for the wedding flowers?
If you stick to tradition, the bride's family pays for the flowers for the reception and ceremony. They also cover the cost of the bridesmaids' and flower girl's flowers. The groom's family covers the cost of the flowers for the bride, groomsmen, mothers, and grandmothers.

Breaking Down Wedding Flowers

What's included in the cost of wedding flowers?
If you hire a professional florist to handle your wedding flowers, you can expect some or all of the following services:

  • Consultation
    You and your florist will sit down to discuss your vision, budget, and your likes/dislikes. The florist may provide you with samples or show you pictures of certain types of flowers to help get an idea of what you want for your wedding flowers.

  • Prepping
    Your florist will receive the flowers for your wedding as is; he/she then has to properly prepare them and store them to begin creating your arrangements.

  • Labor and Delivery
    Just before your wedding, your florist will create your arrangements and then deliver them to the proper place, such as your home for the bride and bridesmaids, the church for the ceremony, and the venue for the reception. This may also include setup of the centerpieces and altar pieces, but this varies by florist.

  • Cleanup
    Some florists may offer flower cleanup, but you'll have to check with them and/or the venue hosting your event to see who should be responsible for this step.

What s the average cost of ceremony décor?
Ceremony décor can run you around $200, while ceremony flowers may cost you closer to $300. Of course, this depends on the type of flower and/or décor that you choose for your wedding.

Are ceremony décor and ceremony flowers different?
You can think of ceremony décor as the flowers and decorations you place on the pews, doors, or railings in the church. Ceremony flowers are the actual flower arrangements that you place on the altar, which are sometimes called altar flowers.

Do you have to have separate wedding ceremony and reception flowers?
There aren't any rules stating that you can't reuse your ceremony flowers for the reception. In fact, it's a great idea if you are on a budget. The ceremony can be as short as 20 minutes—you probably want a little more life out of something that cost you quite a bit of money, so why not reuse them?

Do brides and bridesmaids carry the same flowers?
Brides and bridesmaids can carry the same flowers, but some brides want their bouquet to stand out on its own. A few simple ideas include giving bridesmaids a smaller version of the bride's bouquet or using similar flowers, but in different colors/shades than the bride's bouquet.

Do mothers get flowers at your wedding?
Can mothers get flowers at your wedding? Of course, they can—if you want them to have them. Most commonly, mothers receive a corsage, either for the wrist or a pin-on corsage.

Planning Your Wedding Flowers

How far in advance do you have to order flowers for a wedding?
Once you choose your ceremony and reception venue, you should focus on your flowers. At a minimum, you'll want to choose your florist at least 8 to 9 months before your big day.

How can you save money on wedding flowers?
If you don't want to spend as much as 7% to 8% of your wedding budget on flowers, you can cut the costs with some of the following tips:

  • Choose In-Season Flowers
    As we discussed above, choosing flowers that are plentiful at the time of your wedding can save you quite a bit of money.

  • Choose Local Flowers
    If you choose common flower types, you won't have to pay high fees or extra transportation costs to get the flowers.

  • Use the Same Flowers for Everything
    Remember those altar flowers that you used for 20 minutes? Repurpose them at the reception. You can even use the bridesmaids' flowers as decorations or take just a few flowers from your arrangements and mix them in with candles, greenery, or other non-floral items.

  • Use Fake Flowers
    You don't have to have "real" flowers at your wedding, but if you are looking to save money, you probably won't with "fake" flowers. The type of "fake" flowers brides often use for weddings are silk flowers because they replicate "real" flowers the best. Because of their natural beauty, they are also more costly, which means you probably won't save much by going this route.

After the Wedding

How long do wedding flowers last?
There isn't a set amount of time that wedding flowers last because each type of flower lasts a different amount of time. In general, you can expect wedding flowers to last from 2 days to 2 weeks.

Which cut flowers last the longest?
Your hearty flowers like carnations, lilies, and chrysanthemums last the longest. Other long-lasting flowers include freesia, zinnias, and dahlias.

Can you preserve your wedding flowers?
There are several ways to preserve your wedding flowers, one as simple as hanging your flowers upside down for several weeks. All of the methods take time, so don't be in a rush to get your flowers preserved. With careful steps and plenty of time, though, you can preserve your wedding flowers for a lifetime of memories.

Write to Kim P at feedback@creditdonkey.com. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook for our latest posts.


Love

Stay informed with free money-saving tips, deals, and reviews from CreditDonkey.
Diamond Prices: What You Need to Know

Diamond Price

Get the maximum bling for your buck. Know what aspects of a diamond you need to focus on and which ones you don't to get the best value on your engagement ring.

About CreditDonkey
CreditDonkey is a diamond jeweler comparison website. We publish data-driven analysis to help you save money & make savvy decisions.

Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed on this page are those of the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer.

†Advertiser Disclosure: Many of the offers that appear on this site are from companies from which CreditDonkey receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). CreditDonkey does not include all companies or all offers that may be available in the marketplace.

*See the card issuer's online application for details about terms and conditions. Reasonable efforts are made to maintain accurate information. However, all information is presented without warranty. When you click on the "Apply Now" button you can review the terms and conditions on the card issuer's website.

CreditDonkey does not know your individual circumstances and provides information for general educational purposes only. CreditDonkey is not a substitute for, and should not be used as, professional legal, credit or financial advice. You should consult your own professional advisors for such advice.

About Us | Reviews | Deals | Tips | Privacy | Do Not Sell My Info | Terms | Contact Us
(888) 483-4925 | 680 East Colorado Blvd, 2nd Floor | Pasadena, CA 91101
© 2024 CreditDonkey Inc. All Rights Reserved.