Fresh flowers within your budget

(my bridal bouquets + bridesmaids bouquets. hot princess roses)

They say scent is the biggest memory trigger. And one thing I remember from my wedding day is the smell of my fresh flower bouquet. I smelled it all day!! I especially remember smelling those hot pink roses on our spin around the neighborhood between wedding + reception--our first 1/2 hour as a married couple! Sure, we didn't go crazy with the flowers, but it was perfect AND we stuck to our modest budget of $500.

I think brides hear horror stories about the cost of fresh flowers. They are scared they will blow their budget before they even step in the florist's door. My advice to you is to come up with your budget, and then to find a way to make it happen: order through a wholesaler, D0-It-Yourself, or go through a budget conscious florist.

When planning your floral arrangements for your ceremony, think about if you'll be able to use it at the reception as well--you want to maximize your investment. The arrangement (below) was in the narthex at church to welcome our guests, right by the guest book. We then took that arrangement and put it on the head table at the reception. It was perfect!

(a mix of pink hydrangea, hot princess roses, ivy & hypericum berries)

(small arrangement at reception. gerbera daisies)
(flowers on each of the 6 windowsills)
(one gerbera daisy atop each centerpiece cake)
(gerbera daisies on our cake) (the unity candle arrangement--this was placed at the entrance of the reception minus the candles! a mix of roses, hydrangea, hypericum berries, gerbera daisies & ivy)

Fresh flowers are worth every penny. Just make sure you know how many pennies you want to spend and let your florist know up front. She will work with you to make sure you have the best flowers for what your budget allows. If you go in with an open mind, you will be pleased for sure!