A bride never forgets her wedding flowers. From the selection of flower varieties and color, to designing the arrangements and even assembling them yourself, wedding flowers demand much of your attention as the bride-to-be. Little surprise, wedding flowers also require a large part of your overall wedding budget. Adopt one or several of the following strategies to help lower your expenses while still meeting your budding expectations.

Quantity vs. Quality
When it comes to floral design, high quantity of blooms equals or surpasses high quality. Bunching and repetition of even the most ordinary, economical flower can make a lovely impact. Every flower naturally is gorgeous; use large or exotic blooms sparingly. Gladiolas exemplify high value flower varieties.

Slim Down and Simplify
Reduce the overall quantity of flowers. Appropriately fit the flowers to their vases. By tightly bunching them in small-mouthed containers, smaller quantities will appear more abundant. Alternatively, embrace the sleek minimalist style with a few long-stemmed varieties that elegantly hold their own in tall vases. Double the overall floral affect with mirrors. This works well for a black and white wedding theme.

Let Them Live
Incorporate wedding flowers that don’t require cutting or picking. Use colorful potted plant displays to decorate. Marrying outdoors in a blooming neighborhood garden would suffice, providing the right blossoming background for your ceremony and other wedding theme ideas.

Reuse
Put your bridesmaids in charge of transporting the flowers from the ceremony to the reception hall. Altar flowers become banquet bunches. Aisle bouquets transform into table centerpieces. Find bouquet stands to turn your wedding party’s handhelds into reception table décor. Rent large potted flower displays or trees that can be reused.

Show Off Your Green Thumb
Grow your own wedding flowers, gather them from friends’ gardens or order them from the nearest flower farm. Plan a wedding party activity to pick-your-own the day before. Store them overnight in a shaded room in buckets of cool water.

Do-It-Yourself
Assemble your own centerpieces and wedding color schemes instead of hiring a florist. Flatter and ask a creative friend to design and craft the arrangements with you. Get quality time together and save. Providing your own vases or other creative containers for a hired florist is another way to save a little.

Time It Right
Plan your wedding in the season that your favorite flower will naturally bloom in abundance. Avoid holiday mark-ups, like roses around Valentine's Day, by planning your date accordingly.

Awesome Alternatives
Add simple alternative décor into your wedding theme ideas and displays to pare down the flower order. Search through the second-hand shops, garage sales and craft stores for vintage goodies. Add candles, paper lanterns, balloons or twinkling light to the design. Weave into the floral bunches ribbons, buttons, paper or silk flowers, or theme-related trinkets. Use nature’s collectibles, like dried leaves or flowers, driftwood, sea shells, feathers, rocks, nuts, vines and twigs in lieu of flowers.

Eat Them, Too!
Incorporate edible treats into your arrangements. Create eye-catching food art—desserts or fresh fruits and veggies—to share the expense of flowers and décor with your food budget.

Beautiful wedding flowers make such a significant impact on your big day. Remember, it's hard to go wrong with wedding flowers. Follow your instinct and have fun with the arrangements and your wedding color schemes. Finally, make sure all your hard work stays well preserved in photographs and by going home with your guests. They’ll continue to cherish your wedding flowers and memories of your joyous day.

Check Out Answers to Wedding Flowers Questions
Check Out Hiring Your Florist
Check Out How to Stretch Your Wedding Flowers Budget