I wish that more people would ask me how to maximize their floral budgets! This goes hand in hand with saving money on your wedding flowers and making the best decisions for lower cost budgets. We can make some seriously good things happen if we make the right choices!

This is Part 3 in a 3 Part series on wedding flower budgets. We've already talked about How Much Wedding Flowers Cost in Manitoba, and Misconceptions about Wedding Flower Pricing. If you have any questions or thoughts about these topics, send me an email to info@stonehouseweddings.com and I'll try my best to address it!

1) Choose 1 focal area and keep the rest simple (bonus points if that focal piece can be used in both the ceremony and reception). 
It sounds a bit counter-intuitive, but seriously: spend a big chunk of your budget on one key piece and keep everything else simple. The theory behind this makes a lot of sense: one emphasized focal area does an amazing job of creating the ambiance that you're after. This could be an exaggerated hanging installation above the head table (like at Jynelle's wedding, which was also used for their ceremony!), or it could be a gorgeous, over-sized arrangement at a guest book or entrance table to welcome guests in. I've always wanted to do an incredible, statement-making design around a cake table, set in the middle of the room, so if that sounds like something you'd like, then email me! 

2) Use greenery, sparingly.
Fully bound garlands are pretty costly, because they take a lot of product, a lot of time, and because the designer always gets poked by the wire. Kidding ;) That doesn't get factored into the cost but I can't tell you how many times I have cursed a garland for making me bleed!

An awesome alternative is to lightly lay greenery down the tables. You still get that fresh green look while eliminating the high cost. For this wedding, I also included some flower "confetti" - loose blooms and petals tucked in with the greenery for some touches of colour.

3) Opt for bud vases or mini arrangements. 
Sometimes all a table needs is a pop of colour. In that case, you don't need to go over the top with a full floral arrangement (and sometimes, those long, rectangular harvest style tables don't even have enough space for a full floral arrangement!). A few bud vases clustered in the centre of a table featuring the accent colours in your palette will make just enough of a statement without breaking the bank. You can expect to spend $5-$15/stem vase. 

4) Use a coloured table linen. 
Okay, I realize that the table linens actually have nothing to do with the flowers, but this is one of the event design rules that I live by: the biggest impact you can make in a room is with the table linens. Why? They take up SO MUCH visual real estate, that they really set the tone for everything that you see. If you're on a lower flower budget, upgrade from the basic table linen (whether that's with a texture, a metallic, or a pop of colour) to make a statement in the room, and then your florals can be scaled back a bit. 

Flower Cost Comparisons

I thought I'd offer you some more specific pricing on some of the most popular wedding flowers and some lower cost alternatives that make for great substitutes!

Left: Peony | Right: Pink O'Hara Garden Rose
This may not be my wisest substitute, since garden roses are still costly flowers, but they are definitely the closest thing to a peony that you can get! Peonies usually range from $15-$18 per stem, while an O'Hara garden rose is a little more reliable at $10-$12 per stem.

Left: Juliet David Austin Garden Rose | Right: Peach Lisianthus
Yes, the garden rose is always going to be the king. But if you're just concerned about getting the right colour, then lisianthus could be a great substitute! The David Austin garden roses are a high-end, very carefully bred family of flowers that will ring in at about $18 per stem, while lisianthus will be more like $5-$7 per stem.

Left: Ranunculus | Right: Spray Roses
Everyone's favourite loonie-sized flower is ALWAYS a ranunculus, but they're pretty stinking expensive and not the most reliable. They have a hollow stem, which means they're more prone to rot. Often out of a bunch of 10, I'll only be able to use 5-7 blooms! This little baby will be around $7-$10 per stem, while the similarly sized and shaped spray rose (with a HUGE range of colours and usually 3-5 blooms per stem!) is a much easier to manage $5 per stem,

Hire an excellent wedding florist in Winnipeg!

Getting married in Manitoba? I might be biased, but flowers are the best way to make a statement at your wedding. Whether you already have a specific vision in mind or want me to dream up something custom just for you, reach out to Stone House Creative for stunning bridal bouquets, unique ceremony backdrops, and beautiful floral centrepieces to create the perfect ambiance for your wedding!