We know that when it comes to weddings, it’s easy for your budget to get blown out of the water. When you start planning, you probably want an idea of what to expect in terms of cost. Then you can allocate a budget for each area, like venue, dress, cake and so on, and do your best to stick to it.
So, when you’re thinking about your wedding flowers, just how much do flowers cost?
There are quite a few considerations before you even start asking for quotes. It’s time to start another list – beginning with understanding which floral displays you are going to need.
Wedding flowers for the bridal party
Flowers are a very personal thing and choosing your wedding flowers will depend on your priorities. Consider the bride’s bouquet. This is going to be the most visible floral piece in your wedding and will feature in almost every photograph. You want something visible – but not so huge that it becomes a weight on your wrist.
Roses, the symbol of romance and love, are always going to be a popular choice. Orchids, lilies and tulips also feature highly. Hydrangea, with their large heads, make a good option as you’ll only need a few to make a large bridal bouquet.
However, remember that if you are buying out of season, your flowers will probably be imported and therefore the price will go up. If your florist uses local seasonal flowers for your bridal bouquet, you’ll stay in budget. While in the summer you’ll have a larger choice, that doesn’t mean you can’t find beautiful and bold winter blooms such as anemone or hellebore
Will the bride be wearing flowers in her hair? A floral crown may be a more delicate piece than the bouquet, but it will be photographed just as much.
And you’ll need to decide which members of the wedding party also need flowers. Will you have bridesmaids and flower girls? That may mean smaller bouquets for the maid of honour, and flower wands or baskets for any children. Do you dream of walking down the aisle on a carpet of dried petals?
Understandably, after the expense of the bridal bouquet, you may be reluctant to throw it into the air. But if you do want to take part in the bouquet toss, consider having a simpler bouquet made to throw, or use one of the bridesmaids.
Buttonholes for the groomsmen
Traditionally the men in the wedding party will have a buttonhole, and often the mothers of the bride and groom may want one as well. While these are often single flowers, when you start adding up the number of groomsmen, ushers and other important family members, it can still add up.
Floral displays for the wedding ceremony
Floral displays for your wedding venue can make all the difference in elevating any room to a beautiful romantic scene or adding colour and cheer to an old-fashioned space.
At Coton House Farm we have deliberately decorated to enhance the natural warmth in our rooms, such as the creams and reds of the vintage brickwork in the Old Dairy Barn, or the delicate planting of greenery around our oak-beamed Pergola. In doing so we have ensured that the rooms already feel elegant, so that you don’t need to go to extremes with your decor. This leaves you free to budget on the floral displays you truly want without trying to fill a space.
Generally, we find that most brides prefer a floral display for the wedding ceremony table. Again, this will feature in photographs as you take your vows or when signing the register. You may also choose to decorate the ends of each row of chairs in the Old Dairy Barn.
Couples who marry in a church will often choose to decorate the ends of the pews and have a display either side of the altar. Of course, the more displays you have, the bigger the budget you will need.
As a tip for cost saving, remember that these displays can do double duty. Displays from beside the altar can be moved to frame the entrance of your reception venue. The floral arrangement from the ceremony table can be used again on the head table of your reception.
Wedding reception flower arrangements
When you choose a sit-down meal at your wedding reception, the next decision will be how to best decorate your tables. Will you choose something bold and dramatic, or simple and calming? Your wedding florist will help you with the design and accessories, such as hiring glass bowls for a single, floating lily, or antique jugs filled with hedgerow wildflowers – although, please note that your florist cannot actually pick wildflowers and will still need to source these from a supplier.
And then – and this is where your wedding flower budget can start to run away with you – will you have displays anywhere else? The card table, or the newlywed chairs. A flower arch for the entrance or a single pot plant on alternate table settings. A display on the buffet table – perhaps the ones from either side of the altar? In the bathrooms, or a spring bouquet on each outdoor table?
It’s not easy to estimate the cost of your wedding flowers, as there are many decisions to be made first. As a guideline, experts suggest the floral budget of an average wedding flower budget will be 10% of the wedding cost.
The most important thing is to speak with your florist. You may already have firm ideas on which bloom you want to use, but your talented florist will be able to take your ideas and create the displays that suit your budget.
We regularly work with three local florists in Whittington and Lichfield, Flower Design of Lichfield, Emily Wisher Artisan Florist, and Ivision, the Lichfield Florist.
The benefits of using our recommended florists are that they are familiar with Coton House Farm. They’ll be able to advise you on where single arrangements can be used to the most effect, and design them to suit each area as they are moved and re-used throughout the day. The best thing to do is arrange a visit to our luxury wedding barn venue, so that you can see each beautifully decorated room and get an idea of what you would need. Book your viewing today.
