What are cheap ways to get flowers for a wedding?

I'm getting married at the end of September and am on a really tight budget. I was wondering if anyone has any ideas/suggestions for ways to get flowers really cheap for decorating and bouquets? Or, creative ways to decorate without flowers? Thanks!

What are cheap ways to get flowers for a wedding?
Keep your flower decorations to a minimum - use a few dramatic flowers for impact instead of masses of blooms. Choose smaller bouquets





Warehouses and club stores can be a good idea, but don't forget to factor in your time and supplies for doing the arrangements yourself, as well as storage considerations. Also, you should do a test run with some flowers to get an idea of how far ahead of time you should order your flowers. Unless you're really crafty or really know what you're doing, you're better off getting premade arrangements from a club store if you can.





Stick to in season flowers and ones that are locally grown if you can. This website will list them for you: http://www.freshroses.com/sept.html and give you pictures of them as well.





Choose inexpensive flowers like carnations and mums and use those to provide the bulk of the flower arrangements, and make more expensive flowers the accents. Greenery and baby's breath are inexpensive and can fill in a lot of space





Make your arrangements do double duty for both ceremony and reception. If the florist doesn't transport from one site to another, ask a trusted friend to do this for you.





Most high schools and colleges have horticulture classes that specialize in caring for and arranging flowers and plants. For a small fee, you could hire these aspiring florists who would be thrilled to work on your arrangements. The teachers of such a course will act as your safety net and, as an added bonus to you, will have extensive experience and oversee your project.





Put your most expensive arrangements where you want to make the biggest impression or where they will be seen the most.





It is not necessary to adorn every table with a high-priced floral centerpiece. Candles are beautiful and provide an amazing ambience! Try submerging an orchid (or flower of choice) in a glass container filled with water and float a candle on top. Also attractive is placing river rocks at the bottom of a glass container, adding water and floating a flower on top. Try using orchids, roses, peonies, camellias or gerberas.





A dramatic and stunning effect can be created with an inexpensive, rectangular mirror (much like the ones designed to hang on a bedroom door). Place the mirror reflective-side-up and let it run the length of the table, placing tealight candles at even intervals down the center. Sprinkle colored glitter or flower petals across the surface. The result is not only attractive, but sets the tone for your reception.
Reply:check out www.thebridesbouquet.com they have silk flower arrangments that are gourgous. A full cascade is $40.





Is your wedding inside or outside? If it's outside have an arch and decorate it with silk flowers and tull. Don't worry too much about decorating the chairs etc. If it's inside use the church for decoration, every one I've been in has murals. My cousin decorated the front of the church (thats where everyone should be/is looking anyways right?)





Good Luck! Congradulations!!
Reply:Unfortunately the most expensive part of a wedding is the flowers and the catering. My suggestion is to have your bride's maids have a cute small bouquets made of silk flowers. Your bouquet on the other hand should be real. As far as creative ways of decorating; using votives and candles, putting a portrait of you and then fiance's picture in a beautiful picture frame as center pieces and have tiny picture frames (wedding favors), with loving words in them and silk rose petals sprinkled over the table top; this is cost affective decorating and it's beautiful. Even creating small round topiary trees covered in hot glued balls representing the accent colors of your wedding, then having ribbon spiraling down the truck ending in a beautiful bow at the bottom, then you can have candles and votives surround them. with the rose petals sprinkle around as well.
Reply:Offer to pay cash for no tax- My flower person in New Jersey did this for me and saved me bunches.
Reply:my friend had lil trees at her wedding on the tables w/ candles hanging.. it was so beautiful... not sure if that isc heaper
Reply:There's nothing wrong with supermarket flowers! Also, I know of a woman who planned with her neighbours, and just raided all of their gardens, though her wedding was mid-summer.
Reply:grow them %26amp; make them yourself


you could also get glitter confetti %26amp; candles in pretty holders for the tables


white fairy lights also make a good decoration
Reply:You can go to costco or sams club. I would also check and see where the nearest flower mart is. This is where florists go to buy their flowers too, I would consider making my own arrangements and bouquets too. Personally, flowers are one thing I would not skimp on. I would try to cut costs in other areas before I cut costs on flowers.
Reply:Try SAM's or another supply house they have great flowers. You could get roses from them or some other flowers. And just wrap them with ribbon and you have beautiful flowers. Good Luck and Best Wishes!
Reply:You can buy them in bulk and arrange them yourselves


or


Use silks (some of them look very real these days).


or


If you go with real - use tulle and ribbon and greenery as fillers so you don't have to purchase as many flowers.


or


Instead of bouquets - purchase "throws" or simply flowers tied together with ribbon and not "arranged"





I have planned weddings (I'm a wedding planner) where the bride has real flowers but the rest of silks.
Reply:Go to a horticulture school ... they sell flowers at prices you wouldn't believe ... you can get them for like 10 cents on the dollar ...
Reply:http://www.theknot.com/co_profileview.ht...
Reply:Costco.com or samsclub.com





buy them in bulk and either do them yourself with your bridesmaids or pay some aunts to do it!!





For my centerpieces I am doing each table themed to an old classic hollywood movie i.e., Wizard of Oz, Breakfast at Tiffany's, Dr. No, tying in key items from the movies. It sounds better explained in person than on here.





Good luck!!
Reply:SOme online floral distributors will offer large bulk discounts if you just ask, they normally will not advertise this.





Stick with one type of flower and use tons of them, its more affordable to buy one flower in bulk then lots of different varieties.





Use less flowers and more fillers such as greens, mosses, branches.





Adding candles around the arrangment can make it appear fuller to the eye.





Use a grouping of smaller vases in varying hieghts rather then one large arrangment, it will create visual interest and use less flowers then one large arrangment.





Key is to just use really vibrant colors and make sure you get enough but not too much. One thing alot of people do when buying flowers is they buy way too much. Call a supplier and get advice on how much you should order depending on the size of your wedding.
Reply:Go silk instead.
Reply:Costco has awesome looking flowers for dirt cheap AND in bulk. For our wedding we got 2 dozen roses for $16 and they were the prettiest roses I have ever seen. They have other flowers too. You can pre-order all your flowers too. You must know someone that has a membership to Costco, if you live in the US. Go and look at their selection, I am sure you will be impressed.
Reply:We went to a local grocery store that has a flower shop in it, and the florist used to do weddings. She offered to do ours. We are saving a ton of cash by doing this.





Everything is done in roses...


For my bouquet, 10 boutenieres, 5 coursages, 3 bridesmaids bouquets, 10 bags of rose petals, and 3 dozen roses for 3 vases I have it is going to total about $400 to $450.
Reply:Graveyard?