When it boils down to say the top 10 wedding expenses, flowers are not at the bottom of the list. That being said, as you review your budget, there is a lot of room for cutting in one area to add to another.  Don’t let anyone tell you what you have to have, weddings are untraditional and personalizing your wedding means numbers have a new life and you are calling the shots.

There are many reasons to look closer at flowers, floral and decor. Let’s face it, first off, if you’re partial to a specific flower, it doesn’t mean it’s in season when you want your wedding.  The costs can drive up your wedding budget to import, ship and heaven knows there’s always the risk of maintaining flowers as well as the stress of hoping they arrive on time and in good shape to begin with.

We think you’ll fall in love with our time proven suggestion, love the budget break and even realize you can have more floral and decor than you thought you could have. Consider your loving bouquets, centerpieces and arch, aisle and chair markers a loving mix of fresh flowers and and beautiful crepe paper and satin flowers! You won’t be disappointed in your final showcase and paper flowers with step by step instructions as well as floral professional and their designer tips online are available to you so start delicately tossing your flowers, greens and ribbons together!

Talented flower designers post and demonstrate sharing their skills and you can practice, even have a brides’maid evening where everyone gets together to sip a cocktail and create the paper flowers for their bouquets and table centerpieces!  You can do this in advance saving the fresh flowers for last minute.  Having brides’ maids or the wedding party participate in making their bouquets also gives them a chance to share in your wedding experience and then keep their bouquet after the big event!

Cruise weddings and ports-of-call wedding couples can learn in advance the ins and outs and usually do a combination with satin and paper flowers premade as no fresh flowers can retun to the ship. A great excuse to spend more on your dress or photographer, it just makes sense!  More than one bride has shuffled aboard with secrets below her sash, but you didn’t hear that from me.

Consider celebrating not just one day, but 7 days of celebrating!  With money saved on flowers, added special moments with friends creating bouquets, bouts, wrist corsages and hair halos, insist they come along!  Family time is deluxe, flowers you’ve made for centerpieces and celebration are now gifts of time and you savor the moment, relax, splurge and indulge, knowing your flowers are forever and so are your memories!

Pamela (PJ) Ott, Director of Romance

Destination Wedding Leader,

Wedding Designer & Architect