No matter your wedding style, flowers are likely to play a big role in setting the scene. From bouquets and centrepieces to boutonnières, altar arrangements, welcome displays, and even floral accents on the wedding cake, flowers add beauty, colour, and a touch of magic to the day.
But as stunning as they are, wedding flowers can be a costly part of the budget. In Australia, couples typically spend between $1,500 and $2,500 on florals, though prices can vary based on the season, florist, and flower choices. With the average Australian wedding costing around $37,000, it’s easy to see how flowers can quickly add up.
Not everyone wants to spend thousands on flowers, but that doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice a beautiful setup. There are plenty of ways to keep costs down while still creating an elegant, eye-catching floral arrangement for your wedding.
In this post, we’ll explore creative and budget-friendly ways to make the most of your wedding flowers without overspending.
Why are wedding flowers so expensive?
A wedding is a fabulous occasion, and like many celebrations, flowers are the go-to decorative item for adding colour, luxury and elegance. Flowers are also a popular symbol of love, which is why they’re so perfect for a wedding.
As a result, many couples love to use flowers throughout their big day, from the moment their guests arrive at the ceremony to the moment they leave the reception. And because they play such a prominent role, the price of wedding flowers can be somewhat on the high side.
But why exactly are they so expensive? There are plenty of reasons why you may pay a premium for wedding flowers, most notably:
- Volume – From bouquets to boutonnières, many different flower arrangements feature in a wedding
- Quality – When it comes to weddings, florists often use the crème de la crème of flowers
- Service – Bespoke florals will involve a personalised design process and conceptualisation to bring your vision to life
- Details – It’s not just about the flowers – think vases, vessels, ribbons, even props – everything you need to create a gorgeous display
- Availability – Most flowers are seasonal, particularly in Southern Australia, so it can be expensive to import certain flowers
- Expertise – Florists use their skill and experience designing show-stopping arrangements
- Time – Wedding flowers often take a lot of time to design and arrange
- Delivery – Your florist will need to deliver and set up your flowers at the venue
Do you need flowers at your wedding?
Whether or not you have flowers at your wedding is entirely your decision. It all depends on your budget, your style and – ultimately – your preference. While there’s nothing written in stone that says you need to have flowers at your wedding, your guests will likely notice if you choose not to have them.
Flowers are one of the biggest wedding traditions there is, and the pure presence of flowers denotes elegance and love. That said, there could be several reasons for not wanting to have flowers at your wedding, for example, due to allergies, or you simply aren’t interested in anything floral.
15 ways to save money on wedding flowers
Wedding flowers are a big expense, but they’re a non-negotiable for many couples. If you do choose to have flowers at your wedding, but don’t want to spend an amount even close to the Australian average, then there are ways around it. Below are 15 ways you can save money on wedding flowers.
1. The bigger the better
Choose flowers with big heads where possible. Not only do they look stunning, but the bigger the flowerhead, the fewer stems you need to fill out an arrangement, which means you’ll also generally spend less money.
For example, for every peony or hydrangea you have in an arrangement, you would need two or three roses to fill up the same amount of space. The bigger the flowers, the less you’ll spend in the long run.
2. Avoid popular flower choices
Flowers like roses, carnations, and tulips are timeless symbols of love, making them popular choices for wedding floral arrangements. However, their popularity often comes with a premium price, especially during peak wedding season when demand is high.
To keep costs down without compromising on beauty, consider less common but equally stunning alternatives. Chrysanthemums, dahlias, and Peruvian lilies (also known as Alstroemeria) are gorgeous, long-lasting options that add vibrant colour and texture to your wedding décor at a more budget-friendly price. Other great seasonal choices include natives like waratahs, proteas, and waxflowers, which not only look stunning but also hold up well in Australia’s climate.
By opting for flowers that are in season and locally grown, you can create breathtaking arrangements while keeping your floral budget in check.
3. Be creative with your bridesmaids
Be a trendsetting bride and instead of full bouquets, give your bridesmaids corsages to wear on their wrists or boutonnières to fix onto a neckline or waistband. It will leave their hands free (to fluff out your dress if need be) and provide the perfect accessory for their outfits. Not to mention it will save you a lot of money, especially if you have four or five bridesmaids.
4. Use flowers as focal points
Use flowers as your focal points. Positioning some at the bar and on the central table will draw the eye and let you get away with much smaller pieces on the other tables. This will make the room seem full to the brim with floral decoration, whereas actually, you’ve just been clever with how you use them. The key is to position them in a way that works for them and the space.
5. Less can be more
We may have already mentioned that bigger blooms can be more cost-effective, but if you’re going for a minimalist and sophisticated theme, then that can also be a great way to save some money. Instead of having big bunches of flowers on every table, try putting single stems in tall elegant vases as eye-catching centrepieces. Because of the impressive height, the room will still look decorated throughout, but this way you’ll use fewer stems and your guests will be able to truly appreciate the flowers you’ve hand-selected.
Roses are fabulous flowers which work well like this, but speak to your florist about which flowers will fit best within your specific budget.
6. Switch petals for paper
Did you know you can still have stunning floral arrangements even if you don’t want real flowers? Opting for faux or handcrafted paper flowers can be a creative and budget-friendly alternative to fresh blooms. High-quality silk flowers look incredibly realistic, while paper flowers can add a unique and personal touch to your wedding décor — often at a fraction of the cost. Plus, they’ll last forever as a keepsake from your big day.
For an extra dose of personalisation, consider making flowers out of pages from your favorite book, sheet music from your wedding playlist, or even old love letters. Not only will this tie into your wedding theme, but it’ll also create a deeply meaningful touch to your décor.
Want to save even more? Try making paper flowers yourself. Since they don’t wilt, you can start early and build up a beautiful collection over time. There are plenty of tutorials on YouTube to guide you through the process. While they may not rival the work of a professional, DIY flowers can be a fun, cost-effective way to add charm to your wedding without stretching your budget.
7. Double up
After the wedding ceremony, your bridesmaids will probably have little use for their bouquets, so why not make them work extra hard and reuse them at the reception? Place them at certain focal points, or even use them as centrepieces on some of the tables. It’s unlikely that your guests will even notice!
8. Choose flowers that are in season
The time of year you’re getting married can have a big impact on the cost of your flowers, especially if you have specific blooms in mind. Seasonality plays a huge role in pricing, and flowers that are out of season can be significantly more expensive. For example, peonies can cost up to four times more when they’re not in bloom, while cabbage roses offer a similar look at a lower price.
To keep costs down, opt for flowers that are naturally in season when your wedding takes place. In Australia, some great options include:
- Spring: tulips, sweet peas, ranunculus, waratahs
- Summer: roses, hydrangeas, sunflowers, frangipanis
- Autumn: dahlias, chrysanthemums, proteas, banksias
- Winter: camellias, hellebores, paper daisies, natives like grevillea
9. Choose a venue with floral beauty
You might not have to as much much money on flowers if you choose a venue that has plenty of floral beauty of its own. An inner-city hotel might need a little extra help in the flower department, whereas a countryside mention will likely have landscaped gardens, wonderful artwork and stunning decor which means you won’t need to rely on having many flowers to add any additional beauty.
10. Consider forgoing boutonnières and corsages
Depending on the number of groomsmen and bridesmaids you and your partner will have, one thing that bumps up the cost is the number of boutonnières and corsages you’ll need. Two ways to reduce costs is by cutting them altogether or getting creative to bring those costs down. Why not design your own with faux or paper flowers? Or you could pick them up for less than $5 each by using a website like TEMU or Wish. Just make sure you know what you’re willing to compromise on (obviously cheap alternatives to professionally-crafted florals are unlikely to match the quality and design of the real deal).
11. Go green
While flowers are beautiful and can create truly breathtaking displays, the more you include in an arrangement, the higher the cost. A great way to achieve a lush, full look without blowing your budget is by incorporating more greenery.
Foliage like eucalyptus, ruscus, and baby’s breath not only adds texture and depth to arrangements but also helps highlight the flowers, making them stand out even more. Australia-native greenery such as ferns, gum leaves, and wattle can be stunning additions that blend beautifully with floral designs while being more affordable than large-scale flower arrangements.
Using greenery is an easy way to stretch your floral budget while still achieving a fresh and elegant aesthetic. It’s a win-win!
12. Consider dried flowers
Dried bouquets are versatile and unique, and work whether you’re going for a vintage or more modern style at your wedding. They’re also more affordable due to the fact they last far longer than fresh flowers. Not only that, but you’ll be able to take them home afterwards and they’ll last for months, or even years. Dried florals works particularly well if you’re going with a rustic venue.
13. Use your green fingers in the garden
Fancy yourself as something of a gardener with particularly well-attended flower beds at home? If so, you might consider putting together some arrangements of your own? Or, if you’re not quite that adventurous, you could take just a few single stems, such as from a rose bush, to use in tall vases that would work as simple, yet elegant and highly personal, centrepieces on each table.
As always with the DIY approach, remember that there’s always a risk. Growing and then designing your own bouquets will be no mean feat, and won’t come with the same level of service and quality as working with a professional florist. Your flowers might not turn out exactly as you wanted them or your bouquets might not come together as you’d envisaged them, and they might get damaged on the day, either in transit or at the venue itself. So, carefully weigh up whether saving money is your no. 1 priority, or if you’d rather go for a more hands-off and stress-free approach (which will of course come at a cost).
14. Choose a local florist
When choosing a florist for your wedding, it’s best to go with someone local. While price is an important factor, selecting a florist based solely on cost could lead to unexpected expenses for delivery and setup. Always check the florist’s service area to avoid surprise fees for long-distance travel.
The only exception to this rule is if you’re getting married in a major city like Melbourne or Sydney, where florists tend to charge premium rates. In some cases, hiring a florist from outside the city could actually save you money — even with travel costs factored in. If you’re on a tight budget, it’s worth comparing quotes from both local and nearby florists to find the best value for your wedding flowers.
15. Sweep the grocery store for cheap deals
Most major supermarkets sell a decent selection of flowers, and if you (or someone you trust) get there early enough on the day, you’ll have a good range to choose from. While supermarket flowers might not be your first choice for bouquets or centrepieces, they can work beautifully as welcome arrangements, table accents, or additional décor — at a fraction of the cost of florist flowers.
Although they won’t have the same quality or intricate design as a bespoke floral arrangement, supermarket blooms are a great budget-friendly option for couples looking to save. You can even mix them with greenery or a few premium florist flowers to elevate the look without the premium price tag.
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Browse other similar articles:
- How Much Do Wedding Flowers Cost in Australia?
- How Much Does Wedding Decor Cost in Australia?
- The Ultimate Wedding Budget Breakdown
- Wedding Etiquette: Who (Traditionally) Pays For What?
Happy Planning!
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