By Georgina Clatworthy

In the second part of my look at cheap wedding flowers I consider DIY options, recycling and how to use expensive blooms.

1. Nostalgia: Take a look back and think about your favorite flowers from your childhood or those of your mom or Grandma.  Chances are these will be more affordable as they are probably favorites you would have had growing in the garden.  Vibrant arrangements of tulips, daffodils or hydrangeas look amazing in glass vases and are good value for money.
2. Offer to Share: A good way of getting cheap wedding flowers is to share with others.  Ask your venues if any other weddings are taking place on the same day or weekend and then contact the other couples to see if they would be prepared to share the cost of flowers.
3. Pick your Own: Enlist the help of friends and family with gardens to grow flowers for your wedding day.  This can help you to create cheap seasonal arrangements but do make sure you get your timings right to ensure they are in bloom by the time the big day arrives!
4. Quality Over Quantity: You don’t need to go mad and order up arrangements for every nook and cranny of your venue – flowers in the restrooms are lovely but not really necessary!  When it comes to cheap flowers you need to adopt a strategy about where and how you use them – make sure you spend the most money on arrangements that will be sited where people will see them and get the most from them.
5. Reduce, Re-Use, Recycle: Make your flowers multi-task by reusing them throughout the day, for instance, transport your ceremony flowers to the reception, use altar arrangements for the top table, bridesmaid bouquets for centerpieces and pew ends for chair backs.  Later on you could give them away as wedding gifts to friends and family who have helped out.
6. Scent Sensation: Create the illusion of more flowers and a fresh atmosphere by using highly fragranced flowers such as freesias, lilies, jasmine and hyacinths.
7. Timing: Choose a wedding date which coincides with a major holiday such as Easter or Christmas.  You will find you can save money on your larger arrangements for your venues because they are likely to already be decorated.
8. Use Pricey Flowers Sparingly: Use the most expensive flowers in your wedding bouquet and choose cheaper alternatives for your other arrangements.  This has the added bonus of making your bouquet stand out.
9. Vary Height and Placement: Even though your budget is small you can create the illusion of lots of flowers by varying the height and placement of your arrangements around your venues.
10. Wider Tables: Choose larger tables so you can seat more people around them meaning you will need fewer tables and fewer table centers.
11. X Factor: Personalize your bouquet with symbolic additions such as brooches or swatches of fabric from your mom’s wedding dress.
12. You, the Florist: Be your own wedding florist by taking a short course in flower arranging so you can learn how to make your own bouquets and arrangements.
13. Zeal: Staying committed is the key to achieving budget friendly wedding flowers.  Of course it is easy to wow your guests when money is no object, but you can achieve the same with a little creativity and some careful planning.

By Georgina Clatworthy

If your wedding budget is getting a little tight then finding cheap wedding flowers can be a good way of clawing back some much needed cash.  Cheap flowers doesn’t have to mean compromising on your dream blooms, but rather more about being a little savvy, a little creative and ready to consider all alternatives. 

Here is the first part of my A-Z of budget wedding flowers.

1. All Tied Up: A florist will charge more depending on the amount of work involved in your arrangements.  Avoid costly shower bouquets which are time consuming to construct and instead order a pretty hand tied posy of roses.
2. Back to Basics: Don’t overlook adding in cheap wedding flowers as fillers such as carnations.  Carnations and daisies make stunning pomanders for bridesmaids and flower girls and tall glass vases filled with gypsophila make sweet, cheap arrangements.
3. Complement with Candles: Adding in non-floral elements can make a real difference to even the simplest of wedding flower arrangements.  Make small centerpieces romantic by surrounding them with votives or pretty tea lights in glass holders.
4. Double Duty: Double up your centerpieces with your wedding favors by adding in some edible elements such as lollipops.
5. Embrace the Budget: Be upfront with your florist from the start about the amount of money you have to spend.  Armed with this they will be able to maximize your money on affordable flowers rather wasting your time on arrangements you can’t afford.
6. Flower Heads: You can save money on larger arrangements by placing single flowers such as roses, gardenias or camellias on each guest’s place setting.  Or put them in single vases for a striking display.
7. Greenery: Fill in large arrangements with cheap greenery to save money on flowers.  This will allow you to stretch your budget further on more expensive flowers.
8. High Impact: Having one big display can make a bigger statement than having lots of small ones.  Instead of ordering lots of pew ends go for a large display on a pedestal to stand at the front of the church and which your guests can enjoy throughout the ceremony.  You could move it to your reception later on.
9. In Season: These days you can have pretty much any flower you want no matter what the season, however many have to be flown in especially and this raises the cost.  For cheaper flowers choose in season, locally grown blooms which will be fresher, hardier and budget friendly.
10. Jam Jars, Tins and Hessian Sacks: For a traditional country style wedding choose some traditional vessels to arrange your flowers in.  Soak jars and tins to remove the labels and line Hessian sacks with cellophane to make them water tight.  You can then fill with your choice of flowers and decorate with ribbons or vintage labels.
11. Keep it Simple: For a sleek modern look give your bridesmaids a single flower stem to carry rather than a posy or bouquet.  Consider gerbera’s, roses or calla lilies.
12. Less is More: It is obvious that the best way to cut your flower costs is to have fewer of them, but there are ways you can do this without compromising on style.  Place centerpieces on every other table to instantly reduce your costs or avoid them altogether and instead go for some awe inspiring arrangements for key tables in your reception, such as the cake table and top table.
13. Make it Modern: Modern designs tend to involve fewer flowers and tend to be much cheaper.  It is the big traditional arrangements which are the most expensive.  

By Georgina Clatworthy

Not every couple has the luxury of a big budget for their wedding day, so incorporating cheap wedding ideas into their wedding planning tends to become a necessity.  But saving money on your wedding doesn’t have to mean compromising your dreams, instead you need to be prepared to look out for the bargains, source cheap alternatives and learn how to negotiate.

Here are six cheap wedding ideas you could consider as you progress through your wedding planning:

1. Negotiate for what you want: vendors, service providers and retailers will all be open to a little negotiation on prices and packages.  Negotiating on prices and content is particularly useful for the larger elements of your budget such as your reception venue, catering and photographs.  With the wedding industry being very competitive you stand a good chance of scoring a discount, a freebie or two or perhaps both!
2. Start shopping early: leaving your purchases to the last minute can inevitably cost you more as you will limit your options in a bid to gather everything together in time for the wedding day.  Start looking for things like wedding favors, accessories and decorations early on so you can take advantage of cheap offers, sales, clearance deals and special discounts.
3. Sign up for clubs, newsletters etc: these days many brides will purchase a fair percentage of their wedding day requirements online and this means you will have the opportunity to score discount vouchers/codes, special offers only available to newsletter subscribers and be the first to know about sales, clearance offers and new products!  Sign up to as many as possible to maximize your chances of finding the cheapest deals!
4. Double up: there are some elements of your day which can double as two things, for example consider ideas such as wedding favors as name cards; wedding cake as dessert; table centers as wedding gifts; reusing ceremony flowers at the reception and bridesmaid bouquets as table centers.
5. Prioritize: do you really need to include maps, menus and accommodation details with your invitations?  Not only does it add to the cost of your stationery, but it also bumps up the cost of posting them.  If you want to make this information available to your guests consider setting up a wedding website instead which will cost you far less and be a lot more fun!  For any guests without internet access you can simply post printed versions at a later date.
6. Minimize your guest list: the more guests you invite to the daytime reception the more it will cost you.  Remember, each guest equals one invitation, one wedding favor, one meal, one order of service, drinks etc.  Draw up your guest list to include only the most important people to you both, and then add in anyone else to make up the numbers if you need to.  Everyone else can be invited to the evening party instead.

By Georgina Clatworthy

Wedding favors have become one of those wedding day details that can leave you frustrated when it comes down to choosing perfect little gifts for your guests and balancing the budget at the same time.  Favors originated in the 13^th century when wealthy brides would give their female guests luxurious little gifts of sugar cubes in jeweled boxes made from precious metals.  The concept quickly caught on and as favors spread to the masses, then cheap wedding favors became more widely available.

Favors weren’t always a staple part of any wedding celebration and only really enjoyed a resurgence after the end of the Second World War.  Even then though favors where still a cheap gift, based rather more on symbolism than a display of gratitude.  Modern wedding favors though seem to have come full circle with an industry that now turns over millions of dollars each year and an ever increasing choice of little gifts for wedding guests.

The traditional almonds have been replaced with chocolates, candies and more expensive items such as miniature photograph frames, crystal ornaments and coaster sets.  But finding cheap wedding favors is not as hard as it may seem and it is perfectly possible to achieve beautiful favors for under $1 each.  Here are my tips on how to achieve them:

Think Wholesale: if you have a lot of guests, and I mean in excess of 100 then wholesalers are your best option for favors which are cheap on the budget.  I don’t mean purchasing favors from online stores at the bulk prices, but instead going directly to their suppliers and buying from them.  If you can meet the minimum order quantities you will save yourself many dollars in terms of what you usually pay in retail stores.  Even if you don’t have sufficient guests to meet the minimums required, consider purchasing the minimum anyway and selling the excess on through EBay or the like – you could even make back what you spent with the result: Free Favors!

Sweet Options: Candies, chocolates, mints and nuts are all very cheap and can be bought in large quantities making them perfect for inexpensive wedding favors.  Simple packaging such as clear bags tied with ribbon will only cost a few cents each or consider having a candy bar at the reception where your guests can help themselves to their wedding favors.

Supermarket Sweep: supermarkets and dollar stores are a mecca for cheap options for wedding favors.  Candles and tea lights can be bought for a fraction of the cost of specialist favor stores or look for edibles, tea, coffee, mini soaps or small decorative objects.  Enquire with the store manager about purchasing the quantities you need as you maybe able to score an extra discount for quantity!

Make your Own: handmade wedding favors are very special and even if you are not that creative you can still create something your guests will treasure.  From scented sachets to handmade chocolates you will find plenty of kits online to help you get started.  Other ideas include small bags of flower seeds, seedlings you have grown yourself, homemade cookies or even cupcakes and decorative objects such as painted wooden shapes or carved pebbles.

By Georgina Clatworthy

Although your wedding photography is one area of your wedding day where I wouldn’t usually recommend you go cheap, it is one of the priciest elements of your day and packages can soon run into hundreds of dollars if you are not careful.  Obtaining cheap wedding photography doesn’t have to be about using the budget firm down the road, but more about being a little savvy on your choice of photographs in the first place and of course, willing to make some compromises along the way.

Here are six tips for achieving beautiful, but cheap wedding photography!

1. Hire the photographer on an hourly rate: if you hire them to be with you for a set amount of time then you can control the amount you spend on your wedding photography.  For instance, hire them to join you just after the ceremony and then to take more pictures at the reception venue.
2. Negotiate on packages: I recommend you do this whether your budget is tight or not, because weddings will always attract a premium from vendors and package prices can be inflated as a result.  Consider every element of the package on offer and pick out those bits which are most important to you, for instance, have a CD-ROM with your pictures on instead of a formal album.  Chances are you will receive a plethora of wedding albums as gifts anyway and there are also many low cost online photography sites that will print digital photo books for you at a fraction of the cost.
3. Choose a package that includes a minimum number of shots and then ask your guests to take the rest.  This is a great tip if your budget is really tight as it allows you to have all the formal shots taken with a professional wedding photographer and then have your guests taking some wonderful ‘fly on the wall’ shots as the day progresses.
4. Ask a friend: if you know someone who is a keen photographer then why not ask them to do your wedding photography for you?  It is a good way of keeping costs down and you get some cheap photographs.
5. Consider asking at local colleges or universities: if you have a student faculty nearby that teaches courses in photography then why not ask if students would be willing to photograph your wedding? You can offer a nominal payment, which will be cheap compared to a professional, and the right to use any photographs they take in their course portfolios.  Students can bring a great touch of creativity to the shots they take and as a result you could end up with some wonderful and different wedding photographs.
6. Book a studio session: hire a photographer to take the maximum number of shots you can afford on the day and then arrange a studio session sometime after the wedding day when you have more money available.  Although these pictures will not reflect the day itself, they will give you the opportunity to have some more personal and intimate photographs taken, as well as the usual posed shots of wedding accessories, the rings etc.  It is also a great excuse to don your wedding finery again!

By Georgina Clatworthy

Aside from the major decision of what to wear yourself, choosing your bridesmaids dresses can be a huge dilemma, especially if you are having lots of bridesmaids on the day.  The cost of bridesmaid dresses can also quickly mount up, so if you are purchasing them, it can be a good idea to think about sourcing cheap bridesmaid dresses as a cost saving option.

Traditionally, you would all troop down to the bridal store and pick out dresses in styles and colors to suit.  But with many retail bridesmaid dresses priced at around $200 the cost can be very expensive on your budget.  Of course, one option is to ask your bridesmaids to purchase their own outfits, whilst you pay for their accessories.  But even then, some of your bridesmaids may not be able to meet the cost by themselves.

There are several options for finding cheap bridesmaid dresses.  Firstly there are websites like EBay where you may be able to pick up bridal designer dresses for a lot less than the RRP.  There will also be many second hand/once worn choices, however if you are having lots of bridesmaids you may have to compromise on dress style and colors in order to find enough dresses for everyone.

Pay a visit to your local department store and browse around the evening/occasion wear section.  These dress designs can work really well as bridesmaid dresses, are often a cheap alternative to tailor-made bridesmaid wear and can also give your bridesmaids a dress which they could wear on other occasions.  Typically you will find black dresses which are good for a formal wedding, or other plain shades which may work with your chosen wedding colors.  If your wedding is very informal, then you may not mind your bridesmaids wearing a variety of different styles and colors of their choosing.

Another alternative for cheap dresses is to make them.  Whilst hiring a seamstress may not be cost effective compared to buying ready-made, if someone you know or you yourself can sew clothing to a good standard then this may be the cheapest option in terms of getting enough dresses in the right style and color within budget.

It may also be possible to rent your bridesmaid dresses through a bridal outlet.  This is perhaps less common than renting a wedding dress, but some bridal stores do offer it, and you could save a lot on the cost of purchasing new dresses.  Occasion wear hire stores may also hire out evening wear which could suit and you maybe able to negotiate a package deal to include the groomsmen’s suits as well.

By Georgina Clatworthy

Wedding flowers can form one of the significant costs of your wedding budget.  Along with the cost of the wedding photography and the wedding cake, wedding flowers one area that couples will look to stretch the budget and save some money.  Finding cheap wedding flowers is not difficult, but by applying some creative thinking and working with your florist you can have the arrangements you want, at a price you can afford.

Firstly you will need to find a good florist who can give you ideas for budget flowers and who can produce arrangements that fit with your wedding style and your budget.  Make sure you tell them everything you want, along with your personal choices of flower types and your wedding colors.  Be prepared to compromise, a tight budget can often mean having to sacrifice something along the way.

You may have favorite flowers that you want to include in your wedding arrangements.  This shouldn’t be a problem, but if you want out of season or exotic blooms don’t expect them to be cheap.  These types of flowers will need to be ordered in especially and usually from international growers, making them more expensive than in season and locally grown flowers.

Ask your florist about including your favorite flowers in your bouquet only and using alternatives for the other arrangements.  You could also mix your favorite flowers with other types which are cheaper so that you have continuity in your arrangements.  For instance, if you really want pink roses, mix them with pink carnations which are a cheap alternative.

Consider making your own table centerpieces and even buttonholes for your wedding.  Centerpieces don’t have to be floral, and a simple arrangement of floating candles and flower heads looks beautiful on a table.  Buttonholes are not difficult to create either and usually only consist of a flower head and single piece of foliage wrapped with florists tape or even tin foil!  Ask your florist to make the buttonholes for the groom and wedding party though as these are extra special.

To really save money on your flower arrangements have more foliage than flowers.  You can also consider using your ceremony flowers for the reception as well by having them transported to the reception venue.  Ask your venue if another wedding will be taking place there that day.  If so find out if it would be possible to use the same flower arrangements or to go halves on them. 

Finally negotiate a package deal with your florist to help you save money on your wedding flowers.  Many florists will agree to make the buttonholes for free if you order all your other wedding flowers with them, but push a little harder and see if you can get the bridesmaids bouquets free as well (if you are not having too many bridesmaids that is) or ask for free bouquets that you can give to your mother and the grooms mother as wedding gifts.

By Georgina Clatworthy

Your wedding flowers will form an integral part of your wedding day, but they can also be one of the most expensive.  But sourcing cheap wedding flowers is not difficult, and if you apply a little creativity to your arrangements you can have beautiful flowers without the hefty price tag.

Traditionally, you would trot down to your local florists and work with them to design and order all your wedding flowers.  This will include everything for the ceremony, the bouquets, buttonholes, reception arrangements and table centerpieces.  A good florist will be able to advise you on the best flowers to suit your budget as well as ones which will coordinate best with your wedding scheme.

For cheap flowers think seasonal.  Ordering exotic or out of season flowers will be inherently more expensive than those which are blooming at the time of your wedding.  Sourcing them from local suppliers and growers will also be cheaper, as imported flowers can cost you more, particularly if the florist has to specially order them.

If you really want cheap flowers and are having a large wedding, then buy where the florists buy and visit a wholesale flower market.  You may have to arise early to get the best of the crop, but it will be well worth it in terms of your budget.  You can then supply these to a florist to make the arrangements for you or do them yourself.

Doing your own wedding flowers will obviously save you money.  If you are not good at flower arranging or have never done it before, then purchase a good book to help you.  Just be careful not to purchase your flowers too soon or they may well have wilted and died by the time the wedding day arrives.  No more than two days before should be fine.  Also think about how you will transport your arrangements to your venues.  Large displays can be tricky to delivery in one piece, so you may want to arrange to make them in situ with your venues.

If you visit local growers then ask about a discount for buying in bulk.  After all you won’t be buying a single bouquet, but a wealth of flowers for your entire wedding needs.  Another good source for cheap flowers can be supermarkets.  You maybe restricted to certain varieties however, most will stock the most popular flowers such as roses, stocks, carnations and babies breath.  Beware though as some supermarket flowers are not as good quality as those from a florist and may not last as long.

Finally, work with a florist to come up with a flower package which suits your budget.  You can ask them to make the more intricate arrangements such as bouquets and buttonholes.  Ask them to make larger arrangements for the venues by using only a few flowers and padding the rest out with foliage which will be cheaper.  Making your own table centers, pew ends and small arrangements is easy and adds a unique personal touch to your wedding décor.

By Georgina Clatworthy

Deciding on how you will decorate your wedding venues and what with can be one of the hardest decisions you will need to make.  Not only do you need to come up with decorations which will coordinate with your style, theme and colors but you also need to source them and at the right price.  However, cheap wedding decorations needn’t be too difficult with a little imagination and creativity.

Whilst making your own decorations may not initially appeal, it is the type of decorations you make that can change your mind.  Paper chains maybe something only produced at Christmas and perhaps a little kitsch for your liking, but when you add in other decorations such as paper lanterns, bunting and garlands then your decorations take on a different form altogether.

Cheap paper lanterns are available from many different stores and come in a range of sizes and colors to suit.  Chinese lanterns come in different patterns and are perfect for an Asian inspired wedding.  Hang them from your ceiling or marquee roof for a colorful, ‘floating orb’ effect.

Bunting is easy to make from card, paper or fabric.  Essentially you cut shapes from your material and attach them to a long length of ribbon or string.  Triangles are the most common shape, but you can also use squares, rectangles or circles.  Print pictures or your wedding monogram on to some of the shapes to create added interest.  Use fabric offcuts for a cheap but chic look to your wedding day!

Make your own garlands with silk, paper or dried flowers.  This is time consuming but worth the effort because floral garlands are perfect for many different types of wedding theme such as floral, romantic, Victorian and garden weddings.  There are two ways to make them and much can depend on the type of flower your want to use.  You can thread them directly onto string or wire by pushing a large needle through the center of each flower.  This creates a garland with a Hawaiian Lei look but is perhaps not good for dried flowers which may break.

Alternatively you can wire each individual flower onto a length of string or wire to create a more traditional garland look.  Try to add in some foliage as well and for added glitz use some large glass beads which will sparkle when they catch the light.

Create your own large banners which you can hang around your venue.  Find some large fabric pieces such as canvas or cotton and cut them so they measure the length you require – perhaps ¾ of the height of the walls for instance.  Choose a graphic design which coordinates with your wedding – you will find lots to choose from online, some free, some available for a small fee.  Finally take everything to a commercial printer and ask them to print your designs onto your banners for you in your chosen colors.

Attach some wood battening to the top and bottom so you can hang them and to weight them down so they don’t fly up whenever someone walks past.  You can also create smaller versions of these for an outdoor wedding and use them attached to metal shepherds crooks or hanging from trees or fencing.

By Georgina Clatworthy

Weddings are expensive even if you are having a small, low-key affair.  The reception, photography and flowers can all cost significant portions of your budget, so it is little wonder that many brides will seek out cheap wedding ideas to help them save money.

If you didn’t set realistic figures in your initial wedding budget then you will probably need to find cheap solutions to many elements of your wedding day.  Usually the elements that most brides look to save money on include wedding decorations, centerpieces and wedding favors.  Here are a few ideas on how to save money without compromising on style:

Double up – finding items which can serve a dual role will save you plenty of money, for instance, use your wedding favors as place cards by including your guests names on the thank you tags.  This will save you money on place cards and showy holders.

Another example of dual role items is using your wedding cake as favors by having cupcakes or mini cakes instead of a formal multi-tiered creation.  You can still display them as you would a traditional wedding cake or have them packaged in clear boxes and placed on each table setting.

Save money on your centerpieces by using your bridesmaid’s bouquets, if you have enough or use your wedding favors by piling them up in the center of your tables on a nice decorative plate or stand.

Make your own – if you are the creative type then you will already know that making your own stationery, favors and decorations will save you money.  There are many elements of a wedding that can be successfully handmade, even if you are not very creative.  Wedding stationery including place cards, menus and table numbers can all be printed from your home computer.  Make your own wedding favors, centerpieces, decorations and even wedding cake.  Ask family and friends to help you and you will be surprised at just how much you can save with a little DIY.

Beg, borrow and steal – if you have friends or family who are creative or who possess a particular skill which is useful to your wedding, then beg them to help you out.  Perhaps you know someone who is a DJ or who is a keen photographer and who will be willing to give you a cheap rate.  Or maybe your Aunt is particularly good at making cakes or your mother is ace at arranging flowers. 

A top wedding trend at the moment is mix and match accessories and decorations.  Borrow pretty plates, bowls and vases for your centerpieces, or how about table linens, napkins and even crockery and glasswares.  Have a look around garage sales, thrift shops and online auctions for some bargain vintage wares which you could use too.

Prioritize – I have saved this till last, but it is an important point.  Learn to prioritize your budget and the elements of your wedding which are the most important.  Spending a small fortune on pretty table crystals at the expense of your wedding cake may not seem like such a good idea on the day when you realize the only person who appreciates them is you!  Ask yourself if you really need something and if it will make such a difference to your wedding day that you have to have it.