After putting a deposit on a hall, paying for your wedding gown, and ordering your cake, you may find you have little left for your flowers. You’re not alone. Many brides panic when they see the prices of professional flower arrangements. If you’re looking to save on this very important part of your day, you’ve come to the right place.
Go Supermarket
One way to save big is to have your flowers done at a large chain supermarket. It may never have crossed your mind when you’re out picking up a loaf of bread and a gallon of milk that there’s a lovely floral department there, too. The people who run the floral department are usually very skilled at providing wedding packages. Roll your cart over there next time you’re in and ask to see the wedding package price list. You can hand pick what you want and don’t want. Often if you're planning a wedding at a less busy season or if you’re choosing bulk flowers of all the same type, you may be able to negotiate the price with the manager. And don’t be worried that your flowers will look like discount store seconds. Flowers are flowers. They are flown in by the same growers who distribute to the more expensive florists. No one will have any idea where you got them.
Go Crafty
You have a few other options that will save you big bucks. One is to make the flower arrangements yourself using live flowers. The other is to make the floral arrangements yourself using artificial flowers. For the first option, you can order flowers in bulk from a grocery or a warehouse superstore. Just have in mind what you want. Roses with a little baby’s breath are all you really need to create dazzling bouquets and boutonnieres. Just purchase some very high quality satin ribbon and you can wrap the stems just as they are or trim them down a bit for shorter bouquets. You’ll have bunches of roses that look perfectly lovely.
For the men, get pin backs from a craft store and adhere one to a piece of ribbon to make one boutonniere. Then tie a cropped rose to the ribbon pin with green floral wire (found at craft stores). Add a sprig of baby’s breath or leave as is. Get as creative as you want. Carry a massive bunch of all one flower or mix it up and carry whatever is in season. It will be cheaper if you go in-season. Make a corsage for mom and smaller bouquets for the bridesmaids. You’ll have plenty of leftover petals for the flower girl, too.
If you choose to go with artificial flowers, your job is even easier. You can make your bouquets well in advance. This will allow you to cross a big job off your list early on. Visit a large craft or hobby shop that has a large selection of artificial flowers. The better the quality, the better your flowers will look. Guests may never even know they are artificial unless you tell them. You will be amazed at how good artificial flowers are these days. 
They no longer look stiff and absurd, but instead they are in various stages of budding and include lots of options for leafy fillers and even baby’s breath. Another advantage of the artificial flower bouquet is that everyone can keep theirs forever as a special reminder of your wedding day.
Don't Forget the Centerpieces
Of course, you'll need to put together some sort of wedding centerpieces. These can be based off what you've chosen for your bouquets or completely separate! If your wedding is in the summer or fall, consider growing these yourself! There are many beautiful flowers available for planting easily that would look gorgeous in the middle of your tables. Just be sure to have a back-up plan in case something happens with your flowers.
More Flower Ideas:
How to Choose a Wedding Florist
Winter Wedding Flower & Centerpiece Suggestions
