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Imagine walking down the aisle, surrounded by beautiful flowers that you grew with your own two hands. Growing your own wedding flowers on a budget can be a delightful way to add a personal touch to your special day. Plus, it's a perfect opportunity for you to embrace sustainable seasonal flower gardening!
Now, let's tackle the big question: Is growing your own wedding flowers really cheaper than hiring a florist? Well, it definitely can be, if you are looking at money alone! Compared to hiring a florist, you can expect to save anywhere from 30-50% of the average cost of flowers for a wedding.
However, keep in mind that the overall cost may vary depending on factors such as the space and equipment you already have and the scale of the floral arrangements you want.
Is growing your own wedding flowers cheaper?
On average, couples in the UK typically spend between £1,500 and £2,000 on flowers for their wedding. However, if you're interested in something truly special, your flower budget could potentially reach the £20-£30,000 range. This would involve intricate floristry work and require a dedicated team to handle the transportation and installation of the flowers on your big day, as well as their removal afterwards.
All of these services come at a cost, as they require the expertise and skill of a professional florist and their team. And are worthwhile if you are short on time, manpower or creativity.
Nevertheless, it's completely understandable to consider growing your own wedding flowers if you're looking for ways to save some money. After all, a few packets of seeds seems to be quite affordable.
Benefits & challenges of growing wedding flowers on a budget
There are many advantages to choosing the DIY route when it comes to wedding flowers. Here are just a few:
- Worried about the cost? Going the DIY route should save you money compared to hiring a florist.
- You have the freedom to customise the flowers and greenery you use. You can even choose uncommon or special flowers that have meaning to you.
- If you're the creative type and enjoy getting hands-on, you'll experience the satisfaction of creating something beautiful with your own hands.
- And let's not forget the joy of witnessing your plants grow and bloom in the months leading up to your wedding.
It can truly be a rewarding experience!
Of course, it's important to consider the challenges that come with growing your own wedding flowers on a budget. Before deciding if it's right for you, take these factors into account:
- Growing wedding flowers requires a significant amount of time and effort from you, so make sure you have plenty of time to dedicate to the task.
- You'll need adequate space and equipment for growing the flowers. Calculate how much space you need for your wedding flowers here.
- It's helpful to have some gardening and flower care knowledge or a trusted flower expert to consult along the way.
- Weather conditions can greatly impact the success of your blooms, so be aware of any potential weather issues and care for your plants accordingly.
How many flowers do you need
Now, let's talk about numbers. The number of flower arrangements you'll need depends on the size of your wedding and your floral vision. From bridal bouquets to boutonnieres, corsages to table centrepieces, think about each arrangement you want.
The cost of your wedding flowers will be closely tied to the number of flower arrangements you need.
To give you a better idea of the number of flowers that may be involved in your wedding, let's take an example. If you have one hundred guests sitting at ten tables, with both sets of parents, three bridesmaids, a best man, and one usher (groomsman), you may require the following arrangements:
- a bride's bouquet
- three bridesmaids' posies
- five buttonholes
- one large display for the church
- ten table-centre posies
- three large, jug-sized arrangements for the reception.
By adjusting these quantities based on your needs, you can calculate the number of stems required. It's all about finding the perfect balance!
Learn more about how the total number of wedding flowers is calculated in this post.
Factors to consider when growing your own flowers
Finally, to help you make your final decision on whether growing your own wedding flowers on a budget is worth it for you, there are a few extra factors to consider:
- Space needed: The amount of space required will depend on the size of your wedding and the level of intricacy you desire for the floral arrangements. It's essential to ensure that all the flowers are in full bloom for that special day. This means that you will need a specific quantity of plants and, naturally, the space to grow them accordingly. In case you have limited space, you may have to consider the possibility of paying for extra space.
- Equipment needed: To grow the flowers, you will need some essential supplies, such as seeds, compost, plant trays, and other gardening tools. If you already have a garden, I'm sure you already have most of these supplies, so they shouldn't be an extra cost. You'll also need a few tools and supplies to create the flower arrangements. Depending on the size and complexity of the arrangements, these can include vases, pots, scissors, glue, wire, ribbon, and other materials. This can add up if you need to get these.
- Time and effort needed: It's worth taking into account the effort required in preparing the soil, planting the seeds, and caring for the plants, as well as cutting the flowers and arranging them. If you need to seek assistance from friends, consider offering them gifts or something in return for their time. Keep in mind that if you have to take time off from your regular job to work on your flowers, it means less time available for a vacation. Perhaps paying a florist for her time could be a worthwhile option?
- Knowledge of flower care and maintenance: To create beautiful and long-lasting arrangements, it's important to have the skills of both a gardener and a florist. Do you think it would be helpful to enroll in training courses to enhance your skills? If your helpers also need training to create the specific arrangements you have in mind, would you consider covering the cost of their training too?
- Climate and growing conditions: Depending on the season of your wedding, you may need to protect or take extra care of your plants. Will this require buying extras such as a mini greenhouse or polytunnel, or paying for watering?
- Flowering season of plants: To ensure the flowers you use are in bloom and looking their best, it's important to consider the flowering season of the plants. The availability of flowers can vary from season to season, so it's important to know what is at its best during the time of your wedding. If you want something that is not in season, you may need to purchase these separately. This will impact your costs. It is always preferable to work with what is in season.
- Timing and coordinating with other wedding planning: Finally, you also need to think about the timing for creating the flower arrangements and coordinate with the other wedding planning. It's important to ensure the flower arrangements are completed and in place at the right time. You may not want to do this yourself on the morning of your wedding. The logistics of transporting your flowers to the venue may also incur costs, as you need to allow for plenty of buckets and van hire.
All of the above points are extra expenses that you might have to deal with, which might make you realise that planning budget-friendly DIY wedding flowers is not as straightforward as you initially anticipated.
Pick your battles
I understand that all of the above can be overwhelming and might make you want to run for the hills, but perhaps there is another option. If your goal in growing your own flowers is not only to save money but also to be a bit more hands-on and creative, then why not choose just one aspect that you feel confident about? Whether it's making your own bouquet, the boutonnieres, or the table arrangements, you can leave the rest to a professional. This way, you'll only need to grow a limited number of flowers and it won't require as much effort.
From my own wedding experience, I decided to grow the flowers for the venue because I wanted a rustic and simple finish, but I didn't want to risk the bridal and bridesmaid bouquets with my amateur skills. Looking back, while my bouquet was lovely and filled with flowers, I'm not sure if the hundreds of pounds I spent on all the bouquets were really worth it, for their limited impact on my wedding day. However, I did appreciate not having to worry about making them in the days leading up to the wedding.
Alternatively, you could buy your flowers from a local flower farmer, and then all you need to worry about is creating the arrangements.
As you can see, growing your own wedding flowers is more complex and costly than simply buying a few packets of seeds. However, if you're willing to put in the effort with the right tools, you can enjoy the rewards of your hard work, save money, and have beautiful, unique flowers on your special day. But it's not just about the money, it's also an opportunity to infuse your special day with the beauty of nature, your personal touch, and a sense of sustainability.
I hope that I have helped you see everything involved with growing your own wedding flowers on a budget and haven't completely discouraged you.
Let your wedding flowers on a budget journey begin!
