Wedding Flowers on a Budget 101
Keep in mind these simple tips to save costs on your flowers without sacrificing your ambiance and presentation:- A smaller space will be less expensive to fill, but will require flowers with light scents. Flowers with a more potent smell are generally suitable for larger spaces and outdoor weddings.
- You will save money by choosing locally grown in-season flowers. This makes spring and summer popular times for Alaska weddings.
- If you have a large, helpful wedding party, consider gathering your own flowers for centerpieces, arches, and petal drops. Spend your money on nice corsages for bridesmaids, boutonnieres for groomsmen, and a lovely bouquet for the blushing bride.
- Decide how many flowers you need. The basic categories to consider are ceremony, bridal/bridal party, reception flowers, and corsages/boutonnieres.
- Don't go over budget! Your flowers should cost no more than a tenth of your total wedding costs.
Working with a Florist
Not everyone has time or energy to gather bunches of wildflowers for decorating pews, arches, centerpieces and other aspects of an elegant ceremony and reception. Working with a florist will save a lot of time and effort, and also provides accountability. Since you will likely have to make a deposit and sign a service contract, you can absolutely depend on them to deliver on your wedding day.It's generally a good idea to meet with your florist while you are developing the color or theme for your wedding, as they may have thoughtful ideas about what matching flowers will be in-season when you tie the knot. When deciding which florist to hire, remember that a local option will be more affordable, and less affected by any unforeseen inclement weather than shops farther away. Proximity also allows you to:
- Meet them in person.
- See how they run and keep their shop.
- Look through their portfolio.
- Ask for references from past clients.
- Talk about pricing options.
- Easily communicate all the way to your wedding day.
Alaska Florists
You will find the best variety of shops around Anchorage, but most smaller AK towns also have a local flower shop which may be able to assist in your planning.Anchorage Floral provides a wide selection of floral options for brides marrying locally. Their affiliation with a larger company allows them to regularly add fresh flowers to their already considerable assortment of wedding flower options.
For brides in the Juneau area, Miss Scarlett's is ready to assist in planning your reception centerpieces or personal decor. Though they are not set up for full scale weddings, they provide couples on a budget with high quality at reasonable prices.
Alaska Wedding Flower Inspiration
Alaska's state flower is the whimsical forget-me-not, a lovely five-petaled indigo flower, which can be a great choice for spring and summer weddings. If your wedding is to be along the southern coast, wild waterlilies can make for unique and beautiful centerpieces—just add them to glass bowls of water, filling the bottom with an assortment of glass, marbles, pebbles and more. Float a tea candle on top for a natural, beautiful decoration.Other locally-grown Alaska flowers include lupines, wild iris, and fireweed. Bunches of these lovely purple blossoms can be found in spring and summer, and provide great accents if your chosen colors include violet or lavender.
Regardless of which flowers you choose, remember that you will save costs by going local and in-season with your wedding decor choices. Every bride deserves flowers on her wedding day. With these helpful tips, you'll have your bouquet, along with a little something left over for the honeymoon.
