In recent times many marrying couples have as their main worry – How to save costs on their weddings.

I totally support this so I want to help with ideas on how to keep down your costs.

There seem to be two key words if you want to save costs with your flowers: Creativity and Flexibility. Your florist needs to be very creative and you need to be flexible. I asked one of the most creative florists in Perth, Ellie Townsend who owns Lime Flowers in East Fremantle for some tips.

She tells me that unlike the east coast of Australia, hardly any flowers are grown in Western Australia and unfortunately our flowers are mostly imports. This is the main reason for the higher cost of flowers in WA.

Does the time of year make a difference? Elli, “Yes, there are more flower varieties available in Spring and Summer. There are also several dates when flowers are more difficult to get and therefore more expensive. Those dates are New Year, Valentines and Mother’s Day.”

Do varieties make a cost difference? Elli, “Yes, varieties and styling. If you decide on a BoHo style with natural wild flowers and seasonal field flowers, you can probably halve your costs (ca$120) compared to an elegant style with Peonies or David Austen roses. (ca$225)

Do colours make a difference? Elli, “Yes, they can. For example, white and burgundy Peonies are more expensive than the pink shades.”

Does Bouquet size make much difference? Elli, “Yes, it can make a huge difference! And by the way, greenery can be expensive too!” 

What tips can you give to help keep costs down?

♥ Think about reusing the floral decorations you use for the ceremony at your reception. This just means using jars, vases or decorative buckets for flowers so they are easy to transport. You can save costs too by collecting or buying these jars or vases yourself. Ask one of your family or friends to be in charge of moving the flower decorations from the ceremony to the reception venue.
♥ Decorate the Bridal Table with the Bride’s and bridesmaids bouquets. You just need to have vases ready for them on the table.
♥ You can also bulk up your table decorations with candles.
♥ Think about turning your other floral decorations into Thank You gifts, with a small note attached for the person concerned. This will save you having to buy other Thank You gifts.
♥ Decorations that are expensive are Garlands and hanging structures.

Drying your Bouquet – Hang your bouquet upside-down while it is still looking good, don’t wait until it has started to wilt. It is best hung in a cool and dry place.

To get the best out of your florist;
♥ Give them lots of notice.
♥ Take time to talk to them about what you like.
♥ If you want to save costs, be flexible with your ideas.
♥ And finally, let your florist be creative and propose alternative ideas. But do ask them to show you exactly what they mean, so there can be no misunderstandings.

Thanks Elli!