Nothing shows your wedding style like your flowers! And what else will be in almost every picture? Deciding on a floral budget and choosing silk, fresh, or some combination of the two, is a big wedding decision and one you will relive every time you look at your wedding photos! Here are some tips to help you get the most for your wedding floral budget.

• Rent your flowers! Most Florists that specialize in weddings have silk arrangements in their showrooms for potential Bridal customers to see. Although they would rather sell you the same thing in fresh flowers, for several times the cost, these silk arrangements can usually be rented inexpensively and usually the Florist will do some minor customizing, such as adding ribbons in your colors or switching or adding a few more flowers, at no cost.  There are also Florists who specialize in weddings who have arrangements strictly for rental: aisle bouquets, candelabra sprays, reception centerpieces, Eiffel Tower vase arrangements, bridal bouquets, bridesmaid bouquets, flower baskets, and more.
• Split your floral decoration cost in half by sharing with another Bride! Find out if another wedding is before or after yours, and contact that Bride to see if the two of you can split the cost of some or all of the decorations. Most venues host several events per weekend or even per day, and it is a sad fact that many times flower arrangements get taken down and thrown out after a ceremony to allow another Florist to carry in and set-up more flower arrangements for the next event. Even if your floral tastes are quite different, you might be able to split the cost of the rental equipment like aisle lights, candelabra, kneeling benches, or archway and just have the bows and floral arrangements changed between the events.
• Get the most for your money by mixing and matching silk with fresh flowers or homemade with professionally designed. If you have always wanted a giant flowing bouquet of fresh flowers, consider ordering the bridal bouquet from the very best wedding florist and cutting back on the cost of the attendant's flowers by having them carry silk bouquets with a similar look that you rent or purchase from eBay. Boutonnieres and corsages are also easily found on Ebay, at a substantial savings over the cost of fresh flowers from most flower shops.
• Save money by having your wedding at a predecorated venue. A wedding in the garden of a historical mansion when all the flowers and trees are at their best doesn't require much decorating. A wedding at the holidays when the venue is already decorated could also save you money on decorations.
• Fresh flowers will cost you the most around Valentines Day and Mother's Day. If you must have red roses at Valentines Day, consider ordering silk flowers from eBay instead of fresh roses from a local florist. If you are having a wedding at Valentine's Day or close to Mother's Day fresh flower prices will be high. These are the two biggest "flower holidays" and fresh flower costs sky rocket for not only the actual date, but a week or two before and after. Some Florists will not even book fresh flower weddings close to major flower holidays, so be sure to ask.
• Consider hiring a wedding planner. Vendors, including Florists, often give their best work and price breaks to planners who bring them business week after week. An experienced wedding planner can actually save you money in the long run because they know who to go to and what things should cost and can save you from costly mistakes. Be sure to ask how your planner gets paid. Are they are getting a commission on everything they book for you, or are you paying them a fee?
• Well in advance of the wedding, start watching eBay listings for ideas of wedding floral arrangements and bouquets. Use the "favorite sellers" and "watch this auction" features to get an idea of prices and styles. Don't be afraid to email sellers and ask questions. Use search words that include your wedding colors and the word "lot". You may find a bride selling everything from her wedding in one lot, and it may be just what you need.
• Despite all the "do-it-yourself" articles and TV shows, it rarely pays to try to make your own wedding bouquet, especially if you are wanting fresh flowers. If you MUST rely on do-it-yourself because of budget, consider having a professional florist make your Bridal bouquet of either silk or fresh, and you make the less important pieces. If you MUST do your own bouquet, have a trial run. Make one for your bridal portrait or make one to use as a shower centerpiece. Find out how long it really takes you to make it and how much it costs. See if it really has the look you want.

• Don't buy anything or contract for anything until your wedding date and location of the ceremony and reception are finalized. There is a good chance that you will duplicate what would be included anyway with a site booking or that you won't be able to use those items or that date. Most Florists will give the Bride a complimentary hour of time to look at flowers and talk to a designer and place an order, but once you  have put money down to hold a WEDDING DATE it is usually difficult to change. At best, you may lose your deposit. At worst, you may have signed a contract binding you to pay the whole amount, anyway. Also, be sure to check with the reception site before contracting a Florist or buying artificial flowers to do-it-yourself. Most times, a venue includes certain items or decorations, and you will pay that amount regardless of whether or not you use them. Some venues will even charge you a fee to take their decorations down and allow you to carry in your own similar decorations for the ceremony or reception! Ask lots of questions when you are shopping for a ceremony site and reception site. Find out if decorations or equipment is provided or available. A clue is to look around the location and see what is already there. If they are showing you tables which are skirted and decorated with mirror tiles with votive candles and scattered petals (hohum boring) then that is probably provided for every wedding as part of the site fee. Ask if they will allow you to bring in homemade decorations or have a Florist deliver and set-up decorations. Find out if there are vendor restrictions. (This usually means that they have a list you must choose from. This doesn't mean that these vendors are "best", it just means that they are the ones who will pay the site a fee or percentage to get to sell to Brides using that location).
• Ask if the ceremony site and reception site have other weddings scheduled before or after yours. You could cut your flower cost in HALF if you can contact the other Bride and split the cost of flower decorations with her!
• Consider renting flowers. Yes, you can RENT bridal bouquets, altar centerpieces, floral sprays for the archway and candelabras, pew bouquets, reception centerpieces, and more. For a small fraction of the cost of buying flowers you can rent them.
• Ask the Florist if ceremony flowers can be redelivered to the reception for use as decorations there. This takes more planning, since the ceremony and the reception usually have distinctively different types of floral arrangements, but it can be done. It is well worth the fee to have the Florist pick these up and redeliver them to set them up at the reception, since they will be able to spruce up any items which need attention. For example, handtied round bouquets of flowers make beautiful Bridesmaid bouquets, then they can be set in little pots or vases of water as centerpieces at the reception.  Aisle bouquets which were clipped on the pews at the ceremony can be clipped on the edges of reception serving tables, with fabric swagged in between for a lush opulent look. Sprays of flowers which decorate doorways, the arch, or candelabra at the ceremony can be set flat on ledges or tables at the reception, perhaps with the addition of candles or votives.