For brides with large bridal parties, there are a lot of expenses you’ll need to worry about from bridesmaid dresses to the bachelorette party to bridesmaid bouquets. Those expenses can add up quickly even when you don’t have a lot of bridesmaids. When you’re trying to include all of the ladies that are special in your life in your wedding party, that bill might just be impossible to pay. 

Luckily, you can save a lot of money by making your own beautiful and unique bridesmaid bouquets. When you pay a florist to make a ton of different floral arrangements, you’re not only paying for the floral supplies. You’re also paying for their hours of labor and their years of experience. Plus, when florists classify themselves as wedding florists, they can charge more because of the demands and financial trends of the wedding industry. By arranging your own bridesmaid bouquets, you can save a lot of money. You can buy your flowers at a wholesale price and create gorgeous bouquets. If you follow the suggestions in this article, you can have cheap bridesmaid bouquets that don’t look cheap at all!

How to Save Money on Bridesmaid Bouquets

If you’re trying to save money on your bridesmaid bouquets, here are a few suggestions that you should check out. Arranging your own bouquets will already save you a lot of money since you won’t be paying a florist for their labor. However, there are even some additional ways to save money depending on the flowers and products that you use in your bouquets. The Knot includes some of these great ideas that you can research further so you’re making sure that you meet your wedding budget. 

Use Fewer Flowers

First of all, one way to lower the cost of your bridesmaid bouquets is to use fewer flowers, particularly of the expensive variety. Remember, your bridesmaids don’t need to have bouquets that look like your bridal bouquet. Their bouquets should look different, with a unique variety of flowers. You can save money by using fewer large flowers and using cheaper flowers instead. For example, if your bouquet has a lot of large pastel-colored flowers, your bridesmaid bouquets could have white flowers instead, like white daisies and wax flowers. 

Use Local Flowers

You can also save a lot of money on your bridesmaid bouquets by using local flowers. If you choose flowers that are grown near your area, they’ll be a lot more inexpensive to use. You can even buy these flowers wholesale at a great price. When you buy flowers that need to be shipped from other areas, they’re a lot more expensive. For example, if you’re trying to purchase flowers, like peonies, that aren’t in season in your area, they’ll be quite costly. Or if you’re trying to purchase more exotic flowers like orchids that don’t grow naturally near you. Try to find out what wholesale flower shops and flower farms are located near you and buy your flowers there. You’ll also be supporting small and local businesses!

Consider Greenery Bouquets

You already know that your bridesmaid bouquets should look different than your bride’s bouquet to help it stand out. Having a greenery bouquet can actually look elegant and complementary to your bride’s bouquet. There are lots of different kinds of greenery that can add different shades, leaf shapes, and textures to your bouquets. Eucalyptus, olive branches, leafy ferns, and willow branches are all beautiful varieties.Use different greenery lengths to add a nice cascading shape to your arrangements. If you want to add a little bit of color to your bridesmaid bouquets, consider mixing in floral fillers, small wildflowers or baby’s breath. Little pops of color can add some great form and depth and help your bridesmaid bouquets to have a finished look.

Try Silk Flowers

Fresh flowers can be quite pricey. If you have your heart set on using some fresh flowers, try doing your bride bouquet out of fresh flowers, and using artificial flowers for your bridesmaid bouquets. There are a lot of beautiful types of artificial flowers, like silk flowers. Silk flowers are a higher-quality version of fabric flowers. They look realistic and have soft, delicate petals that make for gorgeous bouquets. You can even find silk flowers that match the same styles and colors of your other wedding flowers. 

Use Wood and Dried Flowers

Another option for high-quality artificial flowers are wood and dried flowers. The dried flower aesthetic has gotten super popular over the past few years. Dried flowers come on lots of pastel and neutral colors that work great with a desert boho vibe. Plus, they’re a lot more inexpensive than fresh flowers. However, dried flowers may not have a lot of volume and impact by themselves. Adding wood flowers can be the perfect solution. Wood flowers are shaped to match the different styles of fresh flowers. They can also be dyed to match any color or shade, which is perfect for you if you want your bridesmaid bouquets to have a lot of boho colors. 

You can order wood flowers in bulk to create all of your different bridesmaid bouquets. Or you can order DIY bouquet kits if you feel that you need a little bit more help in making your bouquets. If you aren’t super confident in your own floral arranging skills, you can choose your bridesmaid bouquet style and order them to be made for you. You’ll still be paying a fraction of the price you’d pay a florist to arrange fresh flowers into bridesmaid bouquets. 

So, if you know that you’re going to need to save some money on your wedding flowers, remember that you can still have the bridesmaid bouquets of your dreams. Just use one of these approaches to make them a lot more affordable. For example, greenery bouquets or artificial flower bouquets are just as gorgeous and timeless as fresh flowers. Giving your bridesmaids bouquets can help them to feel special and appreciated. It can also help your wedding ceremony to look stunning when all of your bridesmaids are lined up by the altar with their pretty bouquets.