How to Make Affordable Wedding Flower Arrangements

It's true. I, the groom and a gentleman of rugged and suave manliness, arranged the flowers for my own wedding. If that wasn't surprising enough, the whole undertaking was also really affordable. I used a combination of flowers and foliage from the florist, Target and my own garden, saving hundreds of dollars by taking matters into my own hands. If only I decided to make the bouquets too! Anyways, here's how I went about making these awesome and affordable DIY flower arrangements.

Everything in this arrangement was grown myself, with the exception of the big cymbidium orchid flowers.

Buy Living Wedding Flowers
Did you know that for the same price as cut flowers, you can often purchase a living plant that will re-bloom every year on your wedding anniversary? For example, spikes of cymbidium orchid flowers can cost upwards of $200 to $300 dollars. A living plant in bloom can be purchased for as little as $20, providing flowers year after year for a fraction of the price you'd pay for blooms that will only last for days. I bought calla lily bulbs for our wedding and even though I planted them on the late side, I still had seven blooms in time for the big day.

The Vases are Just as Important as the Flowers
When shopping for vases, remember that you'll get to keep them throughout your new marriage. That being said, choose vases with a simple and timeless appeal that will also stand the test of time alongside your marriage. The thicker and heaver the glass, the better. If you're feeling extra romantic, consider engraving the vases with a personalized message along with the date of your anniversary if only so you can remember which day it was.

Grow Your Own Wedding Flowers
Lilies, roses, hydrangeas and irises are only the tip of the iceberg. For unusual and exotic flowers, consider using tropical bulbs such as shampoo ginger, pineapple lily, hidden ginger and crinums that can be dug up and overwintered in colder climates. Succulent cuttings have also become popular for their exotic appeal and durability, and I've taken cuttings of rhipsalis to add an airy charm to my own arrangements and corsages.

These Alocasia "California" leaves are abundant in my garden and create the perfect tropical vibe.

Use Foliage from Your Garden or Home
Even if nothing's in bloom, you're likely to at least find some durable foliage for your arrangement. If you have a garden, the chances are pretty fair that free flower arranging material grows in your own backyard! Examples of durable foliage include the glossy leaves of bordergrass, fatsia, magnolia, hollies, palms and cast iron plant. Tropicals and houseplants like alocasias, heliconias, dracaenas and cordylines offer superbly bold and dynamic leaves that are just perfect for a modern arrangement. I used "Kiwi" ti leaves for my corsages and boutonnieres, and "Red Sister" ti leaves to wrap around the stems of the arrangements. Deep green Liriope muscari leaves form arches above the flowers.

I used affordable florist's mums, green trick and solidago for the bulk of these arrangements

Make the Most of Affordable Cut Flowers

That seems like an obvious suggestion, but the local florist will charge an arm and a leg for flowers that can be easily found at a bargain from your grocery store or big box retailer. For my trio of short arrangements, I sought a rich and textural quality and acheived it using mostly affordable green flowers like green trick, Fuji mums and solidago. These cheap 'fillers' serve to unify the composition and provide a backdrop for the glowing chartreuse cymbidium orchids, rather than simply take up space.

Like these amazing wedding photos? We were honored to have Appleseed Photography of Jacksonville photograph our wedding and I would recommend her services to anyone in the area. She was a lifesaver!