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Flowers are one of the most memorable parts of weddings. They bring an overwhelming sense of romance and luxury to the ceremony and reception spaces, add beauty and sophistication to the entire wedding party’s look, and elevate the wedding decor and resulting photography. But what’s the price of all of this natural beauty? Can you afford to have the wedding flowers of your dreams, even if you’re on a budget?

Using our below guide, learn tips for how to think about your wedding flower budget and find out exactly how much certain kinds of wedding flowers cost.

What is the Average Cost of Wedding Flowers?

According to florists, the average cost of wedding flowers is around $3,500. However, flower prices can fluctuate widely based on their availability, and it can be easy to add floral expenses without even realizing it (what’s one more boutonniere?). That said, it may be wise to budget a bit more, just to be on the safe side.

Floral Budget Breakdown

So, how much do wedding flowers cost? Here is a breakdown of approximately how much each floral arrangement element in a wedding costs, to better help you create a floral budget that works for you.

• Bridal bouquet: $170-$250

Depending on how unique and overflowing your wedding bouquet is, you could spend over $200. Looking for a way to keep your bridal bouquet cost down? Incorporate your favorite seasonal flowers into your floral arrangement.

• Bridesmaid bouquets: $65-$100 each

This wedding flower cost will depend on the types of blooms you want in these bouquets, as well as the number of bridesmaids in your party. If you are looking to have a larger bridal party or elaborate bouquets, be prepared to spend more than $300 total.

• Boutonnieres/Corsages: $20-$30 each

Depending on the same factors as bridesmaids’ bouquets (the number of people, the type of flowers used, etc.), you could easily spend over $200 on boutonnieres and corsages, so budget accordingly.

• Ceremony and Reception Decor: $300-$600

The amount you spend on event decorations can widely vary depending on the size of your venue and the number of tables or display spaces you’d like to embellish. Depending on the amount of decorations you have, you can easily spend close to or over $1,000 for more expensive petals and elaborate designs.

• Centerpieces: $200-$400

For more ornate and lavish table centerpieces, some couples will spend between $500 and $650 each, but as you know by now, it all depends on the size of the flower arrangements, types of flowers used, and how elaborate each wedding centerpiece design is.

• Flower child and ring bearer: $$25-50

These may not be not a part of every couple’s wedding party, but if you plan on having one or a few sweet kiddos walk down the aisle before you, plan on spending between $25+ for his or her blooms.

• Flower petals: $80-$200

If you’ve dreamed of walking down an aisle scattered with fresh flower petals, you can estimate that you’ll need an additional $80 to $200 to make this vision come to life, but for rare or out-of-season blooms, (or for very long aisles), you’ll need to plan on spending more. If this floral element isn't a dealbreaker, then this is one part of your flower budget you can skip.

It’s also important to consider that although these are the average amounts couples are spending, some will spend more on one floral element and not spend as much on another. Know what kind of flowers you absolutely want, and what you’re willing to splurge on vs. sacrifice.

Making a Floral Budget

Get Inspiration

The first step in making your floral budget is browsing real weddings to get inspiration. Pay attention to the images of flowers that you’re drawn to, and try to find patterns in what you like. Save your favorites to your Zola account so you can share them at consultations with florists later.

Consider your wedding day details and what’s realistic to expect. The following factors will affect both the flower options available to you and their associated costs:

• Your wedding location: If you’re getting married in Vermont and want tropical blooms, shipping in orchids and palm leaves will cost you a pretty penny. But if you’re getting married in Hawaii, flowers and plants that grow on the island (like orchids and palms) will be much cheaper.
• Your wedding date: Some flowers only bloom during specific windows of the calendar year. While you can force blooming environments via greenhouses, or by shipping in flowers grown in other countries with different year-round climates, these kinds of flowers are going to be pricey. If you’re on a limited floral budget, it’s best to stick to flowers that will be in season locally during your wedding day.
• Your wedding style and venue: Certain floral designs match particular wedding styles better than others. If you’re getting married in a glamorous ballroom, sunflowers and daisies might look rather out of place. Likewise, very tall arrangements in gold and crystal vases won’t be the best choice for a casual lakeside wedding.

Brainstorm Ideas

After gathering your inspiration and thinking about what types of flowers will work best for your wedding, make a list of all floral decorations you’re interested in having. Be sure to consider some questions before you begin interviewing florists to set expectations early (and avoid going over budget). Think: What kind of ceremony flowers and reception flowers do you want, and how many? Will you have cocktail tables that need floral decor? How big is your wedding party? What kinds of personal flowers do you need?

Start Planning

Based on the types and kinds of florals you think you’ll want, begin researching the general prices for each item. To help streamline the wedding planning process, we have listed average prices for basic floral items below. However, be sure to interview professional wedding florists to get actual price quotes and make sure your estimates are within the floral budget figure you have in mind.

3 Factors Affecting Floral Budgets

Couples typically allocate between 8-10% of their total wedding budget to florals, but this number can vary depending on a variety of factors:

• The types of flowers you use: Some flowers are more expensive than others. Individual blooms are priced per stem, while things like garlands are priced per linear foot. Your florist should be able to make suggestions for a few “splurge” blooms to place in high-profile locations, like the bridal bouquet, and less expensive flowers to use in the majority of your other bouquets and decorations.
• The kinds of arrangements you want: Like individual flower types, certain arrangements can cost more. Arrangements that contain a lot of expensive flowers, large arrangements, or arrangements that require extra labor and installation (such as hanging arrangements or floral arches) will all cost more than smaller, more modest arrangements in simple containers.
• Your wedding florist’s experience: As with most businesses, the more experienced a florist is, the more he or she will charge for their services. Need help finding a trusted florist? Browse Zola's vendor directory for trusted wedding florists in Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, and more.

Budget-Saving Wedding Floral Tips

• Reuse your bridesmaid bouquets (and ceremony décor): One trick to maximize your floral budget is to reuse the bridesmaids’ bouquets, placing them in tabletop vases after pictures have been taken. Let your floral designer or wedding planner know ahead of time that you’d like to reallocate your bridal party flowers. You can even ask your maid of honor to do this task (just make sure the vases are ready to go). Similarly, reuse the blooms from your wedding ceremony at the reception. For example, move the large altar arrangements to the dessert table and the aisle decorations to reception tables.

• Think outside the vase: While no one can argue that fresh flowers are a lovely way to decorate your reception tables, there are plenty of other ways to distinguish your wedding decor without increasing your floral budget. Getting creative here can be a great way to integrate your wedding theme and add a personal touch to your fête.

• Choose a naturally beautiful venue: To save on your floral budget without sacrificing beautiful ambience, consider booking your wedding at an outdoor venue—such as a park, garden, mountaintop, or private backyard—that is already full of stunning flowers and striking landscapes.

• Go for single-bloom bridesmaid bouquets: Have your bridesmaids each carry one gorgeous bloom, instead of a whole bouquet. A single long-stem rose or a stunning peony goes a long way.

• Reduce the size of your wedding (or wedding party): While the size of your wedding party determines how many bouquets and boutonnieres you’ll need to purchase, the number of attending guests determines how many centerpieces you will need. We know trimming the guest list can be tough, but your wallet will thank you later.

Additional Factors to Consider

Here are some final things to consider when making your wedding floral budget:

• Set Up and Delivery Fees: Other costs that couples tend to overlook are the setup and delivery fees, which you will usually encounter when talking to local florists. Before signing a contract with a professional, be sure to ask if delivery and set up fees are included in their price quote, and if they’re not, ask how much these fees tend to run.

• House of Worship Flower Rules and Donations If you’re getting married in a house of worship, inquire what the policy is for bringing in outside flowers to the church, synagogue, or mosque. Some churches actually require you to provide arrangements for the altar, and ask that they remain as a donation for services the next day—be sure to inquire so you can factor this cost (and/or your inability to reuse these arrangements) into your budget. On the other hand, some houses of worship do not allow any outside flowers to be brought in, so be aware of all policies before you put down a floral deposit for arrangements you can’t use.

Whether you’re hiring a professional florist or plan to DIY your flower arrangements, keeping tract of the cost of things is paramount. Consider using the budget tracker on the Zola app throughout wedding planning to keep your spending—including florals—in order.