Flowers and other decor is one of those areas people agonize over the most. They think about what linens and chairs to rent, what flowers to use, what lighting to use, and what candles to buy/rent that will bring out the look and feel that they are going for.
Couples with teeny tiny budgets have even a bigger job. Realistically, most of your budget is going to be taken by the venue and caterer – maybe more than the 50% standard. Everything else must come under that remaining 50% or $1,500.00-$2,500.00 that you have remaining.
Not easy.
Flowers are so beautiful, aren’t they? To me, they just scream wedding. You see all those elaborate arrangements in magazines that are “to die for”.
This is not to imply that you cannot have beautiful flowers, just that it will be minimal. here is how the wedding we’re planning helps with the minimalistic decor…
- We’ve chosen a venue that has intrinsic beauty and is visually interesting. There is no need to hide ugly decor under chair covers, and a bunch of flowers. We are simply enhancing the the look and feel that’s already there. It’s very important to choose a venue that you can stand aesthetically.
- We are planning for a cocktail style reception/meet and greet. We are not seating everyone for a full meal. Less tables, smaller tables, and less table decor are needed. You could do a lot of things with this, depending on he feeling that you want to bring-out.
By planning this type of wedding, you are dealing with much less – and because of that, you can still have nicer linens, flowers and candles.
So, lets prioritize our floral order – assuming that you do not have a wedding party.
- Bouquet – the Bride must have a nice bouquet
- Grooms boutonniere
- 2 corsages for the Mothers’
- 2 boutonnieres for the fathers
- 4-6 simple centerpieces – depending upon the number of guests
- 8 floor length white linens
- 36 votive candles
We only have $500.00 “tops” to work with.
Since our venue is artsy and light filled, white would be an excellent choice as would yellow. Bright – light colors would fill the room beautifully and also bring out the artistic feel already intrinsic in the space. This would especially work if your event happened during the day. If you wanted a more evening cocktail feel – cocktails after a movie, than muted colors would be appropriate.
Of course this is only a suggestion for the wedding that I’m planning. You have to think about the look that you want – and choose the decor to reflect your wedding. It’s only my intention to give ideas where you would still be able to utilize the services of a professional florist to create an elegant look for your wedding.
Happy planning!
Great advice. Also the venue provides a great setting for any wedding. but is an excellent choice for a low budget wedding.