Planning a wedding on a small budget is difficult – because “downsizing” is key.

My first bit of advice, is please – stop looking at those damn wedding magazines.  You see something – fall in love with it – and it’s frustrating not being able to obtain the same look and feel.  I know the story very well.   The couple tries to go for the look – and trust me – it’s not the same – whatever the solution.

I think many couples underestimate the time and skill needed to put beautiful arrangements together.  It’ an art – and just like any art – should be left to the professionals.  Likewise, many couples underestimate the price.  Generally in the Washington DC area – flowers will fall in the following ranges

Bridal bouquet $130.00-$250.00 per

Maid of Honor bouquet – $60.00-$90.00 per

Bridesmaid bouquet – $60.00-$90.00 per

Grooms boutonniere – $12.00-$15.00 per

Groomsmen and Father boutonniere – $10.00-$12.00 per

Corsages – $25.00-$50.00 per

Altar pieces – $150 – $600.00 per

Large buffet/table pieces – $150.00-$300.00 per

Low centerpieces – $100.00-$150.00 per

High centerpieces – $175.00-$400.00 per

Of course, a lot depends upon how full the arrangements are, what flowers are used, etc.  When your budgeting, use these ranges.  If you want very full  and elaborate high centerpieces, $400 + per might be the right amount.  Lower simple arrangements will fall on the other end.

When you are on a low budget, obviously, you are not going to pay $175.00 per centerpiece.  However, you can still have very nice/elegant flowers.  What I suggest is that you have nice bouquets, boutonnieres and corsages, and use candles/rose petals on the tables.

You can also opt for a nice bridal bouquet, a single stem for the Bridesmaids, or nothing for the Bridesmaids – a flower for the Groom and nothing for the Groomsmen.

For the cocktail reception I’m proposing – we would have a combination of small cafe tables and tall high-boys.  Everyone wouldn’t be seated – a more “come and go” type event.  If you wanted flowers, you could do, small glass vases containing a few colorful blooms, or small plants in planters (coordinating with your color/theme).   You wouldn’t necessarily have to have the exact same plant on every table – you could have a variety .  The tables would  only be 30-36″ round (2.5-3 feet) so they would take much smaller arrangements than a 5 or 6 foot round.  While it would be a more causal look and feel – you could achieve something very beautiful and memorable.

Happy planning!

Thanks to Rodney Bailey and Creation Waits for the lovely photographs.

Tags: Planning a 5000 Wedding

This entry was posted on Saturday, May 29th, 2010 at 7:59 am and is filed under Blog. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.