Wedding Flower Checklist

Flowers are one of the best ways to bring beauty and life to your wedding day. From your bridal bouquet to the centerpieces at your reception, every flower helps set the atmosphere, tone, and mood on this special day. But how many flowers do you need for your wedding? After all, you’ll need far more flowers than the ones you’ll carry in your bouquet. You have the decor for your ceremony and reception to think about. Plus, there are bouquets, corsages, and boutonnieres for your wedding party to consider. It can be overwhelming if you don’t know where to begin. That’s why Ling’s moment is here to guide you along your wedding journey. Here’s a guide to the flowers that you’ll need for your wedding, along with some tips on how to save money on your floral arrangements. How many flowers do I need for a wedding? Wedding flowers (also see our artificial wedding flowers collection) can be divided into two broad categories – venue decor, and bridal flowers. Bridal flowers encompass the floral arrangements that your wedding party will wear or carry. This includes boutonnieres, corsages, floral accessories, bridesmaid’s bouquets and the all-important bridal bouquet. Venue decor includes all the decorations you’ll use at your ceremony and reception. This includes everything from the arch where you’ll exchange vows, to the table runners at your reception banquet. The exact number of flowers that you’ll need will vary, depending on the size of your venue, the number of members in your wedding party, and your overall budget. A full floral arch will require more flowers than a wooden arch. If you’re on a budget, you don’t have to decorate every nook and cranny of your venue. All you need are a few well-placed flowers to elevate an ordinary barn or church into a romantic wonderland. We’ve listed some of the standard wedding flower arrangements below. But exactly which elements you’d like to incorporate are up to you. Talk things over with your wedding planner or better yet, your partner, friends and family who will participate in your wedding journey with you. Bridal flowers The flowers that your wedding party carries are some of the most significant and can help tell your story by creating a certain mood and ambiance. They signify everyone’s roles in the ceremony, designating their special honor among your guests. The flowers are an excellent way to express your unique style and share your love on your special day. The principal flowers in your wedding party include: Your bridal bouquet Maid of honor and bridesmaid bouquets Flower crowns or hairpieces Flower girl petals and basket decor Boutonnieres for the groom and groomsmen Corsages In addition, some brides might choose to have a second bouquet for the bouquet toss. This allows the bride to keep hers after the ceremony while still enjoying the fun and special moment of a bouquet toss. Siblings of the bride or groom may also receive flowers if they don’t play a part in the ceremony. So do step-parents or step-siblings. Other family members like aunts, uncles, and cousins might also receive flowers, depending on how close they are to the bride or groom. Using artificial flowers can allow you more leeway with gestures like this–even if you’re working on a budget. Wedding venue decor Your venue is where all your special moments will take place. You might’ve chosen a church, a barn, an open field, or anything in between. But no matter where you’ll tie the knot, the decorations you choose can elevate your venue and create an immersive atmosphere for your partner and your guests. We divide venue decor into two subcategories–those you’ll use for your ceremony and those you’ll use for your reception. Here are some of the key wedding floral arrangements you can use to transform your venue: Wedding ceremony decor Your ceremony is where you’ll exchange vows with your partner and officially begin your happily ever after. It’s your biggest moment–and the one where the most photos will be taken. You can use these decorations to make your walk down the aisle memorable and magical: Entryway arrangements Assigned seating decor Altar decor Aisle decor Chair or pew decor Unity candle, sand decor Don’t forget finishing touches, like flower petals to line the aisle or floral decorations for lanterns. You can also combine fabrics and lights with your flowers for a lush, ethereal look. The reception decor After your wedding, the reception is the perfect time to celebrate your new union with friends and family. Your reception decor should complement your ceremony decor. Some of the key reception arrangements include: Sweetheart table decorations Table centerpieces or runners Centerpieces for food tables Ceiling or hanging arrangements Cocktail hour table arrangements Escort card table arrangements Bar arrangements Restroom decor or markers Flowers for wedding cake Cake table arrangements Tossing bouquet Remember, as we’ve already talked about, each of these floral arrangements is optional. The elements you choose to have at your wedding depending on your overall vision for the day and your budget. But remember–you don’t have to choose between your dream wedding decor and saving money. You can still have a full repertoire of beautiful arrangements on your wedding day with a little imagination. Ways to save money on your wedding flowers As you can imagine, wedding flowers don’t always come cheap. According to Wedding Wire, the average cost of wedding flowers in the U.S. is $1,500 with most couples spending between $750 and $2,500. However, it’s possible to have beautiful flowers for your wedding day without having to skimp or sacrifice. You can save money at your ceremony by using silk or foam flowers like those at Ling’s moment. They look and smell just like the real thing. Yes, that’s right–the roses smell like roses. But unlike real flowers, they’ll never wilt. This allows you to reuse them after your wedding ceremony. You can purchase them in bulk in colors like dusty rose, cream, navy, and terracotta wedding flowers, allowing you to curate a unique aesthetic no matter the season. You can also save money by DIYing your wedding floral arrangements instead of buying pre-made ones. Labor is one of the biggest expenses associated with traditional florists. Creating your own floral arrangements not only saves money, but it also allows you greater control over your wedding decor. You can even invite your friends and family to join you in the DIY process. It’s a great way to experiment, share, and feel connected with the people you love on your wedding journey. DIY wedding decorations are surprisingly easy to create, too. Feel free to browse our library of DIY tutorials for inspiration. To get an idea of how many flowers you’ll need for your floral arrangements, check out our guide here.