How Much Do Wedding Flowers Cost?

Since flowers are often the focal decoration at most weddings, your big-day floral arrangements have the potential to be one of the most impactful elements at your celebration. Whether you're going all out with a medley of bright, bold wildflowers or you're opting for minimalism with white baby's breath, the blooms that you choose for your affair will single-handedly communicate your vision and create the intended ambiance. The scale of your assortments and installations will also set the tone for your event: Decking out your venue in floor-to-ceiling blossoms will convey opulence and drama, whereas a smattering of buds in vases, placed in the center of each reception table, will produce an understated, traditional look.

Even if you aren't including an overgrown ceremony aisle installation or hanging a flower chandelier from your reception ceiling, your wedding flowers will probably make up a considerable portion of your budget. The cost of these lush decorations is relatively high because just one stem is delicate and high quality, so it requires careful handling and transportation. Multiply that by the hundreds that you'll need for your affair, and you have a pretty hefty bill. At most weddings, the checklist typically entails the bridal bouquet, bridesmaid bouquets, corsages, boutonnières, and aisle and altar arrangements for the ceremony, plus the floral décor for your seating chart, bar, lounge area, centerpieces, and cake at the reception.

Before you determine any of this, though, the first step involves creating your wedding budget and determining what percentage of your finances will go toward wedding flowers. Establishing a maximum price point will help you prioritize your dream floral pieces and design elements and forgo those that you deem less important.

Wondering how much wedding flowers really cost in the United States? Read on for the average price of these pivotal decorations, plus expert-approved tips and tricks to save money on them.

The Average Cost of Wedding Flowers in the United States

According to Fash, a marketplace that tracks price estimates from event vendors, the average cost of wedding flowers in the United States is $2,200, with most couples spending between $500 and $3,500. Typically, soon-to-be newlyweds allocate eight to 10 percent of their total wedding budget on flowers.

If you were to break down this total cost, you'd see that each individual floral element has a distinctive price. Tessa Lyn Brand, a Los Angeles-based wedding planner and the owner Tessa Lyn Events, shares a benchmark that the average couple can expect to spend on each.

• Bridal bouquet: $250
• Bridesmaid bouquet: $80
• Boutonniere: $20
• Pin-on corsage: $25
• Wrist corsage: $30
• Reception centerpieces: $120-$600
• Flower girl petals: $25
• Ceremony structures: $1,500-$4,000
• Arrangements next to place cards and guest book: $200
• Head table florals: $1,500 
• Sweetheart table décor: $500
• Cake flowers: $150
• Flower crown: $100

Factors That Affect the Average Cost of Wedding Flowers

While the above price points are averages, the cost of wedding flowers can vary greatly, depending on a number of factors. The location in which you purchase these blooms and the market of your floral designer is one. For instance, Brand says her clients typically spend at least $10,000 on blooms alone. "Our Los Angeles-based clients usually spend between $12,000 and $20,000 on florals, but [we] have done $50,000 to $80,000 a handful of times," Brand reveals.

The number of floral arrangements, the types of flowers you choose, the size of your arrangements, and the seasonality of your blooms will also affect the total bill. Besides the buds themselves, there are other external factors, such as the cost of labor and delivery and the climate (which can affect the growing season of your preferred florals), that will influence the amount of money you're charged. As a good rule of thumb, communicate your budget and preferences to your wedding florist early on, and they'll provide cost-effective suggestions.

Tips for Saving Money on Your Wedding Flowers

Though wedding flowers can be expensive, there are ways you can keep your floral costs (relatively) low and maximize your overall budget. Here are expert-approved ways to save money on these decorative items—without sacrificing style.

Mix in Affordable Selections

If you have your eyes set on a certain flower, but it costs more than the average bloom, Ani Keshishian, creative director of Anoush Banquet Halls & Catering and L.A. Banquets, suggests mixing big-budget blossoms with more affordable ones. For instance, she says one of her clients alternated between baby's breath and roses at her reception tables to save money without needing to forgo her dream flower. "It was very elegant and did wonders for the feel of the wedding," Keshishian recalls.

If you're not a fan of bringing in a lower-budget bloom, you can also incorporate filler foliage, such as stock and greenery, with a pop of the more expensive, coveted flowers, such as David Austin roses or peonies, suggests Jennifer Arreguin Jacobson and Natasha Burton, co-founders of Swoon California in Santa Barbara, California.

Highlight Additional Decorations

Instead of making flowers the primary decorative element at your wedding, swap some of your blooms for other less costly pieces, such as votive candles, lanterns, photos, or other personal keepsakes, per Arreguin Jacobson and Burton. That way, you'll still showcase sought-after buds while saving hundreds of dollars on them. Plus, the varying items will elevate the romantic feel and visual intrigue of your setup.

Opt for Smaller Vases

Overflowing arrangements that engulf your tablescape are definitely striking, but more flowers means a more expensive bill. For a budget-friendly swap, opt for smaller vases that house fewer flowers, according to celebrity event planner Michael Cerbelli, CEO and president of Cerbelli Creative. You'll still add color and texture to each table, and in combination with candles and other decorations, you'll fill any unwanted negative space.

Repurpose Your Ceremony Flowers

To get the most bang for your buck without detracting from the jaw-dropping impact, Scoobie West, owner of event planning company Scoobie & Company, advises repurposing your altar installation at your reception. By reusing your ceremony backdrop, such as a floral arch or flower wall, you'll fill every part of your celebration with whimsy and extravagance—but you won't need to purchase a completely different piece. You can also have your planning team transport the floral arrangements that line your aisle to your band stage, according to Brand.

Select In-Season, Locally-Sourced Buds

Wedding flowers that are in season and grown locally will keep costs down. Since you won't be importing blooms from out of town, you'll save money on transportation costs. By throwing your wedding in late spring or early summer, for example, you'll be able to decorate your nuptials with big-ticket flowers, such as peonies and lilies of the valley, for less cash than if you were to source them in the off season. Plus, by shopping seasonally and locally, you're likely to get more pristine-looking flowers. Options that are grown nearby are usually more affordable and fresher than specialty varieties that need to be shipped from far-flung destinations.

Focus on Volume

Spend most of your flower budget on bigger, more impactful blooms, such as hydrangeas, ranunculus, or dahlias. "Full-petal flowers will go much further in terms of space than smaller blooms," says wedding planner Francesca DiSalvo-Follmer, owner of Pure Luxe Bride. Another idea? Erica Taylor Haskins, co-founder of Tinsel Experiential Design, loves using towering flowering branches, like cherry blossoms and forsythia, to achieve a colorful, voluminous look. Then, have your floral designer use smaller, more compact buds, which cost more per stem, as accents.

Choose Only a Few Varieties

The more variety of flowers you choose, the higher the fee will be. Instead of overwhelming your floral arrangements with a multitude of different types of blooms that rack up the bill, opt for simplicity by sticking to a few kinds. Not only will you save money, but also, your floral decorations will feature just your favorite blossoms. We particularly love the look of single-flower bouquets.

Use Potted Plants Instead

Rather than engulfing each reception table with lavish (and costly) flowers, consider using potted plants, such as succulents, terrariums, or cacti, especially at desert or bohemian nuptials. These alternative centerpiece ideas will set your celebration apart from the rest in a budget-friendly, low-maintenance way. Wedding planner Jyl Deering of Deering Events adds that you can even offer these plants to your guests as favors.

Book a Botanical Venue

When you book a wedding venue that's engulfed in natural beauty, like a botanical garden, a wooded grove, or rolling vineyards, you won't need to go overboard on flowers. Sure, you'll probably still want to bring in a few blooms, but these floral pieces will only accentuate the preexisting beauty that surrounds you. By using your wedding flowers as accents, you'll be able to splurge on other wedding elements (or pocket the cash).

Make a Single Floral Statement

Not every single floral element at your wedding has to be over the top and attention-grabbing. In fact, having too many elaborate arrangements can look cluttered, which only detracts from the intended impact. Choosing just one or two statement floral arrangements (while keeping the rest more minimal) will play up the drama in a more intentional, pronounced way. Maybe this looks like a flower chandelier suspended from your ceiling, a flower backdrop behind your sweetheart table, or cascading floral centerpieces.

Consult Your Floral Designer

When in doubt, ask your florist for some insight. According to event planner Kristine Cholakian Cooke, owner of Simply Charming Socials, your floral designer will be able to offer alternatives that meet your visual expectations and are also more accessible for your date. "We always find that brides who are more open-minded going into initial floral meetings can truly learn about flowers and options they didn't know existed," Cooke says. "In the end, the results can be beautiful and unexpected."