Flower budget

The price of flowers can depend on where the flower is coming from as it may or may not be in season near you as well as how difficult it is to grow, etc. Most brides search the Internet and magazines for photos of bouquets that they love then take the pictures into a florist, unaware of what the cost might be. Here are a few tips on ways you can save on your flower budget:

• Downsize your containers. If you originally had a vase requiring 20 roses to give the right effect, consider choosing a smaller vase that needs only 5 roses. Also if you love peonies or garden roses (we love the "fluffy" look these two have), you'll definitely want a smaller container. These flowers are big and usually don't take much to give the look you want.
• A trend that has been in for the past couple of years is really cost effective: "going green." You can use ferns, ivy, eucalyptus, curly willow sticks, and many other plants that will save you money and give more of that natural look to your centerpieces.
• Try not to get hung up on a certain flower that costs $10 a head or getting attached to the idea of traditional centerpieces with 50 stems each. If your florist is good they'll be able to help you find a flower that's similiar to the one you want but for a lower cost. Daisies are great because they come in lots of colors, are inexpensive, and can be arranged in several different ways.
• Try to limit your centerpieces to have 1-3 flowers each. If your arrangements have more than that, then chances are your florist is having to order more than he or she needs which is going to cost you more. See if they can use the same flowers in your bouquets or in other arrangements used to decorate at the ceremony and/or reception site.
• If you want a variety of flowers you may want to consider using shorter vases instead of tall. They tend to have smaller openings and will require less flowers to make a pretty impression. If you love the look of tall flowers like hydrangeas or gladiolas, tall vases are great and curly willow, feathers, etc. can always be added to fill the space.

At The Hamilton Event Center we include all of your centerpieces so you don't have to worry about contacting an outside florist to bring things in. We have several different sizes of vases for you to choose from, and the flower possibilities are just as varied.