5 Sustainable Bridal Bouquet Ideas for Your Wedding
Source with the season and have fun: here's how to get the best sustainable wedding flowers for your bridal bouquets & beyond in a simple (and more affordable!) way.
Has your wedding planning reached the flower stage yet? Organizing the bouquets for the bride and bridal party can be a fun and exciting planning stage, but let's face it – a tad mind-boggling. If you're worried about going over-budget and overwhelmed with seeing all the different types of bridal bouquet ideas and examples online, we're here to tell you that it doesn't have to boggle that bride-to-be brain so much.
To help you with this paramount part of your wedding, we at Hand-Me-Gowns Bridal have spoken to some experts in the bridal bouquet business and snagged some amazing tips just for you. These tried-and-tested ideas for sustainable bridal bouquets work for all seasons (having a fall, winter, spring or summer wedding?). Plus, you'll be able to easily cut costs and even reduce your wedding waste.
Here's how to gather wedding flowers and bouquets for your big day that are sustainable and affordable, while being beautiful and inspirational along the way.
5 simple sustainable bridal bouquet ideas
How to source the best sustainable bridal bouquets
Source your wedding flowers locally
Curate your bridal bouquets based on the season
Opt for silk wedding flowers
Consider using dried flowers for some bridal bouquets
Support your local florist
How much do wedding flowers cost?
Before you start your bouquet shopping, you'll want to have an idea about how much bridal flowers cost. Just like with knowing the average cost of a wedding dress, it's great to have an amount in mind and use that as a jumping off point for your bridal bouquet budget. According to the biggest wedding publications and stats, one bridal bouquet for your wedding will typically cost upwards of $100, with the average being between approximately $120-300.
If you're working with one florist, you can always work out a package deal with them for the bridesmaid bouquets, boutonnieres, and all the other type of wedding flowers you may need. For an average wedding budget in the U.S., think that you'll be setting aside about $1,000 for your wedding flowers. In many cases, you can swing it for less or much more.
Source your wedding flowers in a sustainable way. It’s possible!
How to get the best sustainable bridal bouquets for your wedding
We're here to help you source the best sustainable bridal bouquets possible for your wedding day. These expert ideas will help you save some of that wedding budget ($) and keep your wedding waste low.
1. Source local wedding flowers
We're just gonna get this one out of the way. If you're looking to keep your wedding as sustainable as possible, focus on having a low carbon footprint for your bridal bouquets and other wedding flowers. This means not using wedding flowers that have to be flown in from abroad and opting for locally-sourced floral beauties to create your bridal bouquets and boutonnieres. When working with a florist, you can always ask for the freshest and most local options.
This is why going the local route is definitely one great way to get the most affordable and sustainable wedding flowers for your big day. They'll be fresher, cheaper, and of course, will impress your guests!
Top tips for sustainable bridal bouquets for your wedding
2. Curate your sustainable bridal bouquets based on the season
Whether you're having a fall or spring wedding, make the most of it and choose wedding flowers on brand with the season. Being seasonal with your event design is typically the most affordable and sustainable option, so just go with it!
Just take it from Maggie Wilsbach, wedding specialist at Passions Florist. "If you are thinking sustainably while dreaming up the perfect wedding florals, a great start is being conscious of the time of year of your wedding."
Curating some of your wedding theme and decor to flow with the season is always a good idea, and your wedding flowers are the perfect place to start this process. In many cases the season of your wedding won't limit you, but actually open you to more possibilities as you learn about which types of flowers will be better accessible during that specific time.
"Spring is great for peonies, ranunculus, and tulips. During summer you will see dahlias and lisianthus most popularly. Fall produces the best sunflowers, gladiolus, and chrysanthemums. Winter is prime-time to use evergreens and local dried grasses," Maggie says.
Sustainable wedding flowers: don’t forget the boutonnieres!
3. Opt for silk wedding flowers
Have you heard of this latest sustainable wedding flowers trend? Silk flowers are a top alternative to fresh florals. They've actually been around for centuries. Some people refer to them as permanent botanicals, and along with silk plants, silk flowers are a great alternative if you're looking something eye-catching while also being low-maintenance and cost-effective for your wedding.
"If you find your Pinterest board is not aligning with your wedding date's most common florals, the route of silk flowers may be a good idea! Silks allow you to achieve that luxurious and expensive look when fresh florals coming from South America, Japan, or the Holland Auction would otherwise be out-of-budget," Maggie advises.
Silk flowers aren't necessarily made of silk – some arrangements can also be based from cotton, rayon, paper, or polyester. You can get them from a variety of manufacturers where you don't have to compromise on quality. Plus, these types of bouquets can last forever.
"Silk flowers incur little to no waste, require no water, come in contact with no pesticides or fertilizers and involve zero harvesting labor."
4. Consider using dried flowers
Ever considered dried flowers? Using dried flowers for your wedding is an original, beautiful, affordable, and sustainable bridal bouquet option all-in-one.
The thing is that using dried flowers as bridal bouquets gives you a bit of an alternative edge, but also still produces gorgeous results. These types of flowers can also be used for your bridesmaid bouquets and boutonnieres. The preservation process will be fun and easy afterwards, too.
Sustainable bridal bouquet ideas for your wedding
5. Support your local florist
We're all about supporting local at Hand-Me-Gowns Bridal. Being a locally-owned small business operating in Downtown Hammonton, New Jersey, we have a passion for sharing and spreading the love with other small businesses with big dreams.
So when you start the process of planning your bridal bouquets and beyond, start small and check out the local florists in your area first, especially if you’re looking for the more sustainable (and affordable) option for your wedding. Don't know where to start? Ask for a recommendation from a family member or from someone from your bridal party. Like we said in our last blog post on planning your rehearsal dinner, don't be afraid to ask for help!
Still a little stressed and need to know if you've found the right florist for your wedding? We've put together a little checklist to help you figure that out.
Here's what you look for in a good wedding florist:
They're friendly and easy to work with, and you get a good feeling when you walk through the door.
They offer options that are within your budget.
You see bouquet examples and samples that catch your eye.
If you're passionate about sustainability make sure they share a bit of that vision, too.
Maggie from Passions Florist shares our sentiments as well. "Local options could be your biggest cost saver as well as the most sustainable way to source fresh flowers for your wedding. We at Passions Florist work closely with several local flower wholesalers throughout the year to keep prices reasonable while also supporting our neighborhood farmers and employees."
So, if you're planning a wedding in Hammonton or the surrounding areas, know that Passions Florist are your go-to florist for your wedding or any other occasion. "If you decide to go with Fresh Local florals or faux/silk arrangements, we at Passion are here to help, offering all services mentioned above. Please feel free to call us at 609-561-9054 or email us at passionsweddings@gmail.com for more info!"
Hand-Me-Gowns Bridal
We hope you enjoyed these tips on sustainable bridal bouquets for your wedding. Did we miss anything? And more importantly, did we pique your interest to help make your wedding flowers more affordable and sustainable for your own Big Day?
If you’re looking for a sustainable option for your wedding dress, our preowned designer bridal boutique might just be perfect for you. With hundreds of pre-loved wedding dresses at our shop, we offer our brides the stylish and affordable option with a personalized touch thrown in for your bridal appointment with us.
Curious? Book an appointment with us today!
Sustainably Yours,
Hand-Me-Gowns
xoxo
