Something I see a lot in brides are very high expectations for their wedding florals. They want a large centerpiece for all 15 tables, a full and fluffy ceremony arch and flowers lining the ceremony aisle, pieces for the bar, cocktail tables, and pretty bouquets and boutonnières for everyone! But what I hate to see every time is that they are not aware of just how costly the florals can be. Brides will show me their inspiration with a 15-to-25-thousand-dollar floral job with a budget of $5,000 in mind to spend on their florals.

What most people don't know is that good quality flowers that will last their florist 3 days before their wedding for creation and to last all day and night at their wedding is going to cost significantly more than the flowers that you see at the grocery store with the $8 bouquets. The quality of flower a good florist should be using, for example, can cost you anywhere from $5 to $8 a stem for a good garden rose! Just for an idea of how much that costs count the roses you can see in your favorite floral inspiration pictures in your Pinterest board! So, the grocery store flowers may not cut it and be able to survive that long. They also are typically way smaller in size.

The first thing you should know that most people are not aware of is that prices of the florals can change. Not every flower is always in season year-round and some flowers can be in higher demand than others which can make them more difficult to source. A peony is very popular during certain times of the year and can usually cost at least $10 for one stem. This high demand for one of the largest and luxurious flowers has caused prices changing over time. The peony has a high demand rightfully so.

The second thing you should know is that you are not just paying for the flowers. You are also paying for the materials to create your florals. That includes the vases, foam, and anything else your florist needs. Underneath all of those pretty colors is usually a big water filled block of green foam keeping it alive. Also, zip ties, wire, and floral tape holding it in position securely. This can take a lot of materials and does not come for free. So, make sure to understand that this is another thing that your florist has counted in the floral budget!

The third thing you need to know is that your florist has to be paid too! With your budget you also have to consider that a lot of it is just going to pay your florist for the service and the hours it is taking them to make your centerpieces. Which is another thing that you should know is that it can take them hours! Every stem has to be plucked of their leaves and thorns, cut at a certain length, and prepared to go into the arrangement. If you have hundreds of stems that can take a significant amount of time. Which is another reason why you need good quality flowers so they can last through that whole process and into your wedding day!

The fourth thing you should know is that not every flower you like will always be in season. There are some flowers like a rose that can look good all year round and then there will be flowers that only look pretty during certain seasons. So, it is not always good to count on a certain flower unless you are aware of its peak season and plan your wedding accordingly. Your favorite flower may not be in season during your wedding date and the ones you do get may not be of their best quality.

Lastly, for the fifth thing you should know is that most of those florals you see on Pinterest were thrown in a dumpster at the end of the night! They all will die in the next day or so, and most people do not know what to do with them and they can be difficult to save and to decide where they should go and who they should go with at the end of the night. So, keep that in mind when trying to decide what is going to happen to your florals at the end of the night. Some of the best ideas are sending them to ICU floors, nursing homes, and children's hospitals the next morning!

Flowers are beautiful and almost everyone wants a $25,000 floral budget to meet the Pinterest board dreams. But there are so many cost-effective ways to spread florals throughout your venue while still looking beautiful. Facing the "cannon event" floral disappointment is common and you are not alone. But I am going to share my favorite ways to still make your wedding look extravagant even with a modest budget.

1. Do bud vases! This is a popular way to have flowers everywhere! You only need one to three stems per vase, and they can be easily dispersed amongst all of your tables, bar, and cocktail tables.

2. Reusing ceremony pieces for your table centerpieces. Depending on what you choose for your ceremony they can be reused and moved to their next location, and no one will ever know! If you choose to have individual pieces lining the aisle, they can easily be set on top of a flower stand during your cocktail hour. Now you bought less florals and got to use the ones you did buy for 2 different things.

3. Saving floral vases and using the bridesmaids and bride bouquets for the cake table, dessert table, or bar. Telling your girls to save the bouquets and assigning spots for them to place them at after ceremony will put those pieces to more use as well instead of letting them sit on the table all night. Now there are more flowers you got to use twice!

4. The last thing you can do to save on your florals is not having an extra-large piece on every table. Not every centerpiece has to be the same on each table. If you have ten tables five of them can have the small centerpieces and the other five can have the large. Depending on how the tables are arranged this can still look gorgeous and add some dimension in the room.