How to save money on wedding flowers

How much you set aside for your flower budget depends on how important the decor is to you. If you'd rather spend the money on food and liquor, or the wedding gown, you can save some money on your flowers. BUT, it's unlikely that you can completely eliminate a florist--it's not as simple as you may think.

Flowers have to be conditioned. Stems are cut and some greens removed to prevent rotting in the water. It's time-consuming and laborious. Experienced is needed to know when to condition the flowers so they open at the correct time.

• Use plants instead of cut flowers. For example, using cyclamen, African violets, or plants that you've dug up and re-potted, is simple and saves money.

• Opt for flowers simply placed in a vase or urn, without arranging or wiring.

• A hand-wired bridal bouquet will cost much more than a ribboned one.

• Use fruits or vegetables as part of the arrangement.

• Use candles--they are the best secret for getting the most bang for your buck. Lots of votive candles grouped together make a powerful visual statement, much more so than a row of bud vases.

• If you use flowers, go for large bouquets of a single type of flower, rather than mixed bouquets. It will make a more dramatic statement if it's all one kind of flower.

• Consider using daisies or another simple flower, like sunflowers or gerbera daisies. Gerbera daisies have to be wired but they're still less expensive than many other kinds of flowers.

• Use flowers that are in season and that don't have to be imported, especially if it's a destination wedding.

• The trend in bridal bouquets is the large, traditional bouquet of stephanotis, the beautiful bell-shaped flowers. But that is an expensive bouquet because each flower is wired and a tiny pearl inserted.