A brand new year is here and we are so thrilled for what’s to come! Did you know that on average, 2.4 million weddings happen each year? But, with the recent pandemic and countless cancellations and postponements, the wedding industry is about to soar in 2021. With a prediction of 3 million weddings, the new year will be full of love and happily ever afters, no matter how you choose to celebrate.

In one of our recent LIVE styling sessions, Sophie (SBBlooms’ lead designer) and I, got the chance to meet a very special SBBlooms Bride. Christina Owczarek is not only a bride to be, but also the founder of Blue Mae Events. From bespoke event rentals, onsite design styling, to full-service planning, they offer a variety of packages that fit your specific needs. Christina has helped countless brides plan the wedding of their dreams and now she is getting married herself!  We asked Christina to give us some insight on planning during a pandemic. Here are some of Christina’s thoughts and advice as we start 2021, with lots of hope for the world of weddings! 

What is Your Vision?

For those of you who are planning a wedding in the coming year, 2020 has probably opened your eyes to how much time and money goes into a wedding. Use the first couple of weeks of your engagement to really consider what is truly important to you and your fiancé. If getting married at the city courthouse is what you want, GO for it! If having a grand wedding with all of your closest family and friends is what you dream of, we LOVE to see it. Either way, florals are almost a no-brainer when it comes to any type of wedding ceremony. 

And so comes the most basic question - How much do wedding flowers cost? It seems like a pretty simple question, expected to be followed by a pretty simple response. But not so much! Determining the cost of wedding flowers varies greatly from Bride to Bride. Many by the rule of thumb budget 8% of their total wedding budget to flowers, but that rule is easily broken by various factors and considerations. 

So let’s walk through some of those considerations... Are you using fresh flowers or open to Premium Silks? Are your flowers of choice in season or out of season? Because let's face it, if you're looking for fresh peonies or ranunculus in your bridal bouquet during a winter wedding, that’s going to cost you a pretty penny! Will fresh flowers be used for the ceremony and reception - if so, how many pieces in total for each? Will the florist need to install flowers on the day of the wedding or beforehand... The list of questions goes on and on and becomes more overwhelming when you see the dreaded price point.

Know Your Budget

According to our friends at Weddingwire.com, the average cost of wedding flowers in the U.S. is around $1,500 for small to medium size weddings and up to $5,000+ for large weddings. Whatever your wedding budget is, it is safe to start with 8-10% of your total budget dedicated to the florals. From there, you can work your budget up or down based on your needs.

If spending thousands of dollars on flowers that will end up being thrown out at the end of the night, makes you weak in the knees… we have a great alternative option for you! Something Borrowed Blooms offers gorgeous, premium silk flowers all at a fraction of traditional costs. Our premium silk wedding flowers look real, smell amazing, and are always in season! We are constantly expanding our options of bridal bouquets, bridesmaids bouquets, boutonnieres, floral garlands, aisle markers, and more to rent for your wedding day. Take a look at the potential savings associated with Something Borrowed Blooms’ silk wedding flower rentals compared to the average cost of real flowers:

The difference in cost is  I N S A N E, right?

For many of our Brides, saving thousands of dollars on wedding flowers is a sure YES! But for others, we see a thoughtful compromise. If fresh flowers are REALLY important to you, but so is your budget, consider mixing fresh and silk flowers. We’ve seen countless Brides pull off a beautiful look by mixing fresh and silk. Below, one of our SBBlooms Brides used our Jane Custom Garland to complement her fresh white and green bridal bouquet. The possibilities are endless when mix and matching real and silk.  And to be quite honest, silk florals complement fresh flowers so well and it’s a great way to cut down on overall costs!

Reception Flowers

Switching to silk florals for the reception can also rake in big savings! Every Bride falls in love with elaborate floral installs and lush fresh floral garlands… until they see the price tag. These elements are very labor-intensive for fresh florists, so the cost reflects just that! We’ve compared side by side the potential savings on reception flowers and it’s substantial! 

Garland
At Something Borrowed Blooms we’re proud to offer ceremony and reception flowers that rival the rest! Our product line includes a variety of centerpiece collections, decor pieces, greenery garland, AND custom garland!

Our custom garland coordinates perfectly with each of the fifteen floral collections, so you are sure to find one that matches your wedding colors. Designed especially for ceremony arches, railings, welcome signs, and other key focus areas and the set-up is as easy as it gets. Simply remove the garland from the box, gently fluff, and attach using zip ties. Attach multiple strands together with zip ties for larger areas as needed. Our custom garland line has proven to provide major savings within the wedding flower budget and our Brides are LOVING rent and return option. For current Brides interested in adding custom garland to an existing order, simply email info@sbblooms.com and we’ll be happy to assist!

Whew… who would have thought such a long response would be needed for such a simple question! We’re glad you stuck around to learn all the tips and tricks for saving on florals while learning why floral budgets vary so drastically. And hopefully, we provided you with the insight needed to finalize your wedding floral expenses while staying on a budget that fits YOU just right!

Join our SBBlooms Brides Facebook group to get all the insider pro tips and advice from past and present SBBlooms Brides.  For more inspiration, browse our floral collections, follow us on Instagram, and subscribe to our YouTube channel for DIY tips, collection reviews, and behind the scenes.