Category: Weddings

This is part 6 in our blog series “How much will your wedding cost?” and this part is about your wedding flowers and decorations costs.  As with all the blogs in this series, I am using CostOfWedding.com as a resource for the facts and figures listed in this blog.  As stated in part one of this series, the website listed the Toledo Brides and Grooms spent $568 to $946 on average flowers and decorations while spending $1,136 to $1,514+ for the experts.

This is probably the one place in your wedding budget that will vary the most from the actual Cost of Wedding report.  Your budget for flowers and decorations will be completely different than what anyone else will spend.  Your flower cost will depend on how many people are in your wedding, how many guests will be attending, and what you will be using the flowers for, along with many other factors like the time of year when you have your wedding, what flowers you are using and what flowers are “in season.”  Because of all of the factors involved, you probably cannot realistically figure this part of your budget without sitting down with a florist first.  Hopefully this can help you remember what you will need and give you somewhat of a ballpark range to expect to pay.

So let’s start with the boutonnieres and corsages.  According to Cost of Wedding website, the average bride and groom spend between $74 and $123 for these items and spend between $147 and $196+ for the experts.  What the report does not show is what was the average number of boutonnieres and corsages made for each wedding.  For your wedding, you have to take into account how many you will need.  For the boutonnieres, you need to have one for the groom, the best man, each of the the groomsmen and ushers, the ring bearer, your father, the grooms father, any step-fathers involved, grandfathers, men in the ceremony such as readers or soloists if male, and some brides and grooms also give them to godfathers and other important males in their lives.  The same goes for the corsages for the women involved.  You need one for the bride’s mother, groom’s mother, step-mothers, grandmothers, readers and soloists if female, guest book attendant, and maybe even godmothers.  Obviously the cost for these flower arrangements depends entirely on how many people will be receiving them and what your flower choice will be.  The more people in your wedding party and important family members that you have, the higher this cost will be.

Your bridal bouquet will be your most coveted accessory for the entire day and you will want it to look as beautiful as you.  You will need it for almost all of your photographs and it will need to last all day.  According to the Cost of Wedding report, Toledo brides typically spend between $79 and $131 for their bouquet, while those with a more expensive taste spend between $158 and $210+.  Of course, your cost will depend on what flowers you chose and how large of a bouquet you will be carrying.  If you have painted flowers or coloring added to the flowers to match your wedding color scheme, there will be an additional charge.  The report also does not state if this cost includes the “throw away” bouquet and I am guessing that it does not so you will also need to factor this into your cost for your wedding if you are doing that at your reception.

For the bridesmaids bouquets, the report gives the average spent as between $96 and $160 on average with $192 and $256+ for the experts.  This also does not give how many bridesmaids in total were the average for this aspect of your costs.  Clearly, the more bridesmaids you have, the more this will cost.  The cost will also depend on what flowers you will be using.  Expect to pay more for the maid of honor or matron of honor’s bouquets if they are more elaborate than what the bridesmaids will be carrying.  For the flower girl’s flowers, the report lists it separately and brides and grooms in Toledo spend between $47 and $79 on average with spending between $95 and $126+ for experienced professionals.  It also lists spending $50 – $84 on flower petals for average and $101 – $134+ for designer.  Once again, the report does not give details on what these costs entail.  Expect to pay more if you have multiple flower girls and/or junior bridesmaids.  Also, some flower girls actually carry bouquets instead of petals and the report does not list if this is the case.  If you use flower petals for the flower girls to drop down the aisle, you need to make sure there is enough to cover the length of the aisle and the longer the aisle, the more you will need.  If you are using flower petals to decorate the cake table or other tables at the reception, don’t forget to include this in your overall cost for your florist.

The next expense relating to flowers and decorations is the cost for the ceremony flowers and decorations.  According to CostofWedding.com, the average Toledo couple spends between $147 and $245 for ceremony decorations with spending between $294 and $392+ for the experienced professionals.  They also spend between $165 and $275 on average for ceremony flower arrangements and $330-$440+ for the experts for this.  What the report does not include is what the details are for these costs.  What you need to consider for this part of your budget is all of the details you will be using like pew decorations, altar flowers, memory table decorations, candles,  entry way flower arrangements or decorations, and any flowers for your or your bridesmaids hair.

When it comes to flowers for the reception, the report lists that for reception flower arrangements, Toledo couples spend between $185 and $308 on average and between $369 and $492+ for the experts.  It also lists that brides and grooms spend between $193 and $321 for average reception table centerpieces and $386 to $514+ for designer centerpieces.  It does not state if there is a difference between the two items if flowers were used as centerpieces, so I am guessing that they are two different costs and depending on how it was worded on the survey, it could have been confusing for the brides that responded as well.  I am going to assume that these are two totally different expenses for the purpose of this blog.  The report further states that the average spending for reception decorations for Toledo brides and grooms was between $176 and $293 with spending between $351 and $468+ for designer decorations.  As I stated earlier, there are many variables for how much you will be spending on reception flowers and decorations.  Some things you need to consider are how many guests you have coming and how many tables will be needed to accommodate them.  For the tables, how many will each table seat and will you be using round or rectangular tables.  If using round, you will only need one centerpiece.  For rectangular tables, you may choose for one centerpiece or multiple centerpieces, which can be varying sizes.  Obviously the larger the table, the less you will need.  Other tables that may need flower arrangements or decorations include your escort card table, memory table, gift table, guest book table, and cake table.  If you decide to have a backdrop behind the head table, you will need to include this in your costs and don’t forget to  include the cost for decorating the head table in your budget.  Most of the more expensive halls are already beautifully decorated and need very little enhancements for weddings.  However, many halls will need to be transformed for that fairy tale wedding feel.  If this is the case for you, expect to pay more for decorations.

You will also need to consider if you are the one responsible for the tableclothes, napkins and table skirting, or if the hall provides them.  You also need to add to your budget if you are using chair covers and/or sashes.  Some halls provide these items and may be included in their fees.  However, they may only provide limited choices if they do, so make sure you find out the exact details.  Remember that if you are the one responsible for ordering the linens and chair covers that you will need to know how many other tables will need them, especially if you are having a buffet style dinner.

So taking into account all of these expenses, the average Toledo Bride and Groom would spend between $1,212 and $2,019 for average reception flowers and decorations and between $2,423 and $3,328+ for the professionals.  This is a lot higher than the report lists on what the average spent by Toledo brides and grooms for wedding reception decorations and flowers.  This is why your specific taste affects what you will be spending on this part of your budget.  As I stated earlier, these are just estimates from CostOfWedding.com.  The amount you will actually spend will vary greatly depending on your wants, location and ideas.  The size of your wedding party and number of invited guests will also affect the amount you spend on this area of your budget.

This is the sixth part in a series of several blog posts regarding the cost of a Toledo wedding.  Look for the next blog post about wedding attire coming soon.   Feel free to post any comment or question you may have to let me know if this is helpful to you for planning your wedding.

For more information on Kurt Nielsen Wedding Photography including pricing, please visit my website at:  www.kurtnphoto.com.  You can contact me at:

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