There are so many expenses when it comes to planning a wedding. Many brides have to prioritize what they want to invest in. As a bargain shopper myself, I know I looked for ways to keep the budget in check! I’m sharing a quick tip that will not only save you money but make a huge impact on your images! And surprise, it has to do with your bridal bouquet!

If you are having trouble making a decision when it comes to your bridal bouquet here is what I suggest.

Personally and as a photographer, I think real is best! Now hear me out because I know they are often more expensive. Your flowers are also in almost ALL of your photos from the day! So while those faux flowers will look great from a distance, they don’t look as good close up. And I know as a photographer that I can’t use them as creatively throughout the rest of the day.

If the bride has a gorgeous bouquet, I can make the entire day look like there were beautiful florals everywhere! I use it to spruce up the bridal details, the reception decor AND even bride and groom portraits! They are the perfect way to tie in the colors of the day. Which leads to you having a well coordinated album design from beginning to end. I also love stealing little pieces of greenery for flat lays and other close details shots! But with faux, unless you spend the money to get the “I can’t believe these aren’t real” flowers, it is hard to use your bouquet in the same way! The bridal bouquet is a major focus for me throughout the day so I suggest making it a high priority!

One easy way to cut back on the cost of real flowers is investing less on your bridesmaids bouquets. Especially once you consider that they won’t be photographed nearly as much! For my own wedding, I had JoEllen at Country Gardens in Decorah design me my DREAM bouquet and then we used simple arrangements of baby’s breath for my girls! I was able to keep the cost down enough that I was able to use that savings for florals on our ceremony arch! And the photos still looked amazing!!!

I also highly recommend going in and talking with your florist and getting their opinions as well!

I brought in a few examples of what I was looking for and as the expert, JoEllen was able to suggest alternative flowers that would keep my cost down while getting the same look I wanted! For instance, I had dreamed of having succulents as one of the elements in my bouquet but real ones are EXPENSIVE to put in an arrangement. So JoEllen suggested a few faux ones to keep the cost down. I was a little hesitant but when surrounded by all of the other gorgeous flowers, no one could even tell!!!

Not convinced yet? Check out a few of my favorite bridal bouquets over the years!

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