Whether it’s a minimalistic or an all-out wedding, you must prepare wedding flowers for the entourage and decorations. Now, you may be thinking, how many flowers do I need for my wedding? We’re sharing how to calculate the number of flowers and suggest arrangements for your wedding.
How Many Flowers for a Wedding?
When planning how many flowers you need for your wedding, consider you need at least 10 to 30 stems for each bouquet and 1 to 2 flowers with greens for every boutonniere and corsage. You also have to prepare roughly 75 stems for venue decorations and 120 stems for centerpieces.
However, this can change depending on the number of guests, theme, floral arrangement style, stem size, and even your budget. This is why it’s important to consult with a professional florist to help you plan.
How Many Flowers in a Wedding Bouquet
The bouquet is an essential arrangement to splurge on, especially since it’s one of the most photographed floral pieces in the wedding, and you can preserve it afterward. Depending on the kind of arrangement, the number of stems may range from 10 to 30.
A mixed bouquet commonly includes a focal flower, secondary flowers, fillers, and a few greens. This may be 10 stems for small bouquets, 18 to 20 for medium bouquets, or 25 to 30 for large bouquets.
You only need a single focal flower since it would be the biggest, whereas the secondary flowers serve as complimentary fillers to add texture and shape. Hence, you can experiment with how you want your bouquet to look and adjust the number accordingly.
How Many Flowers in Boutonnieres and Corsages
In general, a boutonniere contains 1 focal flower stem, 2 secondary stems, and 1 pruned green. Meanwhile, a corsage usually has 2 focal stems, 2 filler stems, and 1 pruned stem.
- Say you want boutonnieres for the groom, best man, 4 groomsmen, ring bearer, officiant, 2 fathers, and 2 godparents. Given the sample arrangement above, you would need 12 main flower stems, 24 filler stems, and 12 pruned greens.
- Then, corsages for the maid of honor, 4 bridesmaids, 2 flower girls, 2 mothers, and 2 godparents. You may need 22 focal flowers, 22 secondary stems, and 11 pruned stems for the corsages.
- Depending on the length of the aisle, you must also allocate about 4 to 5 cups of petals per flower girl to scatter at least 100 petals.
How Many Flowers for Venue Decorations
The number of flowers for venue decorations mainly depends on your desired arrangement and volume. For instance, an arch can have 75 tiny flowers, 30 medium flowers, or 25 large flowers.
Regardless of the quantity, it’s crucial that the ceremony flowers on the altar stand out as they serve as backgrounds for your wedding photos. You can also put arch flowers or chuppah at the entrance of the church and reception venue.
The quantity may increase or decrease depending on the type of flower. For example, you may only need about 2 to 3 stems of a garden rose bouquet, whereas you must have at least a quarter bunch of baby’s breath for a small yet volumized floral ornament.
How Many Flowers for Centerpieces
Typically, you can prepare 15 to 20 small stems or 6 to 8 large stems in a centerpiece vase for the head table. You can also apply this for the guest and buffet tables.
However, you have to consider the size of the flower. If you’re using large sunflowers, about 6 to 8 stems should be enough for an average-sized centerpiece. Meanwhile, put at least 8 to 12 stems of small ranunculus for a medium centerpiece.
About 45% of couples spend more than they planned. The advantage of wedding planning is that you can adjust your floral decorations to ensure you still get to include gorgeous flowers while following your budget.
How to Calculate How Many Flowers for a Wedding
Even as more people become cost-conscious when planning for their weddings, American couples spend about $33,900 on wedding expenses. Fortunately, you can use a flower quantity chart to determine how many flowers you need for the wedding and save money in the process.
List the names of the wedding entourage on the left-most column. Put a column for each type of flower you want, count the number of stems of each flower, then multiply it by the quantity of the arrangements.
| Red Roses | Pink Carns | Mini Carns | Greens | |
| Bride | 10 | 2 | 3 | |
| Maid of Honor | 3 | 3 | 2 | |
| Bridesmaid 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | |
| Bridesmaid 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | |
| Flower Girl | 2 | 2 | 4 | |
| Groom | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| Best Man | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| Groomsmen 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| Groomsmen 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 10 Centerpiece Vases | 20 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Chair Decor | 60 | |||
| Total Number of Stems | 45 | 81 | 27 | 14 |
From here, you can see and adjust the size of your wedding floral pieces. Make sure to cross-check the estimated cost per stem and the total with your prepared budget. Remember, this is just a rough estimate, and you can modify it as you plan.
Related Questions
What Kinds of Flowers Can I Use for My Wedding?
The most popular kinds of flowers you can use for your wedding are roses, stephanotis, tulips, lily of the valley, hydrangeas, peony, oriental ranunculus, sweet peas, calla lilies, and gardenia. Since there’s a variety of plants and flowers available, make sure to check them with your florist or wedding supplier.
How Much Money Should I Allot for the Wedding Flowers?
Ideally, you must allocate at least 7% of your overall wedding budget for modest yet beautiful flower arrangements. If you have a bigger budget and genuinely want to splurge on flowers, you can allot 10% to 15% of your finances.
How Can I Save Money on Wedding Flowers?
The best way to save money on wedding flowers is to plan early, considering the venue, wedding theme, and types of arrangements. It’s also helpful to consult a professional florist to get the best value flowers for your ideas.
Conclusion
Flowers add beauty and elegance to one of the most memorable days of your lives as a couple. Make sure to prepare flowers for bouquets, boutonnieres, corsages, venue decorations, and centerpieces. We can create well-curated floral arrangements for your wedding for whatever ambiance, palette, or texture you want to achieve.
