According to The Bridal Association of America, the average cost of a wedding in 2009 will sky-rocket to over thirty-thousand dollars—an increase of eleven percent from just two years before. As weddings become more and more expensive, brides start looking for ways to save money. Little savings here and there can really start to add up if you spend your money wisely, and on the flipside, if brides are not careful their budgets can quickly get out of hand. One of the more expensive items when planning a wedding is the flowers. From the bridal bouquet to bathroom arrangements, the average bride spends over two thousand dollars in flowers by the time everything is taken care of, but if you plan carefully, there are several ways to save money when picking out flowers for your wedding.

The easiest way to save money when you pick out your flowers is to pick less expensive flowers. Exotic flowers and flowers that are out of season are the most expensive flowers you can buy when planning a wedding. Stick to flowers that are in season—this is an easy save.

Another easy way to save money with flowers is to pick centerpieces that are not over-loaded with flowers. The average wedding has about one-hundred and seventy guests. This means that for the reception, depending on your table size, about twenty tables and twenty centerpieces. Any easy way to cut cost on your centerpieces is to design half of your tables with flower arrangements and the other half with candle arrangements. To cut costs even more, consider using a variety of vases on your flower tables.

Eiffel tower vases as well as trumpet vases work beautifully for flower arrangements. An eiffel tower is exactly what it sounds like—a tall vase. They come in a variety of sizes, but all eiffel tower vases are on the tall side. Trumpet vases are a little more subtle. They are a taller vase as well, but the curves in this vase provide a more classic look. Larger flowers as well as bold flowers work great in these vases because they provide a good visual proportion. The height of eiffel tower and trumpet vases allows you some creativity in the neck of the vase. You may want to have floating petals or twisting vines leading up to your flower arrangements. Another hot trend in decorating with vases is to light up your vases using floralytes to bring in some color. Floralytes come in a variety of colors and last around 40 hours. Using these two types of vases will keep you from over-loading your centerpieces with flowers without sacrificing beauty. The vases themselves are beautiful and there are so many creative ways to decorate with them.

When planning a wedding with a budget in mind, it is important to find ways to cut costs without forgetting your vision for your special day. This is one easy way to save money and get a beautiful result!