Wedding Arrangements and Bouquets Checklist

Meeting with a prospective florist for your big day soon? Then it’s time to put together a wedding flower checklist. If you’re keeping it simple, you may only need bouquets, boutonnières, and centerpieces, but if you’re going all out, you might want arrangements on every cocktail table—and even in the powder room. So, what wedding flowers do you really need? Ultimately, you’ll determine the answer to that question by considering your big-day priorities—maybe bouquets and boutonnières are must-haves for you, since they’ll feature in so many photos, or perhaps centerpieces are what you care about most.

Before you start choosing flowers for every part of your wedding, it’s important to set a budget for these big-day details. Once you know how much you have to spend, you can begin to make a wedding flower checklist of the priority arrangements. In general, the average couple should plan to spend anywhere from 10 to 15 percent of their total wedding budget on those beautiful blooms. If you’re using flowers as your main source of décor, you may allocate a little more—but if you’re looking to save on florals, Shannon Morrow, founder of Arvo Floral Studio, says it’s best to know early on so you can pick a venue that does all the work for you. “Choose a venue you absolutely love from top to bottom, from the architecture to the view,” she advises.

Many couples desire flowers throughout every part of their wedding, but there are a few ways to cut costs and still make a floral impact. “Partial coverage on an arch can go a long way,” says Erice McNeff, a floral designer and the founder of Everbloom Floral Design. “A cluster of florals with trailing greenery is a classic look that couples are more than happy to have.” Michelle Hodgson of Blossom & Vine Floral Co. suggests reusing arrangements from one space to another. “We try and re-use florals from the ceremony for the reception,” she says. “There’s no reason a welcome arrangement from the ceremony can’t be repurposed on the bar, or pieces from the ceremony altar can’t be repurposed in a lounge or on the head table.” This will ultimately cut down on overarching costs and waste.

Whatever your floral vision, this wedding flower checklist will help you think over every possible type of wedding bouquet, arrangement, or detail your might desire, including the ones you might not have accounted for (like cake flowers to toss petals).

What Flowers Do You Really Need for Your Wedding?

Like many wedding-related details, which flowers—and how many—you’ll have at your ceremony and reception is really up to you. That being said, the major must-have wedding flowers fall into three categories: personal flowers, ceremony flowers, and reception flowers. Though you certainly don’t need to have every type of arrangement at every part of your wedding, considering which feel most crucial to you will help you work more seamlessly with your florist. Ahead, we break down the three categories of wedding flowers and the arrangements that fall into each.

Personal Flowers

Personal flowers are any arrangements that the couple, members of their wedding party, or close family members and friends will carry or wear on the big day. Items like the bride’s bouquet, the groom’s boutonnière, petals for a flower girl, and corsages for the mothers of the bride and groom are all examples of personal flowers.

Bride’s Bouquet

The bride’s bouquet is the most important arrangement to nail down. “Splurge on this,” says Hodgson. “It’s easily the most photographed floral piece in your whole wedding. Also, remember that more expensive doesn’t mean bigger. Pricing is also based on the value of the flowers—not the size.”

Bride’s Floral Crown or Hair Flowers

This is an optional arrangement—but should be made a priority if you plan on including it. If you do have flowers as hair accessories, you’ll want to take extra care to get them just right—after all, they’re on your head (and may be even more photographed than the bouquet!).

Bridesmaids’ Bouquets

Following the bride’s bouquet, the bridesmaids’ bouquets are easily the next most important arrangements. Of course, you don’t have to include them (you have plenty of alternatives to choose from!), but many couples do. They also make for fun photo ops with your best friends.

Tossing Bouquet

Many brides choose to simply use their wedding bouquet during the bouquet toss, but if you’re planning on preserving your flowers, you may want another option. This could be a simple, scaled-down version of your original bouquet.

Flower Girl’s Bouquet (or Basket Petals)

Hodgson says to keep a flower girl’s bouquet small and simple—and to go easy on the petals if you’re filling up a basket for her. You can also have her toss blossom alternatives, like feathers.

Groom’s Boutonnière

Boutonnières often tie a groom’s look to his partner’s on the wedding day (he can opt for the flowers used in their personal arrangement, for example, for a cohesive touch). This doesn’t have to be anything too elaborate—a few small flowers wrapped in a delicate ribbon will do.

Other Boutonnières, Corsages, and Nosegays

While not required, you may consider having matching boutonnières, corsages, or nosegays for other members of the wedding party and/or important guests. This could include the ring bearer, the bride or groom’s parents and grandparents, the officiant, or the ushers.

Ceremony Flowers

As their name implies, ceremony flowers are any arrangements that will be used during this part of the celebration. Decorations for the aisle or backdrop and flowers for a post-nuptial petal toss are all examples of ceremony flowers. That being said, you don’t need all of these types of flowers if you’re looking for places to cut back, so determine which are most important to you and start there.

Entryway or Welcome Table Arrangements

These arrangements are a nice touch and brightly welcome everyone to your big day. These pieces beyond the scope of your budget? You can absolutely get away with using alternative décor elements that still have the same effect—think lanterns, fruit, branches, or even terrariums.

Altar, Arch, or Chuppah Arrangements

These structures and arrangements backdrop the majority of your ceremony photos. While it’s not required to include florals at the altar, we do love a good flower arch. There are plenty of other ways to decorate this focal point, of course, if you’re looking to cut back on flower costs.

Pew or Chair Arrangements

These will elevate the look of guests’ seating and make the wedding aisle lush and beautiful. Hodgson suggests an organic arrangement on the floor for the easiest reuse at the reception. “A traditional pew marker is harder to repurpose,” she says.

Aisle Arrangements

To make a big impact without spending a fortune, Hodgson says to set two statement arrangements on either side of the aisle. “It frames the aisle and makes for a great photograph without adding lots of little arrangements all the way down,” she says—though, we’re partial to the all-the-way-down look and often think it’s worth the cost!

Tossing Petals for Guests

Tossing petals are used for the grand wedding exit. This makes a memorable photo op but definitely isn’t required. Have your guests toss leaves, herbs, or eco-friendly confetti as alternatives.

Reception Flowers

Reception flowers include anything that will be seen during the party portion of your celebration. These include your centerpieces, of course, but also cover items like flowers decorating a seating chart or escort table, arrangements on top of your bar, and even the fresh flowers that are used on your wedding cake.

Cocktail Table Arrangements

Cocktail table arrangements are another optional idea. “Keep these small and simple,” says Hodgson. “We usually suggest a bottle bud vase arrangement, since cocktail tables are already small.” Alexis D. Greene, a floral designer and the founder of Alexis Denise Floral Design, emphasizes that these florals are completely up to you: “Considering that guests spend minimal time at a cocktail hour (compared to the reception), couples could also opt out of florals on six to seven highboy tables and simply use a single votive candle on each, instead.”

Bar Arrangements

The bar is meant for a good time—that’s why Hodgson suggests having fun with any arrangements you place here. “It’s a great opportunity to repurpose a statement arrangement from your ceremony.”

However, if you’re already maxing out your allocated floral funds, feel free to skip this element. “If you need to decide on flowers to exclude from the budget, consider eliminating bar arrangements,” says Greene. “Lately, I’ve had several clients who skip flowers on the bar and replace with small signs featuring their themed cocktails, instead.”

Seating Chart or Escort Card Table Arrangements

Escort card tables aren’t a requirement (escort cards can be displayed in a number of ways) and their arrangements aren’t, either. However, it is definitely something to consider if you’re looking to spruce up these displays (or a seating chart).

Centerpieces

These are the main attraction when it comes to reception flowers. “Your guests are sitting in front of these all night,” Hodgson notes. “Consider size and scent as well as aesthetic, as they will be looked at throughout your reception. We encourage couples to spend a little more on centerpieces because of this.”

Newlyweds’ Chair Decorations

If you’re using flowers for your wedding chair décor, you don’t have to go over the top (or over your budget) to create something stunning. Use smaller arrangements to hang off the chair backs—or repurpose an aisle arrangement from the ceremony to anchor your seats.

Wedding Cake Flowers

If you’re going for a floral wedding cake, be sure to include it in your flower budget—and don’t forget to consider any cake table arrangements.

Buffet Table and Food Station Arrangements

There’s generally not a lot of extra space on wedding food tables, so if you’re decorating them with florals, keep these on the smaller side. You might consider installing flower chandeliers above the buffet to free up some room.

Lounge Area Arrangements

Wedding lounge décor can be as lush or flower-free as you desire. This space is generally a cozy area for guests to gather and, well, lounge. Floral arrangements can range from absolutely none or small vases to extravagant installations. It all depends on your taste, price range, and how much you were able to repurpose from the ceremony.

Powder Room Decorations

If you’re looking to douse every last corner of your big day in blooms, don’t forget to add the powder room to your wedding flower checklist. “We love adding special details that may be overlooked, like little bud vase arrangements in the washrooms,” says Hodgson. “These additional pieces help carry the tone of your wedding throughout the spaces where people will be spending time throughout the night.”

Getaway Car Arrangements

While not entirely necessary, flowers make the prettiest addition to cute getaway car signs and décor. Go for a lush wreath or garland for the full “just married” effect.