It's cheaper to buy wedding flowers online

Buying flowers online can be a great way to save money. The price per flower can be much, much cheaper than flowers bought from a florist. For example, a dozen premium roses at FTD.com (a florist website) cost $59.99, whereas at freshroses.com you can get 25 roses for under $50, including the cost of overnight shipping.

What's the catch?

The catch is that you generally have to buy flowers wholesale (in bulk), so you end up with a whole bunch of each kind of flower. This may or may not be what you want. You also usually have to arrange the flowers into boutonnieres and bouquets yourself. Arranging flowers is not that difficult, and you don't need to worry about messing up because it's hard to make flowers look bad! However, making the arrangements will eat up some of your time right before the wedding, which is when you'll probably have the least time to spare. You might not want to cause yourself this added stress. One way to get around this problem is to ask your bridemaids to do it. They will probably be happy to make their own bouquets, and it's one less thing for you to worry about.

How do I make my own bouquets?

You can find instructions for making bouquets, boutonnieres, and corsages here.

When should I order my flowers?

You should order your flowers at least a month ahead of time, and preferably more. You generally get your flowers shipped overnight or via two-day shipping. Most brides have their flowers delivered two days before their wedding.

What are the best places to buy wholesale flowers?

The best site for you depends on what kind of flowers you want and in what quantities. When comparing prices, keep in mind that different sites have different shipping policies. Some sites offer free shipping (or, more accurately, the shipping is included in the price of the flowers) while others charge as much or more for shipping as they do for your order. Here are some sites that are worth looking at:

1. growersbox.com - Free shipping, good selection. You generally have to buy $80+ worth of each kind of flower.
2. fiftyflowers.com - Fiftyflowers is similar to Grower's Box, but they tend to beat their prices, especially on rose petals. Free shipping. They also offer pre-arranged wedding packages and centerpieces.
3. freshroses.com - These guys have cheap roses, even after you add in the hefty cost of shipping. Shipping on this site can double the cost of your order, so don't be surprised. Despite their name, they have many kinds of flowers other than roses, although their selection is not quite as good as the above two sites. The thing I like most about this company is that you can purchase flowers in smaller quantities than at other sites, allowing for more variety on a tight budget.
4. costco.com - You have to have a membership to buy from Costo. (The cheapest membership is $50 per year.) Costco seems to specialize in flowers that are already arranged for you, so there aren't as many choices as there are at other sites. They have several wedding packages in the $200-$750 range.