“How many flowers do I need for my arrangement?” is the most common question we hear from our customers! The number of stems you need depends on your budget, the types, size, and number of arrangements you’re making, and the varieties of the blooms and greens you use.
What is your flower budget?
Like all other aspects of wedding and event planning – from dresses to desserts – you’ll need an idea of how much you have to spend on wedding flowers. It will help you decide how many and what kinds of arrangements you’ll make and what kind of blooms and greens you should use.
There are many ways to stretch your flower budget. Making your own arrangements is a great start. You can also substitute less expensive varieties in some or all of the arrangements. It’s smart to let your arrangements do “double duty”: Transfer your ceremony décor to your reception to display there, or set out the wedding party flowers in containers at the venue.
Keep these ideas in mind as you start planning your arrangements!
What kinds of floral arrangements do you want?
Now that you have a budget in mind, it’s time to compile a list of all the arrangements you’ll need.
Bouquets
Besides wedding party bouquets, sometimes small bouquets are made for flower girls, mothers, grandmothers, or special guests. These “nosegays” or “posies” are small enough to be held in one hand.
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Boutonnieres
Boutonnieres, or “bouts”, are small arrangements usually pinned to wedding party lapels. In addition, parents, grandparents, pageboys, ring bearers, and other special guests may wear boutonnieres. They don’t have to all be the same – usually the wedding party may have larger or more elaborate bouts.
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Corsages
Corsages are very small, flat-back arrangements – usually 4-5″ high and 3-4″ wide – that are pinned on a dress or shirt or worn on a wristband. Some people will attach them to a clutch or purse. Corsages are a great way to honor special guests, parents, and grandparents.
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Flower Crowns
Flower crowns are easy-to-make stringed blooms and or greens worn on the head. They look very sweet on little girls but really can be worn by anyone in a wedding party.
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Ceremony Decoration
Flowers can be featured in several ways as ceremony décor. Sometimes small arrangements are hung on the chairs or pews on the aisle seats. There may be grander arrangements alongside the brides and grooms. Floral or greenery arches over the couple can create an intimate feel.
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Centerpieces
Centerpieces for dining tables come in many shapes and sizes. Traditional round, low-lying arrangements can be placed in the middle of the table, allowing guests to see each other. Garlands of greens and florals can be placed down the middle of long tables, or try using groups of small vases with just a few stems each down the center. You don’t have to be limited to flowers and greens, either. Add in fruit, photos, or anything else that captures your style.
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Other Types of Floral Arrangements
There are other places you may want to add floral accents. Think about cocktail tables or places where you are displaying photos, guest books, seating cards, or food or drink. Small flower arrangements placed around the venue help to create a cohesive look.
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Now that you have a list of the types of arrangements and the number of each that you’ll be making, you can move on to thinking about what kinds of flowers and greens you want to use.
What kinds of flowers and greens will you use?
This is where your personal style meets your budget. Here are some things to consider when choosing what kinds of florals you will use in your arrangements:
Color Palette
Besides color combinations, also think about saturation and vibrancy. Are you going with pastel or jewel tones? One easy way to play with flower and color combinations is our Blooms Board tool, which lets you create and save boards with different options to consider.
Event Date
Some varieties are just not available all year round. If you’re having a September event in the U.S., it will be difficult if not impossible to get peonies. Make sure to check our Flower Availability Chart before you get your heart set on a specific variety.
Wedding Style
While some flowers work in many different arrangement styles, others have distinctive features or textures that evoke certain styles. Fillers and novelties like mum balls, asters, limonium, and thistle can give off a rustic or whimsical vibe. Draping red amaranthus says “vintage” and “romantic”. Browse different flower styles to help pin yours down and help guide your flower choice.
Budget Friendly Flowers
Some varieties of flowers and greens are less expensive and more readily available than others. Mums and carnations, for example, are quite easy to work with and are a lower-cost option. For roses, smaller 40cm roses are less expensive than large 60cm varieties – save the large ones for the bridal bouquet! Garden roses are extraordinarily beautiful, but are pricier than standard roses.
There are many ways you can choose to “save or splurge” in floral selection. Substitute less-expensive flowers with similar color, texture, and size as a more costly variety, like groupings of carnations instead of peonies, football mums for garden roses, or tulips for ranunculus. You can also use varieties with larger blooms, like hydrangea or football mums, to create fuller bouquets and arrangements with fewer stems.
How many bunches and stems do I need?
Now that you know how many and what types of arrangements you want and the flowers you hope to use, follow these simple charts to plan your shopping list:
Bouquet and Arrangement Stem Counts
| Arrangement | Stem Count for Small Arrangement | Stem Count for Medium Arrangement | Stem Count for Large Arrangement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mixed Bouquet (Focal Flower, Secondary Flower, Filler, and Greens) | 10 stems | 18-20 stems | 25-30 stems |
| Peony or Garden Rose Bouquet | 3-4 stems | 6-9 stems | 10-12 stems |
| Hydrangea Bouquet | 2-3 stems | 4-5 stems | 6-8 stems |
| Rose Bouquet | 8-12 stems | 18-20 stems | 21-25 stems |
| Baby's Breath (Gypsophilia) Bouquet | 1/4 bunch | 1/2 bunch | 3/4-1 bunch |
| 4 x 4 x 4" Square Vase Centerpiece | 10 stems | 15-20 stems | 25-30 stems |
| Mason Jar Centerpiece | 6-8 stems | 10-15 stems | not recommended |
Boutonniere and Corsage Stem Counts
| Arrangement | Focal Flowers | Filler/Secondary Flowers | Greens |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boutonniere | 1 stem | 2 stems | 1 pruned stem |
| Corsage | 2 stems | 2 stems secondary 2 stems filler | 1 pruned stem |
Wedding and Event Arrangement Recipes
If you need more guidance, look at our DIY Flower Recipes for inspiration and specific stem counts for different kinds of arrangements. You can swap out the flowers in the recipes with the varieties you’ve chosen for your event.
Other Resources for Planning Your DIY Floral Arrangements
There are many resources at BloomsByTheBox.com to help you plan, purchase, and create DIY flower arrangements like a pro! Check out hundreds of step-by-step Floral Design Video Tutorials and DIY How To Tutorials. You can also see more examples of flower counts on our flower quantities page.
Joan
Joan is one of the founding partners of BloomsByTheBox.com. She holds degrees in both commercial design and business administration/marketing. One of her earliest jobs was in the retail flower business. For the past 30 years she has consulted a wide variety of clients - many in the wholesale florist industry - in marketing, design, and business operations. In 2007, she and partner Larry Fox joined forces to combine their talents and knowledge to create BloomsByTheBox.com to bring the beauty of the growers' fields directly to customers' doors. Joan is frequently asked to contribute to popular publications to discuss all aspects of the flower and floral design, including MarthaStewart.com, WeddingWire.com, Wedding Planner Magazine, Yahoo!Life, and The Wedding Academy's The International Wedding Trend Annual Report" among others.
Enjoyed reading the article above, really explains everything in detail, the article is very interesting and effective. Amazing post, thanks for sharing this article. I am truly motivated by you for blogging.
Thank you, Adella 😊
What an informative article! Planning floral arrangements can be daunting, but breaking it down by budget, types of arrangements, and flower varieties really helps. The tips on stretching your budget, like repurposing ceremony decor for the reception, are especially valuable. Thanks to the author for providing such useful insights!
Thank you very much! You are welcome to contact us if you need any DIY assistance!