We grew our own wedding flowers for two reasons: 1) It was a hugely generous and sentimental gift from D's parents, who grew hundreds of Irises on their property for the wedding. 2) We had a $5,000 budget that could have easily been spent on flowers alone. In the end, we spent $100 on two small bouquets and three boutonnieres, using our home grown Irises for the rest.
In hindsight, I am always on the look out for flower and centerpiece alternatives. Not just for money-saving reasons, but also for the sheer creativity of shirking tradition and finding ways to uniquely express oneself.
1. Bottles of Wine
Image from Aaron Snow Photography Candy via Style Me Pretty
2. Potted Veggies
Image from {unknown} via Something Green Events
3. Paper Flowers and Jars
Image from For You Love Me via Ruffled Blog
4. Cake Topper Centerpieces
Image from Annie Layne's Photostream
5. Bread Basket Centerpieces
Image from {unknown} via Martha Stewart Weddings
6. Woody Centerpieces
Image from Brandon Kidd Photography via Green Wedding Shoes
7. Antler Centerpieces
Image from Andreas International Wedding Photographer via Style Me Pretty