The Unfiltered Truth about Renting Your Wedding Flowers

We’re undeniably the kind of girls that get giddy every time she receives flowers from the one she loves. It’s a total heart-skip-a-beat-pinch-me-moment because it’s still an incredibly romantic gesture in our books (hello, your S.O. thought of you, can you ask for much more?!). However, when you’re planning a wedding, flowers can literally make or break your budget. They are costly and, unfortunately, not on the top of couples’ lists when prioritizing what’s important to them for their wedding. Which we totally get, after all, there are so many other things to include in your wedding that you have to budget for. That’s why we were drooling when we heard the idea of renting your wedding florals. Hello!! Why hasn’t anyone brought this up before (read: why isn’t this more popular where that everyone’s buzzing about?). Therefore, we went to Laken Swan and Lauren Bercier, Co-Founders of Something Borrowed Blooms to bring you up to date on the ingenious concept of renting your wedding florals.

What Flowers Can You Rent? 

You might be thinking how you can rent fresh flowers…how is that even possible, right? Well, to Swan and Bercier’s knowledge, “there are no options on the market to rent fresh flowers, mainly because of their limited shelf life.” So that leaves you with faux flowers from artificial plants. However, if you’re knocking the idea, don’t, because silk, dried, and paper flowers are all beautiful options.

Silk Flowers

Silk flowers are merely artificial versions of natural flowers. Plus, there’s a reason silk flowers are the most popular among the artificial choices, and that is “you can find just about any flower variety in the silk or artificial form,” they say. Plus, there’s an option for you to have premium silk flowers, which allows you to have flowers that “have the closest resemblance to fresh flowers.”

Dried Flowers

Swan and Bercier tell us, “Dried flowers are made by preserving fresh elements from bushes, flowers, and trees. [They] are often very delicate and more muted in color.”

Paper Flowers 

“Paper flowers are crafted with skill from high quality paper materials. They can be very colorful, detailed, and attractive; however, they are the least likely to mimic fresh flowers,” they explain.

Advantages to Renting Flowers

Did you know that Swan and Bercier say, “an average wedding order with Something Borrowed Blooms is just around $500, compared to the national fresh flower average of $3,000.” Okay, is it just us or is the idea of saving just as sexy as flowers?

Besides the fact that they’re cost-efficient (seriously, the cost doesn’t even change season-to-season, it just is what it is), the duo tells us the other benefits to renting flowers is that it’s a more “sustainable choice than fresh flowers. For most weddings, flowers are used for a few hours before being thrown away. [However, their] bouquets are re-used multiple times, with light refreshes between each use, upwards of 26 times per year before being recycled, never thrown away.” It also “provides couples the ability to see ‘exactly’ what they’re getting before the big day. With fresh flowers, there’s always some unknown due to the supply chain and week-of availability. Unfortunately, a fresh florist cannot guarantee an exact arrangement.” And another benefit (as if you need another reason… but just in case you do), they boast about how you can rent your wedding flowers online, 24/7, which is a huge benefit to many busy couples. So no need to take time off work to meet with multiple florists to get quotes.

Disadvantages to Renting Flowers

Being fully transparent, there are disadvantages to renting your wedding flowers. (What, don’t be surprised, there are downsides to just about everything.) First, Swan and Bercier says, “[it] may limit your ability for customization,” specifically color palettes and styles. And, “your guests can’t take floral arrangements home as party favors.” However, if neither of those things phase you, then renting florals might just be an option for your wedding.

Other Floral Arrangements You Can Rent

You can literally rent almost any floral arrangement you would typically purchase from a fresh florist. There’s no limitation to the type of arrangement you can order. Bridal bouquets, bridesmaid bouquets, boutonnières, corsages, posies, aisle markers, pomander balls, dog collars, hair pieces, garlands, flower walls, and more, we’re told. The sky’s the limit!

Ordering from a Flower Rental Company

Of course, we couldn’t not ask the big question: what should you be looking for when working with these floral rental companies. Needless to say, it’s a lot different than the list of questions to ask a florist before hiring them. So, Swan and Bercier suggest: “First, quality, doing your research is the most important step to ensure quality. If you can’t see the artificial flowers in-person, scroll through the company’s Instagram and website to look at photos. You can take it a step further and ask to be connected to a previous bride for her testimony. Second reliability, shipping and inventory logistics can be complex, so be sure to choose a tried and trusted brand!”

Photos courtesy of Something Borrowed Blooms