Our Specialty
The Complete Wedding Flower Planning Guide
How to think about wedding flowers from the ground up: every piece you might need, Michigan seasonality, real budget ranges, and working with your florist.
Flowers are the one element of your wedding that touches nearly every moment, from the bouquet you carry down the aisle to the last centerpiece guests admire before the lights come up. Because they are woven through the whole day, planning them well is less about picking pretty blooms and more about thinking in layers. This is our home turf. At Bentley Florist we have been designing Genesee County weddings since 1963, and this guide distills how we help couples move from a folder of inspiration to a plan that actually blooms on the day. Read it start to finish and you will understand not just what to order, but why and when. Then, when you are ready, we would love to design it with you.
How to think about wedding flowers
The most helpful shift is to stop thinking about individual arrangements and start thinking in three layers: personal flowers, ceremony flowers, and reception flowers. Personal flowers are what people wear and carry, and they photograph closest to your faces, so they reward a little extra investment. Ceremony flowers frame the moment you actually get married. Reception flowers set the mood for the longest stretch of the day and, cleverly planned, can be the same flowers your ceremony already paid for. When you plan in these layers, you can see clearly where your budget is going and which pieces can do double duty. It also makes your consultation dramatically more productive, because you arrive with a structure rather than a scramble.
Every piece you might need
Not every wedding needs every item; use this as a menu to build from, layer by layer.
- Personal: bridal bouquet, bridesmaid bouquets, boutonnieres, corsages for mothers and grandmothers
- Personal: flower girl petals or a small bouquet, and any hair flowers or flower crown
- Ceremony: arch, arbor, or backdrop florals
- Ceremony: aisle markers, altar or unity-table arrangements, and any pew or chair accents
- Reception: centerpieces for guest tables and the head or sweetheart table
- Reception: cake flowers, bar and welcome-table arrangements, and cocktail-hour accents
- Extras: guest-book table, restroom touches, and getaway-car or send-off flowers
Michigan seasonality, and why it matters
Choosing flowers that are naturally in season for your Michigan wedding month is the single best way to get lush, fresh, well-priced blooms. Spring brings tulips, peonies late in the season, and abundant flowering branches. Summer is the height of choice, with garden roses, dahlias, hydrangea, and sunflowers all thriving. Fall leans into warm dahlias, chrysanthemums, and rich foliage that suits our Michigan autumns beautifully. Winter narrows the field, so we lean on roses, ranunculus, amaryllis, and evergreen texture for a cozy, elegant feel. Peonies, a perennial favorite, have a short late-spring to early-summer window, so if you love them, your date matters. Trusting seasonal availability, and trusting your florist to substitute gracefully, gives you the best flowers for the money every time.
Real floral budget ranges
These are established mid-Michigan ranges to ground your planning. Where a piece lands depends on size, flower choice, and fullness.
| Bridal bouquet | $150 to $350 |
| Bridesmaid bouquet | $55 to $110 each |
| Boutonnieres | $18 to $30 each |
| Centerpieces | $75 to $250 per table |
| Ceremony arch or arbor | $300 to $1,200 |
| Overall flower budget | 8 to 12 percent of total |
Working with your florist
A great floral experience is a partnership. These habits make it smooth and get you the most for your budget.
Come to the first consultation with your palette, a few inspiration images, and your realistic flower budget.
Share the non-negotiables, whether that is a specific bloom, a color, or a memorial flower, so we design around what matters most.
Be honest about your budget up front; it lets us steer you toward the highest-impact choices rather than surprising you later.
Trust seasonal substitutions; the best result comes from the freshest flowers available that week, not a rigid list.
Finalize personal-flower counts and centerpiece quantities once your guest count settles, usually in the final month.
Repurposing tricks that stretch every dollar
One of the easiest ways to feel lavish on a sensible budget is to let flowers work more than once.
Move the ceremony arch or altar arrangements to frame the head or sweetheart table at the reception.
Repurpose aisle markers as accents on the bar, welcome table, or cake table.
Let bridesmaid bouquets become instant centerpieces on the head table in simple vases.
Plan the transfer with your florist or venue in advance so someone is assigned to move each piece during the flip.
Choose a few larger statement pieces over many small ones, since big pieces relocate more impressively than scattered small ones.
Flower planning questions
When should we book our wedding florist?
Right after your venue and date are set, especially for spring and summer dates. Florists typically take one wedding per day and fill peak Saturdays well ahead, so an early conversation secures your date even before the design is finalized.
What if we do not know exactly what we want yet?
That is completely normal and even ideal. Bring your palette, a handful of images, and your budget, and a good designer will translate the feeling you are after into a concrete plan. You do not need floral vocabulary to have a wonderful consultation.
Keep This Handy
Free Download
The Complete Wedding Floral Checklist
Every Flower You Might Need, Organized and Ready
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Questions to Ask Your Florist
The Insider List That Turns a Consultation Into a Real Partnership
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The Reception Floral Planning Guide
Designing Your Reception With Flowers, Space by Space and Table by Table
From the Knowledge Center
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What flowers are in season each wedding month in Michigan?
Bentley Florist · Burton, Michigan · Since 1963
Speak With a Floral Designer
This is what we love most. Bring your vision to the designers at Bentley Florist, family-owned in Burton since 1963, and we will turn it into flowers that carry through your whole day. Call 810-742-3174 or start at bentleyflorist.com to book your consultation.
Flowers before the big day
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