Can You Afford Not To?

Can You Afford Not To? A Thoughtful Way to Look at Wedding Florals

Image by Meghan Doering Photography

One of the most common conversations I have with couples is around wedding florals and budget.

What to include.

What to scale back.

Where to save.

That’s a completely natural place to start. Weddings come with a lot of decisions, and being mindful of spending matters.

But sometimes, there’s another question worth asking.

Earlier this year, I found myself in a similar conversation — just outside the world of weddings.

I was shopping for a new laptop, but I wasn’t able to be at the store. My husband called me to talk through the options. As he explained the price differences, I remember saying out loud, “I don’t really need anything fancy — I don’t think I can afford to spend a lot on this.”

My sister was nearby, listening quietly. And gently, in response to what I’d just said, she asked:

“But can you afford not to?”

Image by Meghan Doering Photography

She wasn’t talking about luxury.

She was talking about longevity.

About how quickly I might outgrow the cheaper option. About whether I’d end up replacing it far sooner than I expected.

That question stayed with me.

And I think about it often when I’m helping couples plan their wedding florals.

Because sometimes choosing the least expensive option feels responsible — until you realize you’ve had to compromise on things that truly mattered to you.

I see it when couples choose a florist whose work they don’t quite love simply because the quote is a little lower.

I see it when fresh florals are replaced with DIY options that don’t quite deliver the look they imagined.

Those decisions are always made with good intentions. But sometimes, later on, there’s a quiet sense of disappointment — not because the choice was “wrong,” but because it wasn’t quite what they had envisioned from the start.

And often, the difference between settling and choosing what you love isn’t as big as it first appears.

Wedding florals don’t just decorate a space for a few hours.

Image by Meghan Doering Photography

They live in your ceremony photos.

In the background of speeches.

At the head table.

In the moments you revisit for years to come.

And unlike many purchases, this isn’t something you get to upgrade later. There’s no replacing it once the day has passed.

Budget always matters. I believe that deeply. Thoughtful planning isn’t about spending more — it’s about being intentional with the choices you make and understanding where compromise feels right, and where it might lead to regret.

Sometimes the question isn’t just, “How can we spend less?”

Sometimes it’s worth asking:

Can we afford not to choose what truly matters to us?

Thoughtful floral planning isn’t about excess.

It’s about intention — and creating a day that still feels right when you look back on it.