Stay in Season

"An experienced florist knows that the most beautiful, cost-effective flowers are whatever's currently available," says Rebecca Feeney of Custom Event Group in Napa, California. "Otherwise, they have to be flown in from far away." Think tulips and daffodils in the spring, roses and peonies in summer, hydrangeas in the fall, and amaryllis in winter. But there is one catch. "You may have to wait to see a sample bouquet until just before the wedding," says Xochitl Gonzalez, an event planner at Always a Bridesmaid in New York City.

Keep the Best for Yourself

If you're dying to use a particularly pricey variety, go for it -- in moderation. "Cabbage roses are the flower of the moment, but one stem can be as much as $5 wholesale," says Holly Heider Chapple, owner of Holly Heider Chapple Flowers in Leesburg, Virginia. "I often tell clients to include it only in their bouquets, since it's the one piece they hold and interact with."

Fake Fancy Blossoms

"Carnations and mums cost a quarter as much as other flowers, and it's easy to make them appear high-end," Chapple says. When grouped in bunches of four or five, for example, they masquerade as peonies or dahlias.

Work in Plants

Love the lushness of greenery? Use flowers sparingly, and fill out your arrangements with herbs, evergreen, lamb's ear, and ferns. "They're very inexpensive but look incredibly elegant," says Chapple.

Create Focal Points

It's a sneaky trick often used by florists: "Place one large arrangement on the bar and another at a centrally located table," says Gonzalez. "By designing two impressive points of interest, you can get away with using small, simple centerpieces everywhere else."

Upcycle the Bouquets

Rather than tossing your bridesmaids' posies after the ceremony, put them to work as reception centerpieces. The secret is to choose opaque vases -- or wrap clear ones in sheet moss or wide ribbon -- so that the water tubes aren't visible, and ask your florist to precut the stems to the right length.