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Kari
Master May 2020

Inexpensive bud vases or bud vase alternatives?

Kari, on April 28, 2021 at 8:41 AM Posted in Style and Décor 1 16

Our venue is a working farm with very modern/contemporary barn (designed specifically for weddings, it's not very "rustic" at all). The barn is so pretty we are keeping the decor quite simple. We plan on adorning the tables with some bud vases and flowers, and not adding a whole lot otherwise.

Decor is pretty simplistic in general - the barn is so pretty it doesn't need much, so aside from some bud vases and flowers, we won't be adding a whole lot. We are ordering bulk flowers and doing our own arrangements for reception area decor (our florist will be doing my bouquet, the boutonnières, and a floral swag installation for our arbor). We have the option of renting bud vases from our florist but I'm considering if we can freely/inexpensively source them ourselves and if it would be worth it.

I know we can reuse bottles and we have amassed a small collection at this point. I'm on the fence about whether I care if the bottles are all clear/white or not. Switchback bottles, for example, are the perfect size, but dark brown glass. I'm debating whether to use them as is, paint them, or just go with rentals.

Just wondering if anyone has experience with this or ideas I haven't thought of.


Inexpensive bud vases or bud vase alternatives? 1

16 Comments

Latest activity by Kari, on May 4, 2021 at 7:16 PM
  • M
    Expert September 2021
    Marianne ·
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    We're also going the DIY bud vase arrangement route for our reception tables Smiley smile I bought a bunch of small vases from craft stores like Michaels and Hobby Lobby and plan on selling them on my state's wedding consignment Facebook group afterwards! I love the look of mixed brown and clear bottles in your picture - I feel like it adds visual interest!

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  • Apryl
    Devoted March 2022
    Apryl ·
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    Have you tried looking online at the dollar tree? They have different sizes and shapes of glass cylinders and vases. Most are $1
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  • Grace
    Super February 2022
    Grace ·
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    My vote would be to look at dollar tree or a local secondhand store. You may be able to find matching vases at the dollar store or mismatched vases at the secondhand store. Often they are about $1-3 a piece.
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  • Michelle
    Rockstar December 2022
    Michelle ·
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    Dollar Tree will be your best bet if you plan to buy stuff yourself.
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  • MK
    Expert September 2021
    MK ·
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    One of my bridesmaids is doing a ton of DIY like this for her wedding! She went to dollar tree and bought all of their vases in different sizes and shapes and painted them a rustic, distressed white.

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  • MOB So Cal
    January 2019
    MOB So Cal ·
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    I agree with others that you aren't likely to find them much cheaper than Dollar Tree. An advantage of buying them so inexpensively is that you can encourage guests to take them home a vase & flowers at the end of the night, unless you want to keep a bunch of bud vases and flowers for yourself. If you rent the vases, guests will either have to take dripping vaseless flowers home or the flowers likely get thrown out during clean up.

    At daughter's wedding she preferred hers and the BMs bouquets weren't just lying on the tables. Her florist offered to pick up vases at Dollar Tree and have them prefilled with a little water so after the bridal party entered the reception the women could put their bouquet in a vase and then take them home at the end of the night. Even her florist thought they were the best option! Smiley winking

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  • Ana
    Savvy July 2021
    Ana ·
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    Hi there! I ran into the same conundrum a few months back. You know what works great? Spray painted beer bottles with no embossing on the glass. I asked friends and family to collect their empties, wash, and peel off the labels. It's a great option to up-cycle & reuse, as well!

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  • Michelle
    Rockstar December 2022
    Michelle ·
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    If renting from your florist is not an option, you not find them cheaper anywhere than Dollar Tree. Personally I would not pay what Michaels, etc charges for something you will not be able to recoup.

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  • Kari
    Master May 2020
    Kari ·
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    This is what we are thinking of doing - drink bottles of various kinds. Switchback (beer) bottles are the cutest and perfect for mini floral arrangements. We might even embrace the different colored glass, or I was debating painting them all white or various pastel/dusty shades to go along with our colors.

    I'm still waiting on a quote from my florist for rentals to determine whether we are going to just rent or supply our own.

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  • Kari
    Master May 2020
    Kari ·
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    Dollar Tree does seem to be the least expensive option, I just didn't love the selection there when I last checked and they didn't have the size I needed (looking for just bud vases, not larger glass vases). But that was a while ago.

    We do have the option to rent from our florist, I'm just waiting on a final estimate of what the cost will be. I know the deposit fee but not how much gets refunded, so if the rental cost is $100 or less we will likely just go that route to save having to clean, transport, etc a bunch of glass.

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  • Michelle
    Rockstar December 2022
    Michelle ·
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    More people than not seem to think they will get most of their money back when reselling, which is rarely the case, and almost never factor in time and labor involved on their part. Which makes renting more economical 9 times out of 10

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  • Chelsea
    Expert June 2021
    Chelsea ·
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    I got mine from the Dollar Tree for $1 a piece!

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  • Kari
    Master May 2020
    Kari ·
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    Yea, I am definitely pro rent/borrow things you will never need/use again. We have a small house and every unnecessary thing feels like clutter. While we could probably repurpose a handful of vases, we definitely don't need 100+ of them. Our wedding is only about 60 people so we'd have more vases than guests even if we told people to take them as wedding favors.

    Our florist priced the vase rental deposit at $3/vase but that is replacement cost; I'm pretty sure the actual rental fee will be closer to $0.50-$1.00/vase or a flat fee of $50-$75 which seems fine to me. I just don't want to be spending a lot of money renting something that would be cheaper to buy.

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  • Michelle
    Rockstar December 2022
    Michelle ·
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    That does make sense. But again you have to factor your time in reselling at minimum wage per hour. If you feel they are cheaper to buy, send them home with guests to save you time and work.
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  • W
    Devoted March 2021
    whirlwind ·
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    I did bud vase center pieces and arranged them myself. I got my vases from Dollar Tree and Michaels. In total I paid about 40 Dollar for 36 vases. But now I don't know what to do with them. Lol.
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  • Kari
    Master May 2020
    Kari ·
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    Yea, I'm not planning on reselling anything. It's not worth the time or effort. It would be as cost effective to buy Dollar Store vases for $1/each and throw them in the trash as it would be to rent vases if they are more than $1 a piece. I'd rather not be wasteful and not have to worry about buying them, cleaning them, and transporting them. If we don't rent and end up purchasing or repurposing vases I will either give them away or recycle them when they are no longer useful.

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