I saved thousands by getting my wedding flowers at Costco, and I didn't even need to be a member

• I ordered the flowers for my wedding bouquets and centerpieces through Costco.
• I saved thousands of dollars and I didn't even need a Costco membership.
• They arrived the day before my wedding, came packaged in perfect condition, and looked gorgeous.

When I began planning my December 2019 wedding, I knew I didn't want to spend a fortune on flowers, which can typically cost thousands of dollars.

Using Costco, I only paid $513.59 for all of the flowers at my wedding.

Costco has packages that helped me save a lot of money on flowers for my wedding

My now-husband and I got married on December 28, 2019, so it was tricky to find floral shops that were open so close to the holidays.

Some of the sites I looked at had high prices, so my mom suggested I check out Costco's website.

On the Costco Wedding & Event Flowers page, I found fresh garlands and runners, bulk blooms, and wedding packages. The Soft Grace Wedding Package immediately caught my eye.

You don't need to be a member to buy from Costco's website, but you do need to create a free account. There's also a 5% surcharge for non-members.

Rather than spend $650 on a single bouquet and $180 on one for each bridesmaid, I could get a 20-piece set that included several bouquets, corsages, boutonnieres, and rose petals for $479.99 (now $499.99).

The flowers arrived at 10 a.m. on the day before our wedding

Vistaflor, Costco's flower vendor, recommends placing an order two days before an event to ensure the florals are hydrated and bloomed. But because of the holidays and other no-ship dates, I had to set the delivery the day before our wedding.

It made me nervous, but I was assured that I would be refunded if the flowers didn't get here on time. Fortunately, they arrived in a big box in perfect condition.

The bases of the bouquets were wrapped in damp cloths, and the corsages and boutonnieres were placed in water-filled vials. Each bouquet had a small tag to differentiate the bridal flowers from the bridesmaids' bouquets, which was extremely helpful.

After reading the enclosed care tips, I lowered the temperature of our house to 65 degrees Fahrenheit and put the bouquets in water.

I could've also left the flowers in the box and transported them to the venue first, but it all worked out.

My parents and sisters transported the florals to the bridal suite at the event venue, and I changed out the water mixed with plant food the night before and morning of the wedding.

The bouquets looked absolutely stunning and we got a lot of use out of the florals

The flowers looked absolutely stunning in person and in photos - and we really got our money's worth.

We used the bouquets during the ceremony and as decor at the venue. Our vendor even used extra flowers to decorate our cake.

Overall, if you're planning a wedding on a budget, I'd highly recommend getting your flowers from Costco.