Doing Your Own Wedding Flowers

Yes you can do your own wedding flowers. Really. That is assuming you are a bit creative, a bit calm and have some helping hands around.

Orange, yellow and red. Gerber daisies, gladiolas and queen anne's lace

Orange, yellow and red. Gerber daisies, gladiolas and queen anne

I am seeing more and more local florists offer crash courses on the “How To” of doing your own wedding flowers. I’m not saying they will teach you enough to be a florist, but they will show you the skills to put together simple bouquets and centerpieces.

The classes are not too terribly expensive if you look at it in light of what you will save on your wedding floral budget. As an added bonus you do get to spent a few hours in the company of other creative brides surrounded by lovely flowers. That can’t be a bad thing.

There are also books available and videos on YouTube and UBloom if you can’t find a class near you. Nothing however can compete with the hands on training you will get from a seasoned floral professional. Add to that, you have the opportunity to build a relationship with the florist. This will help out a lot when it comes time to tackle your own wedding.

Why? Well because many of them will also sell you the flowers. Will they be as low cost as the local price club or the internet? No, but, they have access to flowers you will never find at Costco and they will be there to make sure you receive fresh flowers in good shape for you big day. That in itself is well worth the small price difference.

If you think this is a DIY you would like to tackle, graze through the websites of your local floral designers or call the local floral wholesaler to see if they know who is teaching in your area.

Let’s Hear It For the Boys! Boutonnières on Flower Friday

I love boutonnières. Done right, they are a spark of color to brighten a stunning masculine look; a bit of the peacock on a classic structured suit. So for Flower Friday I went looking for wonderful examples to share. What happened is that I kept running across examples that should more rightly be labeled as “what not to wear.” Maybe I am just in a snarky mood today, or maybe I was just looking with a more discerning eye; but here goes. Care to come along for the ride?

Pretty in Pink I do not care if your wedding is a Barbie like explosion of pink, do not force your boys to wear pink velvet on their bouts. Not to mention that if that lily bud blooms out during the course of the day it is going to be so big that it will smack him in the face every time he moves his head.

Pink Bout with velvet ribbon
Pink Bout with velvet ribbon

Tulle? Oh no you did not! Tulle? Really. Bouts are for men, on what planet is tulle even close to masculine?

Boutonniere with Tulips and Heather
Boutonnière with Tulips and Heather

Bout or Corsage? Small is the way to go. This is big enough to pin on you Grandmama. Oh wait, maybe they thought this was Grandmama, look at how low that thing is pinned! The bout should be just at or slightly covering the lapel notch, not over their nipple!

Purple Boutonneiere with Feathers

Purple Boutonnière with Feathers

Ok enough snarking. Here are two that were done really well. They are both classic, elegant and masculine. Neither is so large as to overwhelm, just that little touch to bring your groom’s look to spectacular.


White Orchid Boutonneire

White Orchid Boutonnière

Cymbidium Orchid Boutonneire with Copper Wire Accents

Cymbidium Orchid Boutonnière with Copper Wire Accents

Mad About Orchids on Flower Friday

Orchids used to have a really bad image, at least with me.

Beautiful Orchids used various ways

Beautiful Orchids used various ways

If someone would mention orchids, I immediately thought of purple granny corsages. Then came the whole minimalist zen look. Thanks to a friend in the floral industry I have gained a whole new perspective on this versatile flower. They can be bold or airy, used in mass or can make a huge statement with only a single bloom. And the colors!!! Oh my. Last Sunday I ran across a chocolate cymbidium orchid and I am so sorry I did not get a picture of it for you.

Here you see them used in bouquet, boutonnières, centerpieces and even strung to create a curtain. They are airily sprayed from a vase or submerged in one. See what I mean by versatility.

Pretty Bouquets All In a Row

Usually when I see Wedding Bouquets it’s for one wedding at a time so they pretty much all look alike. Wedding shows are fun because you get to see a bunch of different ones at one time. Here are some of the ones I saw at Weddings, The Bridal Show last Sunday.Kevin Warner/ Accent Designs

Kevin Warner/ Accent DesignsKevin Warner/ Accent DesignsBellvue Florists

It’s kind of over whelming to see them all together!Kevin Warner/ Accent Design

Table Top Ideas

One of the things I enjoy most about bridal shows are the tabletop displays. Usually you can count on the rental companies to pull out all the stops and present some great ideas to inspire you. This Sunday was no exception. Everyone seemed to have had fun, even the caterers and event venues.Soft green and brown tabletopSilver Table with crystal and pink accents from Classic Party RentalFall table with wrought iron chandelierOne Eleven

I also took beau coup pictures of pretty bouquets, but I think I will save those for Flower Friday.

Flower Friday: Dress Up Your Bouquet

I love flowers, but sometimes wedding bouquets can get boring. This can be especially true when you are on a tight budget and your choice of flowers is more limited. There really is a simple solution: ACCESSORIZE!

You know how far the right accessories can go in taking an outfit from frumpy to fab. Well the same holds true for your wedding bouquet.

Wedding bouquet with monogramStarburst Wedding Bouquet

You can bling it up with crystal ornaments made specifically for bouquets like these initial or starbursts.

Simple rose bouquet taken up a notch

You can add crystals, beads and ribbon streamers for a more over the top look.

Grandmother\'s brooch dresses up a bridal bouquet

You can make it sentimental with Grandmother’s Brooch.

Just like in your everyday life, don’t forget to accessorize.

Flower Friday Advice

I have heard the same thing this week from 2 planners and a florist: When they asked a bride about the floral and décor budget for their wedding the brides said, ”Well I don’t really have a budget.”

I don\'t want to hear this.

Grrrrr. Let me tell you what wedding professionals hear when you say that, “I don’t want to tell you because you will spend it all.”

Here is what they think. ”OK babe, is it $500Rose bowl cwnterpiece with calla and gerber daisy

or $15,000.

Wedding decor by Ilex in Nashville

Give me some direction so I know where to go”

When you approach a planner or florist or a designer of any kind, they can work with in your budget if they know what it is. Even if you don’t have a firm budget you have to have some idea of a ballpark dollar figure. Be honest with your vendors, lowball a little if you feel you must, but, good grief, give them some idea.

It doesn’t matter if your budget is tiny; a small budget stretches the talents of a true creative; it makes us think harder. Don’t get me wrong, everybody prefers working with a lavish budget but it isn’t always the case. If you are honest from the beginning you will be much better served by the professionals you choose. Believe it or not; we really do want to make your day special.

Fun Fabulous Wedding Bouquets

Bored with the basic hand tied rose bouquets? Me too. So for Flower Friday I thought I would send you a couple of fun ones I ran across.

This orchid bouquet is courtesy of Kelly at Weddings by Socialites. I really like the amaranths. There is a great shot on Kelly’s blog with them blowing in the breeze.

This cream and white wedding bouquet is from Branching Out Event Florists. I love the full size calla lilies mixed with white feathers. How fun.

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