Wedding Times

Photo by forbescreative

Arranging your own flowers can save you a ton of money. Though, the task may seem a bit intimidating, if you have the ambition to even ask yourself if you could do it in the first place, you can make your own beautiful wedding flower arrangements.

Start by looking through magazines, florist catalogues and online to find arrangements that you truly love. This will give you a model to work with and something to follow.

Here are some important things to keep in mind when ordering your flowers.

Order enough

Order more than you think you need. Having too many flowers is not nearly as bad as scurrying around just before the wedding because you don’t have enough.

Care with lilies

If you are ordering flowers including lilies, know that they can take three to four days to transform to full bloom. Closed lilies don’t look nearly as nice.

Be sure to give the store you are ordering from the date of your wedding and emphasize the need for open blooms. The store will then either ship you closed lilies a few days ahead of time or they will ship open lilies just before the big day. If you’re standing over closed flowers the day before your wedding, place them in warm water and sit them in sunlight. Sometimes, this makes them open quicker.

Practice beforehand

Buy silk flowers to use for practice. Besides silk flowers, you will also need floral foam. This is foam that can be wet and will have flowers stand inside it. This will give you more control over the arrangement and will keep your flowers looking fresh.

Hair barrettes can be used for the corsages. You will want to buy barrettes that are long and snap closed tightly. A ribbon can be placed in the inside so that it can be tied nicely to the wrist. Use the same barrette for corsages that are pinned on as well as the boutonnieres, but use a hot glue gun to glue large sewing needles onto the back so they can be pinned onto clothing.

Once you have constructed a floral arrangement that you are happy with, write down the instructions. These help you work quicker and will also be a handy reference for any friends you enlist to help you. Now you just need to wait for the flowers to be delivered.

Keep your flowers fresh

Once they are, approximately two days before the wedding, be sure to place them in cool water right away. Buckets are best used to place the flowers and you should make sure that the buckets are fairly tall so that they will support all lengths of flowers. The buckets should then be kept in a cool room but cold air should not blow directly onto them. Remove any the thorns with a thorn stripper that can be purchased online or from a florist.

Start arranging

Begin by arranging your centerpieces. This can be done as far as two days in advance. Once they are assembled, make sure to put them back in a cold area and mist them a few times to keep them looking fresh. Cover them loosely with a plastic bag and that will also help keep them fresh. The day before is the best time to make the corsages and the boutonnieres. Arrange the way you have practiced and pack them in a resealable plastic bag. Then place them in the fridge. Give these a quick spritz with cool water if you notice any wilting.

On the morning of the wedding, prepare the bouquets. Cutting it close eh? In order to keep the bouquets looking as fresh as possible, you shouldn’t really do these too far in advance. This is where the practicing pays dividends.

Finishing touches

For a chic finish remove some of the petals from any flowers you haven’t used and place them in resealable bags. When you get on-site, sprinkle them on tables, down the aisle, and wherever else you want to create a fresh fragrant atmosphere.

Assign one or two trusted friends to display the flowers where you want them to be when you get to the site. You will be far too busy to worry about placing flowers in the exact spot so make sure that you give the task to someone who you know will do an excellent job of this! Bring along boxes that the flowers can all be placed in and ask someone to collect the flowers for you. The arrangements took a lot of hard work so be sure that you don’t leave them behind!

Making your own flower arrangements for your wedding is a great way to unleash your creativity and save some money. It’s not easy, but it’s fun and a great way to really bring more of your personality into your big day.