DIY Wedding Floral Arrangements
It may come as a surprise to some, but I actually made my bridesmaids bouquets, designed and decorated the farmstyle tables, as well as all the floral arrangements at our wedding, with the exception of my bouquet, my flower crown, and the groomsmen boutonnieres - WHEW! It was a lot of work, but I had a ton of fun putting them together.
Here are my secrets & tips for how I made my vision come to life!
GREENERY:
Ordering greenery and flowers for the middle of February was extremely scary - BUT it totally didn't need to be. Everything ended up working out better than I imagined. After working with my amazing florist (she made my bouquet and flower crown, and ordered the specialty flowers for us) and figuring out what types of greens I likes and didn't like, we ordered a TON. I was shocked how much we needed for each table, but in this case it was important to make sure we had enough for all the tables, bouquets (later down the page) and decorations. The idea for the greenery was that it was the base for everything and needed to fill the venue; it went on the cross, in lanterns and around picture frames, on windowsills, and was the main centerpieces as well.
Here's a list of the greenery I used:
- Small Ruscus
- Sprengeri Fern
- Hanging Amaranthus
- Pittisporum
BOUQUETS:
I looovee how my bridesmaids bouquets turned out. I wanted bouquets that were full, mostly greenery, and weren'y extremely structured but more free flowing. I achieved this look by starting out with a single hydrangea (sounds small, but they were huge and gorgeous), then added different types of greenery we had purchased around the flower, tucking in white stock to add the bright white, and hanging amaranthus to create a softer look. Once the flower stems were all in a bunch in my hand, I wrapped them in bouquet tape (bought at Hobby Lobby) and then wrapped in a deep green thick ribbon; secured with pins. The bouquets ended up being just what I wanted! They kept over night in mason jars with water, but be careful for hydrangeas - they drink up water FAST, so refilling the jars was a must. I love how they are all unique and free-flowing, I really wanted to stay away from a tight bouquet full of flowers, and I think the greenery in them worked really well with the greenery throughout the decor inside too!
GARLAND:
Since the main display of our wedding were the long wooden farmstyle tables, I wanted to make sure the garland down the center was thick, full, and had lots of texture to transform the space. I started by putting a layer down of a greens that my dad & grandpa actually cut from a tree in our yard. I was super thankful for these because the leaves were thick and green, and it gave the table a lot that might have been lacking. On top of that layer I added the ruscus, which is a smaller leaf all down a stem that tucks in really well to the first layer. Adding the sprengeri and pittisporum randomly throughout gave it the fullness I was looking for. Right before the ceremony began there were white stock (see above) added to the garland for a pop of white! I am amazing at how everything turned out - it was truly better than I ever thought possible.
Overall I am SO happy with my choice to tackle flowers and decor; it saved me some money and let me be creative with how I wanted the bouquets and garland to look. If you are wanting to do the job of a florist at your wedding too, I would recommend first trying to find the best deals on flowers (QFC, Sams Club) because these sometimes unexpected places can have deals for ordering in bulk. Make sure you allow yourself enough time to work on bouquets because they are time consuming! Also, find a team of people who are willing and excited to help you out - because it will take a lot of hard work from good friends & family to get everything done!
Other flowers I ordered (for tucking into hanging candles, around the menu sign, and misc. places):
- Hydrangeas (White)
- Garden Roses (White)
- Garden Roses (Wine)
I hope this is helpful to anyone trying to DIY a lot of the floral arrangements and decorations at their wedding! It is possible, and I believe that doing it yourself can help you best achieve the look you are really wanting; PLUS, it's fun to see your hard work come to life!
