Your DIY Wedding Bouquet

                             Guest Post by Breanna Gunn              

So you’re being frugal about your wedding. Good for you! Ihad less than $3000 available for my big day,which meant that my entire day was DIY. And that was before DIY weddings werecool. There are lots of wonderful tutorials out there for making all kinds ofthings...but I have yet to find one for flowers that doesn’t terrify me.

So I’m here to help. Your wedding flowers make a hugestatement about who you are, and they only take about three hours. Of course,if you choose to do this, those three hours are going to be spent workingreally hard the day before your wedding.

Let’s start, shall we?

Buying Your Flowers

The first thing that you’re going to need are flowers. Thereare a number of places you can acquire them, including big box stores,florists, online, and your back yard. One thing that I learned was that youcannot mention the words ‘wedding’ (or anything related) if you want to get agood deal and not pick the flowers yourself.

Go and inquire about pricing for the quantity and types offlowers (don’t forget filler!!) that you want, and then ask about discounts.DIY is all about being frugal, remember.

Once you’ve secured your blooms, schedule their deliverythe day before your big day. Morning would be awesome.Then you need to find:

1. Florist tape

2. Florist pins

3. SHARP scissors

4. Ribbon

5. Florist wire

6. Accents (stones, sparkles...you get the idea)

Prepare Your Blooms

First of all, get some help. This task is easiest with 2 to3 people. Then...

Trim and feed your flowers. What this means is that you needto take off any leaves, and trim the stems on a diagonal. This is easiest ifyou set up an assembly line at your kitchen sink.

Once they’ve been trimmed, place the flowers into 5 gallonbuckets filled with room temperature water. This will ensure that they do notwilt, and that they open just a little. If you have a few blooms that you donot want to open further (think daisies), use ice water or stick the entirebucket in the fridge.

Assemble Your Bouquet

Once you’re all trimmed and watered, get set up to assembleyour bouquet. Make sure you have more blooms than you think you’ll need...got‘em? Then let’s get on with the fun stuff!

To assemble your bouquet:

1. Have your tape, scissors, and wire handy.

2. Carefully choose 5-10 blooms to start your bouquet.

3. Arrange them in a half-ball shape, and tape themtogether. If you want them to really be secure, use a piece of florist wire,and stick it through the stems.

4. Now for the fun...continue adding blooms until youachieve the look you want, taping and wiring as you go.

5. Got saggy blooms? Use the florist wire to perk them up!Stick the end of the wire just below the head of the flower, and wrap theremainder of the wire around the stem, going down to help hold it upright. Thenadd it to your bouquet!

6. Once you’ve finished adding flowers, tape the entirebouquet between 2 and 4 inches.

7. Wrap a ribbon around the bouquet to hide the tape, andembellish with florist pins or glue on rhinestones and the like.

Then, admire your handiwork!!

Brea Gunn writes about the best Westchesterwedding venues.  Check out whatthese weddingbusiness marketing insiders have to share.

How to Pick Wedding Favors

Guest Post by Rebecca Parker 

So he asked you to marry him, you said yes,and now you have all kinds of plans to make. From the cake, to the reception hall, all the decisions can get youcaught up in the whirlwind of romance. One of the things on your to-do list is picking wedding favors for thereception.  The reception itself is ofteneven bigger than the ceremony, so you may feel pressured to pick somethingeveryone will like.  Here are some greatideas for picking out wedding favors.

PersonalizedFavors

One way many brides and grooms like topersonalize their reception is by choosing favors that incorporate their namesinto them.  Wedding favors can beanything you want them to be, so offering up a little something as a memento ofyour special day is just what many couples want.  You might even want to include a littlepersonalized message from the two of you. There is no limit to what you can do as long as you stay within yourbudget constraints.

 

Pre-madeFavors Vs. Homemade Favors
Another question many brides ask is whetherthey should make the favors themselves. This is entirely a matter of preference. If everyone knows you like to make candles or little handmade gifts,then making your own favors is the perfect way to add some personality into yourspecial day.  However, if you have neverfelt yourself to be the artsy craftsy type, then there’s no need to forceit.  Chances are, you’ll just end upfeeling rushed and frustrated if you try to force yourself into figuring outhow to make something.

UniqueIdeas for Wedding Favors

Brides who really want their wedding favorsto stand out do have some options if they aren’t into making handmade thingsthemselves.  For example, you might handout a bag of flower seeds to symbolize your future together and the beauty thatwill come from it. 

If money is not an option, then yourwedding favors can be as unique as you are. If you want your guests to be able to use your favors, then think ofanything that will remind them of you and still be useful to them.  You might want to hand out coffee mugs,scented soaps, or personalized fans.  Ifyou’re a chef, then heart-shaped measuring spoons are a very unique idea.

ThemedFavors

If you’re still having trouble choosingwedding favors, then the simplest thing to do is pick something that matchesyour theme.  For example, you might havesome type of small container filled with a candy that you like and tied with aribbon that matches your wedding colors. It’s quick, simple, and it takes care of the wedding favor question.  Then you can mark one more thing off thatlist!

Guest post by The Wedding Planning Guides, a site dedicated to sharing practical(but fun) advice to brides and grooms throughout the ups and downs of weddingplanning.