DIY fresh flowers

graysquirrel

For those of you who bought bulk flowers or some from the grocery store and made your own pieces, how many days before the wedding did you buy and make them? Is this a good idea? Do they keep?

amocksun

Fresh cut flowers will last a couple days in a cool area, like a refridgerator, though not a lot of people have that much room in a fridge (they need to be in water too). Hmm...I would get them the day before or two days before and keep them cool as much as possible.

Catwoman708

I would get them 2 days before, keep them cool, and let them "rest" (adjust to not being refrigerated, but still in a cool room).

Some flowers will need a day or two to open up if you want them full, like roses, lilies, or alstromerias.  Then some you might want to stay in the wrapping so they won't be full open, like if you're using roses for bouts.  You'd want to keep those roses packaged tightly in the wrapping they come in, but just trim the ends, and keep them in water and floral preservative.

Bouquets can be done a day or two in advance, and arrangements in vases or oasis foam can be done a day or two in advance.  You can "green" them almost a week in advance even.  But you have to keep them cool, stems in water, and floral foam saturated with water.  Bouts and corsages can also be done a day or two in advance, depending on the type flowers.  They need to be kept cool, and moist, like enclosed in a plastic container in a refrigerator. 

Any flowers you keep in a refrigerator, don't store them with fresh fruits or vegetables, or it can wilt flowers or turn white flowers brown.  And protect flowers from the draft of the blower, with a thin layer of plastic, like gently cover flowers with a dry cleaner's bag.  And check on them a couple times a day.

graysquirrel

Thank you so much! I am really looking forward to doing my own flowers. Your advice has been so helpful.