How to DIY flowers

crltx

So I am DIY my bouqets and centerpieces...and all flowers. When is the best time to buy them (two days before)? Then arrange them (the rehearsal dinner is the night before I don't think we will have time)? And how do you keep them fresh (tons of tiny fridges)?

manateehugger

http://apracticalwedding.com/2009/10/our-diy-well-dit-wedding-flowers/

emmyg65

A Practical Wedding actually has a ton of tutorials for different bouquets. I'm sure you'll get a lot of info by googling "DIY wedding flowers" as well.

crltx

 

 

I have actually looked at that exact blog a few months ago. Although she isn't answering my questions when to make them. She is doing it the exact day! I will be in the middle of the country with no flower shops around within hours.

manateehugger

Usually you'll want to make them either the day before or two days before if you have a cool place to keep them. 

And you'll also be looking to order online from a wholesale retailer then. 

Honestly, these are the reasons I just shopped around until I found a decent florist at a price I could live with. 

Maggie0829

If you want to DIY them then you need to start looking into wholesalers.  Also you will want to get the flowers in on the Wednesday before your wedding (if your wedding is on a Saturday) so you have time to properly process the flowers (de-thorn, de-foliage and cut and hydrate the flowers).

To store them to do not put them in a regular refrigerator.  Regular refrigerators are not meant to keep flowers fresh, they are meant to keep food fresh.  What you will want to do is pick a room in your house with little natural light and that can be kept pretty cool (bring in window AC units or other cooling devices if need be).

You could arrange your centerpieces the Thursday before and just make sure to keep an eye on the water level and make sure to spray them with some water as well (a plastic spray bottle will work).

For your bouquets and other personal flowers, you can do them the Friday before.  Make sure that the bouquet stems are submerged in water and that you mist your corsages and bouts.

The day of your wedding, wrap your bouquets with ribbon and place back into the water filled vases (just enough water to cover the bottom inch of your stems).

DIYing your flowers can be done but some practice and a lot of guesstimating on the amount of flowers is needed.  You need to take into account possible broken or dead stems when you order. Honestly, even though I worked in a florist for 8 years, DIYing my flowers the week before my wedding would have been the last thing I would have wanted to do.

RichinPhuket

Most flowers are fairly hardy and dont require alot of work prior to arranging them. Its important that when you receive them that you cut off the stem near the bottom on a 45 degree angle and place them in a bucket of warm water and keep them at room temperature. No cold rooms or fridges. Its important that you spray the flower heads/buds regularly with cold water. Most flowers can be bought several days in advance with most of the flowers arranged 2 days before and then ribbons and final touches the day or morning of the wedding. Check out http://fabweddingflowers.com/video-tips/ for some help and can also offer free consultation on what flowers are recommended depending on where you are, time to prepare  etc... Good luck