DIY Flowers

Re: DIY Flowers

• labro member

  

  October 2015

  KmomK said:

  Think about what you do with the flowers! That is a lot of money to throw away. We are buying our flowers from the bulk floral at Costco. We are getting 36 dark hydrangeas, 20 light, 100 roses and 40 callas plus a large box of baby's breath and fillers for $385. I collected clear bubble and square containers from Salvation army for the centerpieces for a buck a piece. Purchased satin ribbon and pins. We will have a bridal bouquet, 2 attendant bouquets, 2 flower girl bouquets, 6 large table arrangements, 2 large tall for the altar to be moved to the reception, a bud vase and 3 smaller arrangements for the entrance. This will be in Chicago so I know to have ordered them would have been well over $2000. We are having a ladies gathering the day before the wedding to make them up and they will be opened beautifully for the wedding. To spend money any other way is insane. 

  I hope your friends/family/whoever volunteered for this and this isn't some mandated pre wedding activity. Good on you for choosing to DIY the flowers, but don't force everyone else into doing your work for you.
  

  KmomK said:

   To spend money any other way is insane. 

  In regards to this, that's just plain ridiculous. If flowers are important to you and the expense is in budget, then go for what you want. It's unfair to call someone insane who chooses to use a professional florist to design and organize their wedding flowers. I think Costco offers GREAT value for their bulk flowers, and more power to anyone who decides they want to arrange them themselves, frankly, I didn't have the time nor did I desire to take on that responsibility for my wedding and I 100% don't regret going the more traditional route.

  
  

  
  

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• Knottie1430965129 member

  

  December 2015

  You are very brave and crafty! I thought about doing my own flowers as well since I will not need very many, and none for the reception at all. However, many of the very kind ladies around here have gently suggested that I go ahead and spend the money on a florist and not give myself the headache of trying to make up bouquets etc the night before. Our wedding is semi-destination and I will be travelling straight from the rehearsal dinner (which will be held in my home state 2 hours away) to the hotel with my mom, FMIL, and bridesmaids plus all of our attire and the guys' things so that nothing is forgotten when they leave the next morning. 
  I have plenty of DIY projects that are non-perishable and will be used for the reception (centerpieces are large white square lanterns with column candle and ribbon, seating chart is a refurbished window pane from an antique flee market etc...). Good luck to you, you have a lot of work to do!

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• poodledoodleooo member

  

  December 2015 edited December 2015

  Cool story, bro.
  
  ETA: Flowers are one of my absolute favorite things in the world. I love flowers! And I especially love it when flowers are expertly arranged by, well, experts. I purchase arranged bouquets for myself frequently because I love them so much and it's an expense that I think is well worth it. I absolutely 100% did not want to tackle such a huge and delicate DIY project and then deal with the logistical nightmare of how will they be stored , how will I transport them, what if a few arrive brown or damaged, or not bloomed yet, what if they wilt too soon, who will set them up at the venue, etc). It's cool that you found a way to save some money for yourself, but how I chose to spend mine was absolutely not insane.
  

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• Knottie1436436203 member

  

  January 2016

  My mother in law makes way prettier paper flowers! Some of these are cute though. I love the paper flowers!!!
  

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• [Deleted User] member

  

  January 2016

  KmomK said:

  Think about what you do with the flowers! That is a lot of money to throw away. We are buying our flowers from the bulk floral at Costco. We are getting 36 dark hydrangeas, 20 light, 100 roses and 40 callas plus a large box of baby's breath and fillers for $385. I collected clear bubble and square containers from Salvation army for the centerpieces for a buck a piece. Purchased satin ribbon and pins. We will have a bridal bouquet, 2 attendant bouquets, 2 flower girl bouquets, 6 large table arrangements, 2 large tall for the altar to be moved to the reception, a bud vase and 3 smaller arrangements for the entrance. This will be in Chicago so I know to have ordered them would have been well over $2000. We are having a ladies gathering the day before the wedding to make them up and they will be opened beautifully for the wedding. To spend money any other way is insane. 

  
  This is great if a bride as the time the week of her wedding to assemble all of those floral arrangements, the access to a cool location/fridge to store all of those flowers to keep them fresh and then a way to transport them. Luckily you have people to help you do all of that work. But not everyone as the help, storage location & delivery, so paying a professional florist is the only option.

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• Knottie1444090863 member

  

  January 2016

  That sounds gorgeous! How much was the bulk baby's breath?

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• [Deleted User] member

  

  February 2016

  If you're ordering from a bulk flower supplier, you often don't need them to be too cool, so don't fret about not having a giant cooler for them. Most will be fine in a space with the air conditioning turned down to about 65-66. Even 68. Keep them out of direct sunlight! Give them fresh water with flower food immediately after they arrive. Pre soak your foam (if you are using it) in the bathtub or a big tub with flower food. If possible, take a big plastic storage run, put about 6-8" of water in it with (you guessed it, flower food) and trim the stems at an angle below the water.
  
  most bulk suppliers suggest you allot 48 hours before your venue for the flowers to arrive, be prepped, and have time to open. They don't arrive in their full bloom, they are often tight and will start opening once they are in water. If your wedding is on a Saturday, you could get all of the flowers done on Thursday and final touches Friday morning and be fine. 
  
  I've worked with flowers before and it's not THAT bad. I have 5 bouquets to make, 1 corsage, 9 boutonnières, 18 small arrangements (literally a highball glass with about 4 roses and some sprigs of greenery), and 18 medium arrangements to make. My best friend/MOH is helping, along with her mom (she was a florist years ago.) I'm getting a day spa outing for her, her mother, and MOH's sister as a thank you. 
  
  All in all, the flowers will be about $650, the cases were goodwill purchases that I DIYed mercury glass finishes on. I prob spent about $50 for all of them. To have this many arrangements done with the flowers we are using would be about $4000. So is it worth it for me to save $3300? Absolutely! I'm a control freak and was adamant about my wedding being DIY. I didn't want it to look cookie cutter or look like I just picked decor from what the vendor had to offer. 
  
  We are doing the arrangements on Wednesday, I'll do bouts and corsage and bouquets on Thursday. Wedding is on a Friday night. I'm also taking the whole week off of work for last minute errands...so I still have time for a manicure and massage before my rehearsal dinner. 
  
  But seriously---it isn't that bad to DIY flowers. Assembly line the steps involved. The deciding factor is: are you crafty and good with your hands? If not, I wouldn't do it. Too many brides try to DIY over their artistic capabilities. That's the recipe for disaster.

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