This is Chapter 7 of an ongoing series following the journey of a couple throwing an intimate, DIY wedding in Washington, DC. Be sure to check out the earlier chapters from this series for some great DIY tips & inspiration!
OK, I know this is an intimidating thought, but take a deep breath…
YOU CAN DIY your flower arrangements, even if you are not a florist! I promise, you don’t need a professional.
Look, there are some AWESOME silk flowers out there these days and you can find them pretty inexpensive too. I know what you’re thinking… “But I want fresh flowers“. I know fresh flowers add a certain flair, I do. And that is why I am suggesting that you use silk flowers just for certain things, to help with your budget and DIY creativity.
My suggestions:
- Keep your bouquet using fresh flowers, because the likelihood of a closeup is high
- Those little decorative flowers that are important to you, but are just a passing glance adding to the general ambiance of a room to everyone else? Do yourself a favor, save yourself some money and consider tackling your peripheral table arrangements, pew flowers, ceremony decorations and reception centerpieces by DIY or silk flowers.
- If you have a long engagement, then you will have plenty of time to try and try again to get them to look perfect the way you want them
- Research pictures of arrangements you like online and in magazines and just go for it!
I made 3 large flower arrangements for my bar, my appetizer table and my cake table. I bought the flowers from Williamsburg Pottery which has a HUGE selection of inexpensive and high quality silks. I bought cherry blossoms, twigs and pear blossoms along with some smaller unrecognizable pink flowers. Then I purchased 3 large vases from Michaels (they were on sale after Christmas for only $3 each) to put them in.
Because I was going for dramatic height, I knew I needed a tall vase, so keep in mind what is appropriate for the shape of the arrangement you want. I stuck a piece of large foam inside the bottom of each vase and just started sticking the stems in, moving them as I wished until they were symettrical and looked good to me.
These are going to add height to the room and add to an overall feeling, but people won’t even be close enough to them to notice that they are silk, and it is another thing I can check off my list. I feel good about spending only about $15 each on these, which is more then a 1/4 of what a florist would have charged me!
Also, unlike the fragile and temporary nature of natural fresh flowers, I also plan to reuse my flowers after the wedding. I bought a grapevine undecorated wreath for $3 at Ben Franklin and I will arrange the stem and make a spring wreath that we can hang on our door for years to come that will be a nice reminder of our wedding!
*DIY TIP*: If you are really nervous about the “tackiness” of silk flowers, use other items like grasses, twigs, ribbon, lights, live trees, moss, rocks, vegatables, fruit, candy bars, fans, or any number of crafty things!
Let your creativity shine.
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