Flowers, flowers, flowers!
Fresh vs. Fabric?
Fresh for Less...
- MUST HAVE: Hands down, the fresh flower wands. Holy cow, these were magical. I almost opted to make these because I had a very specific vision, but my florist NAILED it. The photos alone could sell these wands— they are made for princesses! Another must-have was the large spreads for the ceremony and table decor— I didn’t want to cheap out in this category because I knew that beautifully crafted floral spreads would enhance the handmade decorations and tie the overall look together with an effortless cohesiveness. Balance was the key here: I spent a large majority of our fresh flower budget on flowers that would be strategically placed around the venue to bring all the elements together.
- Replace: I replaced busy bridesmaid bouquets with a less expensive lavender stock. Looking back on photos, I prefer the less formal group shots without flowers altogether— they are just more my style. I knew I didn’t care about lavish bridesmaid bouquets so this was an easy trade out for me.
- Phase Out: I don’t care much for family corsages/boutonnieres. I just don’t. So I didn’t buy them. And I don’t think anyone missed them. If you couldn’t tell who the mother of the bride was without a corsage, she was the stunner in the gold sequin dress ;)
The Beauty of Fabric...
- My Fabric Flower Bridal Bouquet- I LOVED this bouquet, because I picked every color, every material, and every flower shape that went into it. I became obsessed with fabric bouquets and brooch bouquets as soon as they made their appearance in the wedding world, but these beauties can come with a hefty price tag. After searching for weeks and not finding a deal I could feel good about, I decided to make my own. I started by picking fabrics at Joann's (satin, poly blends, cotton, tulle, organza, and lace) and seeking out tutorials to make an array of different types of flowers to add some diversity and depth to the final product. You can find my favorite fabric flower tutorial here for beautiful fabric peonies. If I receive enough feedback I have considered adding an additional tutorial or video blog for constructing the actual bouquet. In the meantime, see how easy/fun it can be to make your own flowers! I was AMAZED at how truly beautiful some of them turned out. (Tip- If you are looking for fabrics to get started, my absolute favorite fabric line to work with was the Casa Collection from JoAnn Fabric… there are some beautiful neutral tones that lend perfectly to bridal decor, and there are quite a few options as far as material is concerned. One of my favorites is the champagne colored satin... go in-store to see the colors for yourself!)
- Paper Flowers- My original plan was to make a paper rose bouquet, but I chickened out because I was worried about its durability (I’m a worrier). I spent a few weekends working on these flowers, though, and I was bummed that I couldn’t use them. My wedding planner made the genius suggestion to incorporate them into the fresh arrangements. So I sent a dozen or so along with my decor, and the result was magic. They mixed so well, and added so much character. Here is the tutorial I used to make the flowers; it is certainly a labor of love but they can really be quite lovely in the end.
- Fabric Flower Crowns- I made my first fabric flower crown after a local flower shop old me they were too busy to make me a fresh flower crown (apparently prom was more important!). I was irritated, but I had my heart set on a flower crown for a photo shoot so I set out to make my own. I bought some fancy silk flowers and got to work. I quickly realized that the expensive silks were not necessary, and that I could use the less expensive ones from craft stores instead (big score). Since then, I’ve used these for photography sessions (styled shoots, maternity shoot), wedding photos, and on my precious flower girls. The crazy part is that you can make at least two of these crowns I made for the little ones for under $10! Check out the tutorial below to see what you need/how you can make your own!