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You dreamed of a wedding with thousands of flowers, but you're faced with budget realities. There is a way to get that garden look without straining your wallet. All you need is a little imagination, a touch of faith.... and clippers and buckets. We're talking about do-it-yourself flowers, a trend that has moved mainstream in recent years with the increase in gorgeous, grower direct flowers available. We talked to Flowerbud.com's Mark Hayes and Peter Lenton to put together our step-by-step guide to going green.
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Be Prepared. The thought of being surrounded by a garden of flowers sounds lovely...
until it starts to wilt. Make sure you have a cool space out of direct sunlight to |
store your flowers, and plenty of buckets with cool water. Talk to your flower supplier to find out exactly how many buckets you'll need, but the rule of thumb is one bucket will hold 2 centerpieces. Always order quality blooms, preferably domestically grown so they're as fresh as
possible on delivery. Once the flowers have arrived, spritz them often to keep them fresh for the event. Chances are, you've never dealt with this many flowers before, and it's much harder to work with droopy blossoms.
Also give yourself some prep time in order to get your bouquets and arrangements made. It's best not to try to tackle the flowers on your own -- you'll be busy with beauty appointments, last-minute details and more -- but to get a talented friend or relative to take charge for you. Ask that your bouquets, centerpieces and altar arrangements be done the day before the wedding so you don't have any 11th hour stress.
Bouquets. That cascade of tulips that your friend carried might have looked elegantly understated, but trust us, it was hard to make. For first timers, we recommend choosing from one of the simple and beautiful bouquets below.
Nosegays: The year's hottest bouquet is the monochromatic nosegay. From a sweet clutch of blush roses, to a stunning arrangement of stargazer lilies, there is a nosegay to fit every bride's style. And best of all, nosegays are a snap to make. First, groom each flower. You'll need to remove all thorns or extra leaves, and wrap thinner stems with wire to support them. Then trim the stems to the correct length, probably eight to ten inches or so. Gather the flowers together in your hand to form a dome shape, and wrap the stems together with wire. Finally, wrap the stems and wire with a ribbon, and tie it off with a bow.
To vary the look of your nosegay, experiment with color, or with one or more flower type, perhaps adding freesia to your rose bouquet, or mixing fragrant sweet pea in with tulips. Also experiment with the size of your nosegay. 25 roses make a generous bridal bouquet, but consider fewer stems for your maids.
Presentation Bouquets: Imagine carrying a bouquet of long, willowy flowers nestled in the crook of your arm. Presentation bouquets were the flowers of choice for 1920s brides, and the look is coming back. To create a presentation bouquet, choose long flowers, such as elegant calla lilies with their emerald stalks, delphinium, French tulips, Asiatic lilies or orchids.
Choose the longest flower, and lie it on your work table. Then arrange the flowers in height order alongside the longest stem, creating an arrow shape. Gently gather the flowers into your hand, and tie them with a bow a few inches from the base of the flower
heads. It just takes a few minutes, and you've created a gorgeous -- and very romantic -- bouquet.
Single Stems: Sometimes simplicity makes the most breath-taking statement of all. Consider carrying a single stem down the aisle, perhaps adorned with a grosgrain ribbon bow. Larger flowers make a bigger impact, so consider the colorful burst of an Oriental lily, or the delicate petal profusion of a garden rose.
Flower Jewelry: If carrying a clutch of flowers isn't your thing, make a daring statement by wearing your bouquet instead. Consider a flower necklace to add innocence, whimsy and unforgettable style to your wedding ensemble. Choose a large, sturdy bloom, such as a lily or a peony, and leave an inch of stem attached. Cut a small slit through the stem, and thread a ribbon through it. To complete the look, tie the ribbon in a bow so the flower rests slightly off center. If you prefer, you can wear the flower as a corsage instead.
Centerpieces. There are only two hard and fast rules you have to keep in mind when dreaming up your centerpieces. First, never create a centerpiece that's taller than 12 inches. Your guests don't want to crane their necks around
towering flower arrangements to talk to each other, so make sure your centerpieces are table accents, not conversation blockers. Secondly, always order one shipment of flowers in advance to create a sample centerpiece. You need to know if your ideas work, and whether to order more or less flowers than your original estimate.
Table Bouquets: Most often brides mix together three different flowers with a few sprigs of greenery in low vases. Trim the stems of for your sample centerpiece in two stages; there's no recovery for a stem that's been cut too short. First take the initial snip, and then test the bloom against your vase. Then snip it one more time to get your flower to the perfect length. Use the first flower as a sample to cut the rest against, keeping in mind that you'll probably want some height variety in your arrangement.
Three's Company: What if you're longing to try your hand at arranging flowers, but think you might be biting off more than you can chew? Don't worry. You don't need to be a florist to pull of this gorgeous arrangement. Simply choose three smaller flowers, such as hyacinth, tulips and iris, and three smaller vases to put them in. Arrange a handful of each type of flower in the vases, so you have one vase entirely of tulips, one of iris, and one of hyacinth. If you want, play with the look of your flower trios by choosing vases of different heights, or picking different flowers, but all in the same color family. Group the trios together on your tables for a
centerpiece that's as easy as it is charming.
Floating Flowers: Picture hot pink Gerbera daisies floating in a clear bowl, or exotic water lilies and candles in a shallow bamboo basin. Floating flowers, especially when lit by tiny tea lights, make centerpieces that are dramatic, unusual... and easy. To make your centerpieces, simply choose a flower with a large bloom, such as Gerbera daisies, gardenias or garden roses. Cut the flowers short, leaving only an inch of stem to serve as an anchor, and gently float the blooms in your water bowls. Because most bowls can handle a max of 5 or so flowers, floating centerpieces are as inexpensive as they are beautiful.
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