Do-It-Yourself Wedding Flowers Tips and Ideas

Whether you consider yourself an expert or a novice, a few do-it-yourself wedding flowers tips and ideas can ensure that your arrangements enhance your wedding day.

Study the spaces you are decorating and match your flowers to the decor and atmosphere. An older house of worship calls for more traditional flowers. You can use funkier arrangements at a more modern church. Echo the natural surroundings with your arrangements. If the reception location looks out over a garden, use flowers that complement the existing foliage. If you're beach-side, or in a mountain lodge, consider flowers that are commonly found around the site.

Choose flowers that complement the style and mood of the bridal clothing and the reception color scheme. Once you know the colors, choose specific flowers to carry out your scheme. Orchids and peonies can give you delicate pinks, but so can less costly carnations and sweet peas. Share your ideas with key members of the wedding party to avoid disaster. For example, don't put an orange tiger lily on your new mother-in-law's magenta jacket. Also consider the surface where the altarpiece will rest and the table linens where centerpieces will stand.

Get the most bang for your buck. A few stems of more expensive blossoms add focus to your arrangements. Place expensive flowers where they have maximum impact. Less expensive blooms can fill out your arrangements.

In many areas, you can buy local seasonal flowers. When you can get them, they are much more eco-friendly than flowers flown in from Chile or China. Because they are fresher, they last longer.

Allow plenty of time. If you have flowers flown in, you may need to order at least six weeks in advance. Get together a crew that is willing and able to construct boutonnieres, bouquets, and corsages, if you are having them.

Take care of your wedding flowers. Keep them cool, in a refrigerator if possible, and keep them in water. If some of your flowers dry out, you will waste money and time.

After the wedding, preserve some of your flowers. Professional services can freeze dry or press and frame bouquets. You can preserve a few chosen flowers from the arrangement yourself, in silica gel or by pressing a few flowers in a book. Whatever method you choose, plan in advance and assemble supplies.