From bucket to centrepiece : A DIY Bride's Guide to Sustainable Wedding Flowers
Dreaming of a wedding that's as unique and personal as your love story? Considering the possibility of DIY wedding flowers ? As a flower farmer, I've seen first hand the joy and satisfaction that comes from creating your own floral arrangements. If you're passionate about flowers and want to bring a truly personal touch to your wedding and sustainability too, diving into the world of DIY wedding flowers might be the perfect choice. This guide will walk you through the steps, from initial planning to the big day.
Why DIY Wedding Flowers? The Pros and Cons:
Creating your own wedding flowers can be an incredibly rewarding experience. It allows you to express your creativity, choose eco-friendly options, and potentially save money. However, it's crucial to be realistic about the time and effort involved. DIY floral design requires planning, practice, and a very good understanding of flower handling. A professional floral designer brings years of experience, a deep knowledge of flower varieties and their behaviour, and the ability to handle unexpected challenges. They can also ensure that your vision is executed flawlessly, leaving you free to enjoy your special day. So if you are looking for a floral designer, do find one whose style and aesthetic you really love and that you can build a good relationship with. If you're short on time, easily stressed, or have a very complex floral vision, hiring a professional might definitely be the wiser choice.
Step-by-Step Guide to DIY Wedding Flowers:
1. Where to Start: Inspiration and Research
Pinterest and Instagram: Create mood boards with images of wedding flowers you love. Pay attention to colour palettes, styles (rustic, modern, bohemian), and flower types. If you are overwhelmed by all the beautiful images, start with what you don't like and work it backwards from there.
Nature's Palette: Look to your surroundings for inspiration. Consider the seasons and what flowers are naturally and locally available in your area by checking out your local flower farmer network. The more seasonal the flowers, the lower the carbon footprint and the better value you may get.
Your Personal Style: Reflect on your overall wedding theme and your personal taste. Do you prefer vibrant colours or muted tones? Wildflower arrangements or structured bouquets? Using your mood boards, look at the colour tones and the flower shapes and the quantities of flowers in each bouquet or design.
2. Colour and Visuals: Creating a Cohesive Look
Colour Palette: Choose a colour palette that complements your wedding theme and venue. The more flexible you are with your colour palette and flower choice, the more options you will have. Do remember though, within each flower shade there are so many tonal differences and white doesn't just mean 'white' for example. There are so many different shades of white , cool and warm whites, ivory whites and so on, so in an ideal world, try visit a flower market or if your flower farmer is having an open day do consider visiting them and taking notes and lots of pictures so you get to know what you like best. Gardens can be a wonderful inspiration too but do remember that not all flowers are suitable for bouquet work and will not work well out of water.
Flower farmers do grow lots of different varieties of flowers but they aren't 'wildflowers' growing away happily on their own. Growing cut flowers commercially requires a lot of hard work and knowledge and cut flower varieties are specifically grown because of their special characteristics e.g flower stem length, vase life, sturdiness, suitability for bouquets etc. This is key to all of your research starting out and takes time so do be prepared to give sufficient time to do this. If you are considering growing your own flowers, that is a whole different blogpost for another time; but if you are interested in doing so there are lots of videos available on Youtube but if I were to recommend some simple flowers that are easy to buy from seed and relatively easy to grow even for beginners , start with cornflowers, cosmos, definitely nigella, some grasses, ammi majus calendula and maybe sweet pea for dreamy fragrance. Most of these varieties have lots of different colour options and will last well out of water - as long as they cut and conditioned correctly. Remember you are looking for cut flower varieties as these will grow taller. this will give you a real wildflower feel to your bouquet. The month or season of the year you are getting married will determine what flowers will be growing so early Spring, you would look at daffodils or later on tulips. Summer weddings will have lots to choose from and Autumn specials are dahlias which are relatively easy to grow as well and show stoppers !
Timing is really key so if you use your colour palette as a starting point, then choosing the flowers to match becomes much easier rather than picking your favourite flowers which may not be in season when you are getting married and working from there. To choose flowers which match your style and colour scheme, try finding a flower which has similar characteristics. Chrysanthemums and dahlias can be big and fluffy like peonies if you are getting married in Autumn time. Peonies are short-lived and are in full season in May/early June. Certain types of roses resemble peonies if you are getting married in late summer. Tulips and hellebores actually come in beautiful shades and shapes if you are getting married in early spring with beautiful spring blossoms like camelia and apple blossom branches if you are looking for some late spring fluffiness.
Visual Balance: Think about the overall visual impact. How will the flowers complement your dress, the venue, and the decor?
Dried Flowers: If you are getting married in the Winter or early Spring time, dried flowers are a really wonderful option if you are considering doing your own dried flowers either by growing them or buying them in. They work at any time of the year but at those times fresh flowers are locally very scarce so this is the best option. Dried flowers can be prepared well in advance, reducing last-minute stress. In simple terms, dried flowers are simply cut flowers grown specifically for harvesting at the right time and then then dried completely with a variety of methods; the most common of which is air drying. Dried flowers last for months and even years and require no water and very little maintenance. They are also perfect for gifting or decorating your own house after. I will mention that if you want to be truly sustainable though, opt for flowers and grasses that are not bleached or chemically dyed if you are buying them in and buy local if you can - check out the Flower farmers of Ireland website for more local farmers. I dont do wholesale but I do sell bunches of flowers mid season which you could dry yourself. Key flowers for drying or growing yourself are strawflowers, statice, grasses, poppy seed heads, ammobium and Larkspur. Many varieties are trickier to grow though so do make a short list and a good plan for growing them in advance. Planting time will be key. Do your research. It takes time but there are lots of resources out there to get you started on the growing side of things. Check out some of my other blog posts on what specific varieties I use and also drying techniques.
3. Quantifying: How Many Flowers Do You Need?
List Your Needs: Create a list of all the floral elements you'll need: bridal bouquet, bridesmaid bouquets, boutonnieres, corsages, centrepieces. If you are a complete beginner, keep it simple and practise as much as you can before the big day. Look for online inspiration from designers like Floret Flower Farm, Joseph Massie , Passion Flower Sue or Flower Moxie to get a better idea of design styles and techniques.
Calculate Volume: For each item, estimate the number of stems needed. Consider the size and fullness you desire.
Order Extra: Always order/sow a few extra stems to account for breakage or unexpected needs ( at least 10% extra) or weather damage (a tunnel even a caterpillar tunnel is crucial if you are growing your own to ensure good quality stems)
4. Creating Recipes: Designing Your Arrangements
Sketch It Out: Sketch out your desired arrangements, noting the types of flowers and their placement. Use good old cut out and stick it on if you are old school like me when creating your mood boards.
Recipe Cards: Create recipe cards for each arrangement, listing the flowers (specific variety names, quantities, and steps for assembly. Look at online wedding bouquet pictures you love and literally count out the stems visually and get an idea of what sort of flowers are used.
Trial Runs: Practice creating your arrangements well in advance. This will help you refine your designs and identify any potential challenges.
5. Costing: Budgeting for Your Flowers
Flower Costs: Research the cost of the flowers you want to use. Consider buying directly from a local flower farm or a wholesale supplier close to you if you are not growing them. In Ireland and the UK, we have lots of local flowers farmers who are part of a local national flower farm network. You may be able to buy buckets of flowers in different colour palettes /varieties - research your local region for availability.
Supplies: Factor in the cost of supplies such as floral tape, wire, vases, ribbons, and any other necessary materials. These can add up. Please don't use floral foam in any format - this green spongy stuff is incredibly bad for the environment and breaks down into micro plastics which will long outlast all of us, do some research on ''foam free mechanics' and make friends with chicken wire or similar. There are no floral designs which cannot be created without the use of this nasty green floral foam.
Think about using vintage or second hand vases, vessels or bud vases along tables - a really good way of being sustainable with accessories is to trawl your local charity shops for second hand vases or maybe flea markets or online auctions which can save you a lot of money if you start collecting them over time. Old vintage glass bud vases of different sizes filled with little stems or bunches of flowers placed along the centre of the table can be really beautiful.
Consider different coloured candles and candle holders and even table runners with more textural fabrics like hessian/jute or old linen table runners or table cloths - again your charity shops or markets can be a wonderful treasure trove for finding gems which you can reuse and save for special occasions at home! Be creative and use colours and textures you love.
Note : You will also need to check with your venue to see about bringing in water in vessels or candles for example. (for older or listed buildings ; this may not be permitted!)
DIY vs. Professional: Compare the cost of DIYing your flowers to hiring a professional florist. Be realistic about the time, cost and effort involved. Flowers just add a wonderful touch to your special day but should not cause stress - consider hiring in your friends to help out a couple of days before if you are creating a few floral designs. If you are neck deep in wedding preparations the week before your wedding, creating your own floral designs may not be the most condusive thing to do to enjoy the build up. So if there is one thing to do before you make your final decision on going all out DIY on your florals, I really recommend, finding a designer you love online, find some of their how-to videos on Youtube (or someone similar) or buy an online course and practise with some locally bouqht bunches which don't cost the earth.
6. Preparation: Before and After the Wedding
Timeline: Create a timeline for flower preparation, including when to cut or pick up or receive the flowers, when to condition (hydration is critical for wedding bouquets as they will be out of water a lot on the wedding day), and when to assemble the arrangements. Your boutonnieres or corsages can be made ahead of time and prepped into a sealed lunchbox with moist paper towel underneath and stored in the fridge 1-2 days before the wedding. (Hydration chamber is the fancy name for this!)
Conditioning: Properly conditioning your flowers by removing lower leaves and placing them in fresh, cool water. Remember specific knowledge is required for this too. Proper conditioning is essential. Conditioning means keeping your flowers hydrated by cutting the stem ends at an angle at least every couple of days and changing out water regularly. Keep fresh flowers away from fruit (will make them spoil) and use spotlessly clean vases or vessels to store your flowers in before using. Flowers need at least 1-2 days of full conditioning before you start working with them. You must also consider how long it takes for the flowers to go from bud to full bloom. Heat and sunlight will help your blooms to burst open in time for your wedding morning. Some flowers must also be conditioned separately to others as they release a sap (e.g. daffodils) and are called 'dirty flowers' as a result.
Storage: Store finished arrangements in a cool, dark place prior to the wedding day. Keep them hydrated and protected from direct sunlight. If you are getting married during really hot weather this is a massive consideration as flowers will wilt very quickly in hot weather so conditioning and care beforehand is absolutely critical.
Dried Flower Prep: If using dried flowers, ensure they are clean and dust, debris free if made well in advance. Give them a gentle fluff out if required and prepare ribbons etc.
Post-Wedding: Consider drying your bridal bouquet or other special flowers as a keepsake ; we work with wonderful partners like Siog Botanicals in Kildare who can press and preserve your bouquets into beautiful keepsakes. Don't forget about your table pieces and arrangements - consider gifting your bud vases or table flowers the next day to your guests.
7. Practice, Practice, Practice!
Practice Arrangements: As noted, before the big day, practice creating your arrangements multiple times. This will help you build confidence and refine and speed up your technique. If you want to do your own wedding flowers, then you really do need to have a passion for the flowers too. This will keep you motivated when you are trying to create the bouquet of your dreams.
Time Management: Allocate ample time for flower preparation and assembly. Don't leave everything to the last minute.
Stress Management: Remember that DIY flowers should be a fun and enjoyable experience. If you start to feel overwhelmed, take a break or ask for help. Recruit your friends and your family !
Conclusion:
DIY wedding flowers can be a beautiful and rewarding way to personalise your wedding. By planning carefully, practicing your techniques, and embracing the beauty of seasonal flowers, you can create stunning floral arrangements that reflect your unique style and values. Remember, practice is key to reducing stress and ensuring a beautiful outcome and conditioning your flowers for at least 24-48 hours if not more before your wedding day. Enjoy!