It can sound a little bit daunting, but doing your own wedding flowers isn’t as scary as you think. If you already enjoy putting your own styles together then creating your own wedding masterpiece could be just for you. With a few tips and tricks, and a little help from friends and family, this post should guide you on how to do-it-yourself and create a magical look.
Trial your idea beforehand
I spent a weekend trialling a variety of ideas and sourcing flowers from different places. I got a selection of vases, candelabras and floral supplies so that I could trial differing designs, to see how the flowers would arrive and most importantly how long they lasted.
Consider the time of year; what you want may be different from what is available. Peonies are perfect in May and June but after that they’re hard to get hold of. Don’t worry, there are similar alternatives like the double flowering tulip and David Austen wedding rose collection.
If you’re purchasing your flowers and foliage from a wholesaler, don’t forget, you’ll need to prep them yourselves (removing the leaves off, cutting the stems etc).
Use floral supplies
Ensure you have the right supplies to do the job; floral scissors/sharp pair of secateurs, floral tape and floral wire. Tip: for roses, this foliage/thorn stripper is a brilliant tool to remove thorns and will save you a great deal of time, as well as protect your hands. The pliable plastic fits within your hand for you to simply strip the stems in seconds.
Think about caring for your flowers
I tested the flowers in different solutions from using flower food to finishing sprays to determine what would help with the longevity of the display. The care you give your flowers will depend on the type you select. Woody stems prefer to be kept in two-thirds of a vase of water whereas softer stems prefer shallow water. Flowers take warmer water in more efficiently than cold, so putting fresh flowers in warmer water for their first drink is crucial, as well as keeping them cool until they’re ready to be displayed.
Source from a specialist
Our flowers came from a wholesaler, direct from the auctions in Holland. Of course, you can use your local florist, a local flower market or even a supermarket. However, going direct will probably prove to be more cost-effective and reliable as you’ll be in control of what you need to order.
Ensure you have some helpers
If you’re going to do your own wedding flowers, you have got to be organised. Ensure you have a detailed timing plan and a spare day aside to prepare your flowers and, most importantly, to arrange them.
Our wedding
For our wedding we wanted our marquee to feel enchanted and magical as marquees can often be quite bright and soulless. We were lucky enough to build the structure around a weeping birch tree that was already in the garden on which we hung LED lanterns and magical fairy lights.
For the flowers, we used eucalyptus to line the grey tablecloths with white alpe d’huez roses interspersed throughout. To complement the bridesmaids’ dresses, we filled vases along the top table with a mixture of peonies, spray roses, astrantia and ammi majus. To add height in the space, tall candelabras lined the tables and we had white wisteria hangingfrom the ceiling.
