Making your own bouquet sounds romantic and exciting, but are DIY wedding flowers actually a good idea? While now it’s easier to DIY wedding florals than ever before, like many things in life, just because you can doesn’t mean you should. However, there are some major advantages to doing your own wedding flowers. The question is: are those perks worth it?
The answer completely depends on you. There are plenty of wedding blogs out there that will try to sway you to either DIY or go with a professional, but honestly, your decision needs to be based on you – your style, your budget, your schedule, and your wedding.
Put aside your assumptions and the rumors you’ve heard about doing your own wedding florals. Take a look at these truths about DIYing your wedding flowers before you commit!
The Excitement
After the question’s been popped, many brides-to-be are extra enthusiastic about planning the wedding. If you’re having a long engagement, then you have plenty of time to get excited about all the details of your wedding, big and small. Flowers are a major detail; after all, your flowers are a huge part of making your wedding feel like a wedding and not just another party.
Some brides love the thought of being the one to make every last decision about their wedding. They feel excited about choosing their own flowers, making their own bouquets and centerpieces, and taking pride in the beauty that they personally brought to their wedding day.
If you’re one of those brides, and you feel extra passionate about your wedding flowers, then you may want to consider DIYing! But make sure you have all the facts first. Don’t let your excitement lead you down an unrealistic path!
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The Timing
Excitement and passion are two absolute must-haves if you’re going to DIY your wedding flowers, but more important than either of these is time. If your schedule is tied up with work or other obligations until the day of your wedding, you won’t be able to DIY your florals –unless you choose to use fake flowers, such as silk, paper, or wood, that you can arrange weeks or even months in advance.
Choosing artificial flowers may be the right decision for both your budget and your schedule. Find out the cost for fresh flowers in your area, or from an online vendor like FiftyFlowers, GlobalRose, or FlowerMoxie, and compare that to the cost of artificial flowers. Remember that if you choose to DIY with fresh florals, you’ll need to purchase supplies (such as gloves and gardening shears) to help with the arranging.
Timing won’t be an issue with artificial flowers, but it’s extremely important for your fresh flowers. If you choose to purchase them from an online retailer, then you will need to make sure that they are delivered with enough time to bloom but not so early that they aren’t still fresh by your wedding day.
Fortunately, these vendors usually want to provide good customer service, meaning that they’ll check (and double-check) with you to make sure that they are sending your florals at the right time. You may have heard that for a Saturday wedding your flowers should be delivered on Wednesday. While this is generally true, it’s not always the case. Some flowers take more time and some take less to bloom.
Make sure you communicate clearly with the vendor about which florals you want. Wilting flowers or flowers that haven’t had the time to bloom yet could be a major disappointment on your wedding day – especially considering the cost.
After you have the delivery handled, it’s important to make a plan for storing and maintaining the flowers based on the time between delivery and your wedding day. Keeping fresh flowers looking their finest may be a challenge, and you will most likely need somewhere cool to store them. You should have a detailed plan for where you’ll store them, when you’ll arrange them, and how you’ll transport them to the venue.
The Savings
There’s no doubt about it: DIY is almost always less expensive, whether it’s making cookies for your engagement party or arranging the flowers for your wedding day. Purchasing silk flowers in bulk from a craft store may be the most convenient and least expensive way to do your wedding florals. Wood flowers are another popular option that’s generally less expensive than fresh flowers.
However, some brides have to have fresh florals and want to work with a florist. A traditional florist can be extremely expensive. Make sure you research the cost in your area before you fully commit to this route.
If the florists in your area are out of your budget but fresh flowers are an absolute must for your wedding day, DIY may be the best route for you. First, you need to investigate the different vendor options. It’s also good to know that some grocery stores, as well as stores like Costco and Sam’s Club, with floral departments can be hired to do arrangements at a lower cost than a traditional florist.
If you’re shopping online, add the flowers that you want to your cart and see what the total will be. Then, adjust until you’re within your budget. Make sure you’re thinking of all the flowers you’ll need – not just for bouquets, but for centerpieces and other arrangements as well!
The Skills
Then, it’s time to teach yourself about flower arranging. Developing the skills to craft a truly beautiful bouquet can take some time. You can start by checking out a book on flower arranging from the library, or by watching tutorials online. When you have some time, head to the library or to YouTube to learn about what it takes to make beautiful arrangements.
Remember that whatever you choose will FlowerMoxie is a great option for brides who are passionate about DIYing their wedding florals. They offer a DIY Master Class and package-specific tutorials to help you craft beautiful arrangements for your wedding.
The FlowerMoxie website is extremely helpful and provides recommendations for how much of the supplies (like floral tape) you should purchase for each of their packages. The price transparency is clear, so you’ll the exact cost of the supplies you’ll need to craft the floral arrangements of your dreams.
The Environmental Option
Many couples are growing more concerned about the environmental impact of their wedding. It’s can be difficult to host a wedding that has a minimal environmental impact. Unfortunately, florals can contribute to your wedding’s carbon footprint. If you’re having your blooms shipped in from all around the world, you’re contributing to transportation emissions.
In most cases, working with a local florist or floral department that already has an arrangement for shipping blooms will lessen the environmental impact of your wedding. The best way to cut down on the environmental impact of your wedding flowers? Buy blooms that are grown locally.
You may have to invest some time into researching the best local options (and you may not be able to have all the flowers you originally wanted), but if you choose local blooms, you can go to sleep easier knowing you made the right choice for the environment.
The Unexpected
Another truth about DIYing your wedding florals is that the unexpected can always happen, and we’re not just talking about wilted blooms or flowers that aren’t ready for display. While it’s rare, it’s possible that someone who is helping you with the arrangements may be allergic to a flower or the greenery that you’re arranging.
The bride could even be the one with the allergy, which could mean a rash on your wedding day! Again, this is extremely unlikely, but it’s still a possibility to know about before you commit to DIYing your wedding florals.
The Pressure
Maybe you’re a Type A bride who has everything planned out completely far in advance of the big day. This is extremely helpful; however, reality often doesn’t go according to schedule.
The pressure of having to arrange your own florals may be too much for some brides. Keep in mind that you may be feeling a lot of pressure in other areas, like the pressure to spend time with out-of-town guests or to make sure that your manicure and pedicure both go according to schedule. If you think that taking the time to DIY your wedding flowers will be too much pressure, consider purchasing from a florist instead.
The Group
You will more than likely want the people in your circle, like your bridesmaids, some family members, and anyone you’re close to who’s crafty, to help you do the actual arranging. If the people in your life would be a great fit for this kind of task, then that’s wonderful!
Check with them (well in advance) and make sure that they have the time to help with the flower arranging the day before your wedding. Keep in mind that it’s important to give them plenty of time to request time off work beforehand.
Your Choice
Choosing your flowers and arranging them beautifully can be an exciting part of your wedding planning process! Take the time to think about your budget and your schedule before you make any commitments to either DIY or go with a florist. Check with the people in your life who you can count on to help (and to do a good job!) and enjoy the process.
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