By Elizabeth's mom, edited by Elizabeth

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Editor's disclosure: Shiny Orb, a search site for bridesmaids dresses, receives no form of compensation from Elizabeth's mom... except for the occasional care package of snacks sent to our office.

Elizabeth's mom, a gardener-hobbyist, wrote in today to offer tips on how to create your own floral arrangements for the chairs at your ceremony.

As we all know, floral arrangements for weddings can be expensive, but with this simple recipe, you can save a lot of money:

Yields: 16 flowers

Cost: $7 each

Time: 5 min per flower + shopping time

SHOPPING LIST

All items on this list except the flowers can be purchased months in advance.  The flowers should be purchased no more than 24 hours in advance.

1. Rope (2 packets). (Cut into 58 inches, vary length, based on desired looks).
2. We used Manila Rope (Home Depot) for Elizabeth’s wedding – great for a beach. There are other ropes of other colors and texture. (3/8 inches x 50 ft).
3. Floral wire. (1 coil of 22 gauge diameter). (Cut 10 inches each).  You will need more later.
4. Floral tape. (One roll of ½ inches by 60 feet).  Decide on color of tape (comes in green or white), based on floral back ground.
5. Circular base with two holes.  You can use clear, 3” diameter, plastic yogurt carton caps (see photo #  ) or use hard cardboard as a base.
6. Tulle (One roll of 6 inches by 25 yards). Cut into 56 to 58 inches pieces.  We used white.  Comes in different colors.
7. Wired, white (with satin edges preferred) sheer, ribbon. (3inches width). Cut into 57 inches pieces.
8. Colored ribbon (One spool of 5/8 inches by 20 yards). Cut into 31 inches pieces. We used blue, to tie in with the bridesmaids dresses.
9. Plastic wrapper or a few Ziploc sandwich bags.
10. Flowers and foliage.  We used home grown sweet peas and baby breath bought at a local farmers market.  If you do use these optional flowers, buy these no more than *24 hours in advance*.  Store in cool place or refrigerator overnight.

ASSEMBLING THE ROPE (Can be assembled months before)

You’ll want to create a “rope frame” months ahead.  Loop the rope to look like a clover leaf.  You can have three loops of same size or have the top loop larger, making it conducive for hanging on chairs. Fasten loops to each other with the floral wire.

Orientate the loops so that the free ends are facing away from you (back side). The free ends of the wires should be pointed to the front. Thread them into the holes of the base. Twist the wire once or twice. The free ends will be used later to twist around floral stems.

Take the wired, white ribbon strip and wrap around the base. Loop from the bottom with free ends of the ribbon at the top. Tie a bow. Reap the same process with the toulle. Fluff the bows of both to pretty shape.Prevent the bows from getting crushed.  One good way is to hang the rope frames on hangers.

ASSEMBLING THE FLOWERS (24 to 48 hours before the wedding)

Prepare "floral packets" one day before the wedding.  For delicate flowers, use the corners of sandwich bags as “vases”. You can shape plastic wrappers also, to hold a small amount of water. Select flowers and arrange in small posies. Wrap floral tape, leaving the bottom of stem exposed. Place the bunch of flowers into the water in the plastic “vases”. Gather the edges of the plastic at the top and twist with floral wire.

Anchor the floral bunches to the rope “frame” you previously made, using the free ends of the floral wires on the frame.  Cover the (exposed) wires that anchored the flowers by making a bow around the floral stems. Use the (blue) ribbon of smaller width.

Keep the finished, hanging floral arrangements in a cool place overnight.  Make sure to hang the arrangements so they don’t get crushed

Photos courtesy of Audrey Y. and Melissa M.

By Elizabeth's mom, edited by Elizabeth

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Elizabeth's mom had a lot of fun taking care of the flowers for Elizabeth's wedding.  This is the last article of the DIY flowers-series, where she'll discuss floral arrangements for a wedding aisle.  Prior articles are on DIY corsages and boutonnières as well as large floral arrangements.

Editor's disclosure: Shiny Orb, a search site for bridesmaids dresses, receives no form of compensation from Elizabeth's mom... except for the occasional care package of snacks sent to our office. 

By Therese, edited by Jennifer

While some of us are still experiencing rainy days here and there, it's time to think about summer. Today, Therese Jacinto, a floral and event designer for Therese Jacinto Design, discusses some summer flower inspirations for weddings.

Editor's disclosure: Shiny Orb receives no form of compensation from this vendor.

What are some beautiful summer flowers that you'd recommend for a summer wedding?

Summer is the season of choice for most couples who are planning a wedding. What’s great about this season is that it is the most vibrant – meaning when it comes to colors, almost anything goes! June is the classic wedding month so most brides opt for very romantic, light, and airy flowers. Peonies, hydrangeas, carnations, orchids, and roses come in beautiful soft colors that complement this look.  July brings about a thirst for the exotics. Common color schemes during this month are extremely bright and lively. Think yellow roses, hot pink and orange gerberas, and lime green orchids. The month of August brings about deeper tones of blues, purples, and pinks.

I recently executed an August wedding in a monochromatic blue and white color scheme. The bride and groom love the beach, but instead of literally creating a “beach” at their garden reception, I opted to carry a simple blue scheme inspired from the cool ocean waters. We combined blue and white hydrangeas, roses, delphinium, white calla lilies, and modern glass containers filled with wheatgrass to complete this look. The effect was refreshing and modern.  

Are there any flower trends that you're seeing for summer weddings?

Organic and sustainable flower arrangements and tablescapes are a big trend. The San Francisco Bay Area is very eco-conscious and we’re lucky to have a lot of local resources to tap into. Incorporating organic wheatgrass, succulent plants, fruits, vegetables, and reclaimed branches into floral arrangements is a great way to lend a natural feel to a wedding.
 
Are there uniquely Bay Area flowers that you'd recommend to local brides?

We have wild flowers like the California poppy and the yellow pansy which are gorgeous in the bright yellow and orange schemes. Forget-me-knots are beautiful and delicate, and also found around the area. They’re perfect for a more romantic look.

By Elizabeth's mom, edited by Jennifer

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Elizabeth's mom had a lot of fun taking care of the flowers for Elizabeth's wedding. In addition to $5 corsages and boutonnières, she also made some large floral arrangements, which she discusses today.

Editor's disclosure: Shiny Orb receives no form of compensation from Elizabeth's mom... except for the occasional care package of snacks sent to our office. 

Because beaches often have no pews, arches, or other markers, I created two floral arrangements to mark the ceremonial area of Elizabeth's wedding.  The nature of flowers and foliage is such that "you can do no wrong," so don't be afraid to try your hand at floral arranging!  It's cheap and easy to do.  Estimated arrangement time: 5 minutes.

Theme and design tips

Based on your wedding setting, decide on the colors and "look" of the flowers you want for your floral arrangements.  Because Elizabeth’s wedding was at the beach, I wanted natural looking arrangements and if possible, with a tropical theme. I also kept in mind that the flowers needed to be pretty durable to withstand any wind and hot June weather.

Flower and foliage selection tips

Spring and summer brides will be blessed with wide variety of flowers. You can get flowers flown in from other areas. You can use flowers and foliage from your backyard. Or, buy and grow some plants in pots. However, because one can not be sure if the flowers will bloom when you need them, be sure to have a backup plan if you are growing flowers from seeds.  Enjoy perusing local floral outlets, farmers markets and garden stores to get ideas for flowers and colors.

Beach-themed wedding ceremony floral arrangements (DIY)

For the floral arrangements I made for Elizabeth's wedding ceremony, I bought the following for each arrangement:

• 1 24" clear large cylinder vase from Michaels ($15 per plastic or glass vase)
• 4 long ferns and a bundle of tall grass (all from my backyard). Any large greenery will do.
• 1 Bundle of tall weeping willows ($5 a bundle)
• 3 Bird of paradise ($5 for 3) sprigs
• 2 sprigs of orchids ($5 total for all the orchids, a great deal from a farmers market)

• Optional 1 large ceramic cylinder (I made this myself in a pottery class to add weight to the vases and hide the end of the plant stems, but by no means is taking up ceramics necessary!)

Steps:

1. Purchase/cut orchids and ferns up to 2 days before the wedding.  Purchase/cut all other plants/flowers up to 2 weeks before the wedding.  All other items can be bought at any time.
2. Put 7" of wet sand in the vase.  If you have a ceramic cylinder, place it in the glass vase on top of the sand.
3. Place a tied bundle of willows in the center of the ceramic cylinder if you have one or in the center of the vase.
4. Spread the ferns and grass evenly around the inside of the ceramic cylinder.
5. Insert the Bird of Paradise sprigs and "hang" the orchids in the front or the side of the vase.

That's it!

Note: having the ceramic cylinder prevented all plants and flowers from touching the wet sand, enabling them to remain fresh for a few days.

Photo credit: First photo taken by Audrey.

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In arranging your own flowers, you can save hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars. In this post, I'll talk about how I designed and assembled 15 corsages/boutonnieres in under 15 minutes each. Note, because most of the assembly occurs 2 days before the wedding, you should definitely ask your friends/family for help.

1. Decide the colors of the corsage/boutonniere flowers.

• I used different colors for different guests, but most people would probably prefer to use the same colors, particularly if you are assembling boutonnieres for your groomsmen and ushers, so they all match.

2. After picking colors, decide what flowers will be available and will look great in these colors for your big day.

• Baby roses and carnations are available year round and are great flowers to use.
• I used roses with some sprigs of ferns and baby's breath for Elizabeth's wedding. (See photo #1, 2, 3)

3. Buy supplies.

• You can buy any of the following from a local crafts store or online. I bought most of my supplies from a Michaels' store.
• Corsage pins (often craft stores have a "wedding supply area" -- check there first). Buy 2 pins per corsage/boutonniere.
• Floral tape. Comes in white or green. You'll need 4ft per corsage/boutonniere.
• Florist wire, 20 gauge. Look in floral arrangement aisle or jewelry stringing area. You'll need 7 inches per corsage/boutonniere. (See photo #4)
• (Optional) Spools of ribbon. Decide on transparent or opaque, on color(s) and on width: they tend to come in 5/8 inch, 7/8 inch, 3/8 inch, ¼ inch. I chose blue and white ribbon. (See photo #5) I used about 3 feet of ribbon per boutonniere/corsage but you can probably get by with less. Because you'll be using the ribbon purely for decoration and not for any utility, you can also create corsages/boutonnieres without any ribbon. (See photo #2)

4. Optional -- start assembling your flower ribbon bunches -- can be done months in advance

• If you decide to use a ribbon bunch for each corsage/boutonniere (See photo #1), you'll need one ribbon bunch per corsage/boutonniere. You can make these in advance and set them aside until a couple days before your wedding. However, if you decide not to add a ribbon bunch, feel free to skip this step altogether.
• If you use two colors of ribbon like I did, e.g. blue ribbon, wider in width, with white ribbon, thinner in width. Place them on top of each other. Fold the ribbons back and forth. (See photo #6)
• Scrunch the ribbons at one end and coil the florist wire to secure the end. (See photo #7, #8)

5. Buy flowers locally -- ideally 2 days before the wedding

• I bought flowers (roses) from a local farmers market. You can also see if there are flower/plant outlets near where you live. For those of you who are in the San Francisco Bay Area, there are great places in San Francisco or Half Moon Bay. Costco can also be a good backup source for flowers. Check if a Costco near you gets their flowers daily or only on certain days.
• Also, buy some sprigs of fern leaves and baby's breath or other small flowers to complement your main flowers. (See photo #1)
• For a Saturday wedding, try to buy on Thursday.
• If possible, keep your flowers in a vase filled with water in a refrigerator.

6. Assemble the corsages/boutonnieres the day before the wedding

• (Optional) Find those ribbon bunches you made a while back.
• Use the free ends of the wire to anchor 1 fern leaf (or equivalent) and 2 flowers (I used baby rose buds) to the ribbon bunch in a pretty position.
• Wrap the floral tape around the end of the flower, fern and ribbon "arrangement". To do this, place the free end of the tape at the base of your arrangement. Wind and wrap the tape down the length of the floral stems, make a "U" around the tip to cover stems,tightly wrap in circular motion till you reach the base of arrangement. Tear off the floral tape, leaving a little extra of tape, and cover any exposed parts at the base with more tape.
• Stick two corsage pins to stem. Store the corsage/boutonniere in refrigerator, in a container with lid.

Interview with Marian, by Elizabeth

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We're excited to catch up with Marian LeBrun, founder and head floral designer at Savage Rose.  She has fabulous advice on a popular topic, vintage-style wedding flowers.

Editor's disclosure: Shiny Orb, a shopping site for inexpensive bridesmaid dresses, receives no form of compensation from this vendor.

Are having vintage or embellished flowers at a wedding a growing trend?
Yes! Brides today are very in tune with vintage inspired fashion trends and understand how this style can translate so beautifully into wedding flowers. I see many modern brides requesting embellishments to their flowers, such as a sentimental broche added to a bouquet or ivory feathers sprinkled throughout a centerpiece. Vintage style in wedding flowers just works. It feels whimsy, classic, personal, and most of all - romantic.

What are your inspirations when you design these vintage-style bouquets?
My inspiration is always the bride I am designing for and her unique style. I am also very inspired by the bride's gown. This is because I view the bouquets not only as a floral design but as an important accessory that must compliment the woman holding it, much like a necklace or handbag. The bouquet should complete the look and overall fashion of a wedding ceremony. And of course, I am inspired by the flowers themselves. Some blooms are just meant to be in a vintage style bouquet, like Curly Tulips, Garden Roses, Peonies and Ranunculus - just to name a few!

What makes them vintage style?  What kind of materials do you use?
Vintage style in wedding flowers today is the combination of classic and modern, romantic and whimsical, elegant and homespun.
Unlike uber modern wedding flowers, vintage bouquets have a sense of warmth,softness and personalization. Traditionally, vintage style bouquets incorporate soft hues, sparse amounts of greenery and a mix of flowers such as freesia, lisianthus, roses and lavender. Today floral designers have updated this look by using pops of color and delicate greens to emphasize a garden look, as well as vintage textiles in the ribbons used such as polka dots or pinstripes. Materials I typically use in vintage style bouquets are unique and textural ribbons, antique lace, vintage jewels, velvet string, delicate feathers and soft blooms such as Peonies, Poppies and Garden Roses.

If a bride wants embellished flowers, how much more would it cost?
It ranges depending on what the bride wishes to embellish her flowers with. If the bride provides the embellishment from her personal collection, such as a sentimental pendant or a personal trinket, this would cost nothing for Savage Rose to incorporate into the design. To buy an item from Savage Rose's collection of Vintage Touches can range from $18 - $200 depending on the amount used.

What are your recommendations or advice for a bride who may be thinking about a one-of-a-kind embellished bouquet?
My advice is to do what your heart tells you. Your bouquet becomes a very important and intimate part of your wedding. It's what you hold close to your heart throughout the ceremony and in photographs. It's what you smell as you take a deep breath walking down the aisle. The bouquet is what completes the wedding look, it's what says "I am the bride today". So my advice is to get as personal and one-of-a-kind with your bouquet as you wish! Make your bouquet you. Ask your floral designer to somehow incorporate your favorite flower or favorite color. If you have a sentimental necklace, locket, broche, jewel - ask your florist how they can add this to your wedding bouquet. If you want to smell the fragrance of gardenia or casablanca lilies at the altar, tell your floral designer! The Bride's bouquet is very important and should make you smile throughout your wedding.

Photo captions: (1) Vintage Wedding Bouquet - Embellished with Vintage Pendant & Satin Ribbons {Dahlia, Peony, Parrot Tulip, Lilac, Rose, Seeded Eucalyptus} (2) Vintage Summer Bouquet - Wrapped In Ivory Satin {Parrot Tulip, Rose, Peony, Anemone, Ranunculus, Queen Anne's Lace,Garden Roses, Star of Bethlehem} (3) Vintage Bridal Bouquet - Embellished with Vintage Lace and Satin, Charm Necklace, White Feather {Vendella Rose, Ivory Rose, Lamb's Ear, Cream Garden Roses, Curly Tulips, Freesia} (4) Savage Rose Vintage Bouquet -  Embellished with Vintage Handmade Feather, Vintage Blue Ribbon, Pearls {Rose, Ranunculus, Lilac, Parrot Tulip, Cala Lily}

Marian LeBrun is the founder and head floral designer at Savage Rose, a private floral design studio specializing in weddings and events throughout the Bay Area and beyond.

By Jennifer

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Editor's disclosure: Shiny Orb, a comparison shopping site for dresses, receives no form of compensation from these vendors.

While blues have always been popular for weddings, according to Shane Murray of The Wedding Report, "Cobalt blues will be the most requested color in 2010." Since flowers play a huge role in setting the theme and colors of a wedding, we've ask a few floral experts to offer their 2 cents on cobalt flowers.

Natural, dark blue flowers can seem hard to find, but a great cobalt blue flower is the Volkerfrieden Delphinium, as suggested by Kirsten Juntunen. Other flowers that can come in many shades of blue including dark blue are hydrangeas, hyacinths, and irises. On the other hand, using dyes or color sprays greatly increase the types of blue flowers available to you while still maintaining a real touch. However, if you do select dyed flowers, Judi Tutton tells us that hand dipping flowers into dyes should be done by a professional so that an even color is maintained throughout your bouquets.

Purchasing wedding flowers online is becoming more popular, and fortunately, many websites will also tell you whether the blue flowers you're purchasing are natural or dyed.  For example, you'll find in the descriptions of the tinted blue flowers on FiftyFlowers.com (as referred to us by Mickey Long, a representative for FiftyFlowers.com) information about whether dyes will seep or stain and how best to handle the blooms.

Lastly, I'll end with a piece of advice from Indigo Daisy Weddings. "Sometimes its nicer to keep the flowers simple, white or ivory and bring in the cobalt blue color through crystals, feathers or ribbons/organza." So if you're a cobalt blue bride, you have a lot of options.

Images: (1) Blue belladonnas and delphinium blooms by Ingela Floral Design (2) White lilies, blue hydrangea, blue delphiniums, and roses by Forget Me Not Floral (3) Hydrangeas, lavender roses, and delphiniums by Savage Rose Florals (4) Scabiosa by Katharina Stuart (5) White roses, white callas, white tulips, and light blue belladonnas by The Flower House