Pages

Monday, August 5, 2013

Bride Tips: Picking Flowers


Picking flowers for your wedding can be daunting for some people, though some brides know what flowers they want for years. For my wedding I wanted to choose flowers and plants that represented Keith and I, be it where we came from, what our personalities are like, even my maiden name. I also wanted to go a bit unorthodox with my flower choices. I did not want any roses, orchids, hydrangeas, lilies, etc. (even though I am in love with roses) I wanted our wedding to be green, organic, and wild. We got all of our flowers from this fine lady, and what we loved most was that all of her plants are organic and locally grown. No refrigerator flowers here!
As a representation of my birthplace, Florida, I requested Spanish Moss be used wherever possible. For Keith, who is a native Californian, we asked for Artichokes. I am a huge fan of succulents, so these were everywhere! 

My Maiden name is "Miller", so I requested Dusty Miller leaves for my bouquet.

Its a great idea to have a separate "throwing bouquet". Chances are you are going to be really attached to yours, and won't want to give it up before the day is over. In my case, my bouquet was built up of mostly succulents, which are heavy. So to avoid knocking some single lady unconscious, I had a separate bouquet for the toss. It was light and airy with lots of Baby's Breath, Dog Ear leaves, and Ranunculus.

HUGE MONEY SAVING TIP: Talk to your florist about vases. If they are willing to let you provide your own, this can bring the cost of your floral bill way down. I provided all of the "vases" for my flowers. I saved tea tins, lemon curd jars, cigar boxes, candy dishes, lanterns, bird cages, etc. This is a chance to get very creative, and further represent yourself and your husband. Keith and I are big tea drinkers, so having plants in tea tins felt very homey.
You may also have noticed that table name- "Rivendell". Yes our tables were Lord of the Rings themed! You don't have to use boring old numbers, do something fun and meaningful to the both of you. Little details like this are what make your wedding unique.

After the ceremony instead of having rice thrown, I requested an Herb and Lavender mix. Lavender is one of my favorite scents, and this way no birds will die on behalf of our celebrating. The mix included Lavender, Rosemary, entire flower heads, and a mix of random flower petals. 
Another money saver: Instead of buying pre-made bags or cones for guests to hold their throwing flowers in, I simply rolled paper doilies into cones and stapled them together. What could have been a $100 expense turned into $5. WHOOHOO!

Photography by Nerinna Studios



No comments:

Post a Comment