Now, I have always loved flowers, this isn't a new thing in the slightest. It is, however, been a somewhat singular focus lately. With all of the wedding planning in full swing, I've been trying to come up with ways to save a bit of money by doing certain things myself. For example, I fully intend to design my own save-the-dates and invitations, as well as any other fun DIY decor ideas I can come up with. The one other thing I've been seriously considering doing myself is the bouquets and centerpieces.
See, I've made flower arrangements before, for birthdays and holidays, but they were always just for fun, and I only ever had to make a handful at a time. So, of course the concept of now putting together 5 (potentially) bouquets, 15+ centerpieces, and any additional flowers for ceremony or otherwise, seems a huge undertaking. But here's the thing. I LOVE doing it! For some reason, when set down with huge vases full of flowers, I just go to a whole different place in my head. Let's call it my "zen place". In this "zen" mindset, making arrangements isn't a chore, it's a very enjoyable craft! That alone makes the idea of doing it myself very appealing, but that's the thing, I wouldn't be doing it myself. I know I have a few friends I could count on to help! Even more appealing! Also, the best part is that it means I can pick out whatever flowers I want. Though, that also makes it challenging, since it means having to choose flowers at the spur of the moment. Also, since I am not a florist, I would be restricted to whatever is available that day - though, I'm not TOO picky (I don't have my heart set on coral dahlias like my sister is, for example), so long as I can find the colors I want in the numbers I would need. And then I started thinking, how much would I need? and how much would it all cost? I knew for sure, from the number of people who have come before me in the DIY department, that it would be cheaper than going to a florist, but I still needed to know how much I should expect to spend.
So, in the interest of asking all of my questions (and to see if I truly had it in me), I decided to try and put together my own bouquets. My sister and I drove up to the San Francisco Flower Mart (so we could check out the huge selection and wholesale prices), and began the search for beautiful flora! We ended up spending about 2 hours just walking around and checking out all of the different growers and the sheer variety of flowers. I made sure to only choose flowers that were plentiful and easy to find and in colors that were also easy to find. After all, I can't base my whole wedding around a single bunch of roses if there isn't more than just that single bunch!
I picked out flowers that fit my vision and style, and my sister did the same. I left the mart with 1 bunch of magenta garden roses, 1 bunch of orange spray roses, purple clover, and small white flowers that I'm sad to say I don't know the name of, all for $35. My sister purchased coral colored dahlias (which were hard to find in the exact color she wanted, and even then they ended up being too orange for her liking), pale pink carnations, and white stock, all for about $18.
Next, it was time to do my own. Using the same method (perhaps I'll do this again sometime and take pictures of the progress as I work, a how-to-ish sort of post!), I created my own lush bouquet. I also created a smaller bridesmaid's bouquet with the leftovers, and even made an impromptu boutonniere using a single orange rose and a sprig of clover.
So, my parents still aren't convinced that doing the wedding flowers myself is a good idea, but I'm still somewhat in love with the idea. PLUS, it would cost a whole heck of a lot of money! Based on my trip to the flower mart, I estimated that it would cost somewhere around $600 for the flowers. Obviously, getting my flowers from a florist would cost a LOT more money... and I have a budget to stick to! Besides, why would I want to spend thousands of dollars on flowers that are going to die the next day? Also, why would I pay someone to do something so fun that I could potentially do myself?! I think I did a pretty decent job at my first bouquet-making attempt, and I have a whole year to get it down to a science. Also, there are numerous ways I could cut my flower costs if I vary the size of the centerpiece flowers, etc. So many possibilities!
... So, I found out that my area has a wholesale flower mart. I think tomorrow may be a great day for a field trip!
If anyone has any suggestions, critiques, tips, or advice on such things, feel free to leave me a comment.
