Details: The Centerpieces
22 Sep 2009 3 Comments
in beauty, She says, The Budget, The Flowers Tags: ball jars, blue jars, centerpiece, cheap, flowers, inexpensive, mason jars, reception, wedding
The centerpieces were simple, exactly what I wanted. I purchased 60 old blue Ball quart jars on Craigslist. The day before the wedding, my sister and I purchased 12 bouquets of flowers from Trader Joe’s.
We paired them with tealights and a mixture of bamboo table runners and polka dotted runners. My awesome aunt Vivian sewed the runners and arranged the flowers.
The results: bright, cheery and perfectly matched for our casual spring wedding.
All photos taken by Laura Ivanova - and cannot be reproduced or used, on the web or otherwise, without permission.
DIY Bouts & Corsages
10 Sep 2009 1 Comment
in She says, The Accessories, The Budget, The Flowers Tags: corsage, diy bout, flowers, groom, groomsmen, mother, wedding
Our budget was not huge. And I felt that I wanted to DIY as much as I could, even though I find myself to be my greatest critic when I do.
My dear friend Michelle and I tackled the bouts and corsages on the night before the wedding. What were we thinking? I have no idea.
Anyway, take a peak at our handiwork – our quirky/fun corsages and bouts!
R's bout
groomsman & father bout
Moms' corsage
We used ranunculus for R’s bout, and spider mums with greenery and filler for everyone else. It took us about 1 hour to do 5 bouts and 7 corsages. Not too shabby. We just used loose flowers pulled from the centerpieces, some floral tape, floral wire, floral pins and green grosgrain ribbon. The cost for supplies (minus flowers) was about $12. Nice.
We used this tutorial as our guide.
Bursting With Flowers
05 Dec 2008 Leave a Comment
in beauty, She says, The Budget Tags: bouquet, Bridal, bride, cheap, diy, flowers, hydrangea
I love hydrangea.
They look stunning in a wedding bouquet, and make a decent centerpiece on their own (in narrow vase).
I love that I see them so often in weddings, but also know that many brides lament the cost of them (florist markup can be quite high).
I was perusing costco.com, as I often do, and found these: 60 stems of hydrangea for a mere $129.99 with shipping included!
Though you can’t choose the actual color (they’re “mixed”) — one or two bunches of these would leave even a picky bride happy.
Mix Up The Centerpieces
21 Oct 2008 1 Comment
in She says, The Budget, The Wedding Tags: centerpiece, cheap, flowers, inexpensive, vases, wedding, wildflowers
Who says that centerpieces have to be the same?
I’m loving this look, it’s quirky, fun, budget-friendly, eco-friendly (especially if your flowers are organic and locally grown) and visually cool.
I really hope I can save enough random glass jars in time for our wedding, so I’ve enlisted the help of a friend, cousin and my sisters to see if we can gather enough for centerpieces.
How cute would it be to fill these babies with whatever the farmer’s market has on our wedding day?!
Figuring Out Wedding Flowers
05 Jul 2008 3 Comments
in She says Tags: Bridal, flowers, french anemone, life, love, wedding
I gave up on my grand illusion that I could possibly put together my wedding bouquet, as well as corsages for my mamma and the FMIL. SO…. I visited a florist.
I stepped into the shop and said, “I want something with ranunculus and French anemone” — which are the awesome white blossoms in the photo (which I borrowed from Studio MCC – go Wisconsin!)
I was dismayed to see that they didn’t have pages and pages of bouquets that they’ve personally done, but they did have some inspiration from magazines and books… enough that I could say “that’s too big,” “that’s too floufy,” “that’s too ugly.”
I think I’d better stop at a few other florists, but its refreshing to know that I won’t be spending $2000 on flowers… that’s just not my thing.
Dealing With Wedding Vendors
21 Feb 2008 2 Comments
in She says, The Budget, The Flowers, The Reception Tags: cake, flowers, higher price, life, love, marriage, overpriced, vendors, wedding
I’ve heard time and again… Vendors — photographers, caterers, bakeries and florists charge a great premium for an item just because its for your wedding.
Case in point, I’ve contacted florists for my bouquets (I’ll be DIY-ing them)… Turns out you can pay $300 for “family reunion” flowers, but if you order them for the wedding, the EXACT same flowers will cost $800. Interesting.
Check out this hilarious video on the topic!
On Valentine’s Flowers
14 Feb 2008 Leave a Comment
in She says, The Flowers Tags: flowers, life, love, marriage, valentines
My beloved sent a bouquet yesterday.
I was thrilled.
Now today, everyone who walks by has to comment…
“oooh, you’re boyfriend is smart, wink, wink.” — yes he is!
“ooooh, is someone in the dog house on V-day?” — hells no.
“ooooh, you are so spoiled.” — maybe they’re right.
I think that I am SO lucky (and a bit spoiled) by the GTB, but heck, I deserve it, and so does he.
Wedding Flower: Option 3, Simple, Fresh
19 Jan 2008 Leave a Comment
in beauty, She says, The Flowers Tags: beauty, bouquet, Bridal, floral, flowers, hydrangea, life, love, wedding
Hydrangeas are a popular choice for brides, and for good reason. they are full, don’t require a lot of attention, they are hardy and beautiful.
Two or three stems/branches of hydrangea can create a fab , rounded bouquet.
Or, you could use hydrangea as a base and insert sweet pea, roses, calla lilies, even irises to the mix for a variety of texture and a beautiful bouquet.
Wedding Flowers: Option 2, Simplicity
19 Jan 2008 Leave a Comment
in Uncategorized Tags: bouquet, calla lily, floral, flowers, life, love, wedding
Searching for your perfect flowers for your wedding can be tricky. Lots of women cut out photos and bring them to their florist for consideration and help.
Knowing what’s in season can cut costs dramatically (if you’re looking for lowered costs).
I, being a DIY-er, am leaning toward creating my bouquet myself. Sounds difficult, I know, but if you decide on a lovely bunch of calla lilies like this bouquet, you could easily create the bouquet yourself.
Image from Flickr.
Need directions? Click here.
