Hey there, Tess here. I am not usually the voice that you find in this space but as a 30-something millennial farmer-florist I have been asked countless times and in countless ways, “Can you help me DIY the flowers for my wedding?”
I have found myself saying yes and no on different occasions. There is a certain type of wedding or gathering that lends itself to DIY floral arrangements and bouquets, but it is very specific and very limited.
In my humble opinion, the ONLY time it is worthwhile to DIY your wedding flowers is if you are having an event under 50 guests at a venue that has little to no rules (even better if you live there or are staying there for the week), and you already have experience and enjoy working with floral design.
I do not say this to be pessimistic, but simply because professionals can do it better, faster, more reliably, and ultimately with less stress.
Let’s think this through… Cut flowers are living things. They need food, water, and cool temps to survive. They need vessels to be displayed in, storage before the wedding, manpower for installation and set-up at the venue, not to mention the sourcing of the product, driving to and from to gather supplies, and the time and space needed to do all the designing. All of this the week and potentially day of your wedding! No matter whether you are willing to admit it or not, the weeks and days leading up to your wedding are going to be FULL of to-do lists, last minute errands, and so many moments that you are going to want to slow down, enjoy and remember.
If you are truly on a quest to DIY your own wedding flowers, here are my suggestions:
Minimize your “to do” list Make this your ONLY task for the week leading up to the wedding. Have everything else completely finished, signed, sealed, and delivered so you don’t have to be overwhelmed by what is already a very large task.
Plan your space out. Make sure you have a cool room for storage and a large space for the actual design work. Keep in mind that, as you create arrangements, they will take up space too, so you’ll want a safe place to tuck them away so they don’t risk being ruined by heat vents or flower girls.
Source your materials thoroughly and well in advance. Make a list of all the little things you might forget like floral tape, wire, snips, ribbon, structures or foam.
Consider using locally grown buckets of DIY florals. We can advise you on the quantity and types of blooms that will be in season.
Get creative! Don’t panic if you’re forgotten something or didn’t buy enough product. Ultimately florals come from the world around us. Look outside, get better acquainted with the flora in your yard, and incorporate it into your designs for a low cost, local touch.
Most folks want their wedding to be beautiful, meaningful, and FUN. My advice is leave the florals to the professionals. However, if you’re passionate about doing them yourselves, remember my guidelines and enjoy each snip.
