DIY Wedding in Bloom

This past weekend I had the honor of creating the flower arrangements at my niece's wedding. I had such a good time. The wedding was held in the mountains of Boulder Creek, CA amongst the redwood trees. It was one of the most gorgeous venues I have ever seen. 

The only issue was the the weather decided to hit record highs-- approximately 104 F. So keeping the flowers fresh through the wedding was very important. 

In this post I will show you samples of the flowers. In a future post, I will talk about how I choose flowers, put them together, and make sure they last.

Raw materials.

This is how the flowers come from the flower mart. Bunches tied together with rubber bands, twist ties, string, and wrapped in plastic or newspaper. 

A must during the heat is to have 5-gallon buckets with a little water in the bottom to keep the flowers from dying before you even get them home.

Bridesmaid's bouquet

Boutonniere

Used at the end of the benches and around the reception

The bride requested more rustic bouquets so this is what I designed for the bridesmaids. They were hand tied and kept in about an inch of water when the wedding party wasn't carrying them. We also used them on the head table as decorations so they were in water the entire reception.


The groom is from New Zealand so I did my best to find a fern that represented the one on the flag. I added a pod and the pink fern to match the bridesmaids' bouquets. 

The groom's boutonniere should include a flower from the bride's bouquet. 





These little puff arrangements were used at the end of the benches during the ceremony, and then were brought to the cocktail and reception area to add a bit to a corner of a table and on shelves and guest gift tables.

The centerpieces were round, rustic arrangements on antique brass candlesticks. They also included small woodland animals that matched the brass candlesticks, candles, and two satellite vases with individual flowers in them. A burlap runner and fresh white tablecloth finished the look.

There are some tips I see in the videos from the florists that, quite frankly, don't work for me. I will give you alternate ways of putting flowers together so it is easier for someone who doesn't do this every day. 



Let me know your thoughts on the designs in the comments below. And if you have questions about anything I did, please ask!