Lyla Dejesus
Flowers are often one of the first things people think about when planning a wedding, and they can be expensive. The average cost of flowers for a wedding in the UK is around £1,200, but some people spend in excess of £4,000. Doing your own wedding flowers can be a great way to save money, get creative, and add a personal touch to your big day. It can also be a fun project to work on with your bridal party or other helpers in the lead-up to the wedding. However, it's important to be realistic about the time, space, and skills required to DIY your wedding flowers.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Cost | Doing your own wedding flowers can save you money |
| Personal touch | It can add a personal touch to your wedding |
| Creative freedom | You can get creative and have fun with your flowers |
| Time | It can be time-consuming and you need to be realistic about how much time it will take |
| Space | You need to have enough space to work with the flowers |
| Skills | You need to be confident and have some experience in floristry or a creative streak |
| Helpers | You need to have a team of willing and confident helpers |
| Storage | You need to store the flowers correctly to keep them fresh |
| Suppliers | You need to choose a supplier that provides easy-to-work-with flowers and check with them before finalising your order |
| Environment | You should respect the environment when picking flowers and use local plants |
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What You'll Learn
Picking and buying flowers
When it comes to picking flowers, consider growing your own or sourcing them locally. Sunflowers, gypsophila, and peonies are relatively easy to grow from seeds, and you can also forage grasses, ferns, and ivy from fields and woods. Just be sure to wash and dry them properly to avoid any insects. If you don't want to forage or grow your own flowers, you can buy pre-picked buckets of seasonal flowers from florists or local flower growers. This ensures you get fresh, seasonal blooms that haven't been flown in from far away.
When buying flowers, choose varieties that are easy to work with and order more than you need to account for any broken stems or bruised petals. Flowers with large heads, such as hydrangeas, dahlias, and peonies, are great for amateur arrangers as they require little embellishment. You can also use foliage and branches to create wreaths and table arrangements.
Once you have your flowers, it's important to store them correctly. Remove the bottom leaves and put the stems in cool water to help them last longer. Keep the flowers in a cool, dark place, and avoid direct sunlight to prevent wilting. If you're making bouquets, add a light spritz of water and cover them with damp tissue paper to keep them fresh until your wedding.
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Making a bouquet
Making your own wedding bouquet is a great way to save money, have fun, and get creative. However, it's important to remember that floristry is a skilled craft and creating your own bouquet is not a decision to be taken lightly. If you're unsure, you could always enlist the help of a florist for the bridal bouquets and make the venue flowers yourself.
If you decide to make your own bouquet, it's important to be realistic about your time, skills, and the availability of helpers. You'll also need to ensure you have the right tools and materials, such as buckets, secateurs, and somewhere cool to store your flowers. Choose your containers and vases in advance, and consider how many items you'll be making, including table centrepieces, place settings, archways, and foliage garlands.
When it comes to choosing your flowers, opt for those that are easy to work with and won't require special care. Flowers with large heads, such as hydrangeas, dahlias, and peonies, are great for amateur arrangers as they make an immediate impact with little embellishment. You can also forage grasses, ferns, and ivy from fields and woods, just be sure to wash them and allow them to dry somewhere cool and dark to ensure there are no insects.
Once you've chosen and prepared your flowers, it's time to assemble the bouquet. There are many ways to do this, and YouTube can be a great resource for learning different techniques. One method is to start with a focal flower and build out with foliage and filler flowers. When you're happy with the arrangement, tie the stems securely.
On the morning of your wedding, finish the bouquet by drying the stems and wrapping them with ribbon, lace, or fabric to create an attractive and comfortable handle. Secure the ribbon with pretty pins, then give the bouquet a light spritz with water and cover it with a damp tissue to keep it fresh until you're ready to walk down the aisle.
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Table centrepieces
If you're thinking about doing your own wedding flowers in the UK, there are a few things to consider when it comes to table centrepieces. Firstly, you'll need to decide on the style and theme of your wedding. Do you want a minimal look with a single type of flower, or a more vibrant and textured display with a mix of blooms?
For a simple and elegant centrepiece, consider using baby's breath, also known as gypsophila, in combination with 2-3 single stems of another flower type, such as roses or dahlias. This can be arranged in small vases for a cost-effective and understated centrepiece.
If you're looking for something more extravagant, you could opt for a mix of different flowers in a larger vase or display. For instance, a combination of roses, dahlias, anemones, hydrangeas, heather and wildflowers can be arranged in a bubble bowl or vase for a vibrant and textured look. Alternatively, for a unique and experimental centrepiece, you could use floral arrangements in wooden planter drawers, which can be customised to your colour and flower preferences.
For a truly memorable display, consider using giant, spherical bouquets of mixed roses in ornate cut glass vases, or even substitute single heads of hydrangeas in vases to add vibrance and texture without cluttering the table.
If you're concerned about the cost of fresh flowers, or want a more sustainable option, artificial flowers can be a great alternative. High-quality silk flowers or velvet foam roses can be used to create beautiful table centrepieces that will last long after your wedding day and can even be gifted to family and friends.
When planning your own wedding flowers, it's important to consider the logistics, such as when to purchase the flowers, how to store them, and how to transport them to the venue. It's also worth looking into companies that provide DIY floral arrangements, such as Flower Moxie, which offer affordable options and helpful planning resources.
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Archways and staircases
Wedding arches can be a great DIY project and add a personal touch to your special day. They can be used to transform a venue, frame the happy couple, or serve as a backdrop for photographs.
Planning your archway
First, decide on the style you want to go for. Arches can be rustic, regal, or a mixture of both. You could opt for a floral arch, a wooden arch, or something a little quirky with lights, balloons, or hanging flowers. If you want to save money, you can source a free-standing arch frame from a garden centre or online.
Flowers and foliage
When it comes to choosing flowers, the options are endless. You can opt for a neutral design with a few pops of colour, or go for a more vibrant palette. For a wedding in a natural setting, eucalyptus is a popular choice, and you can combine it with olive branches, roses, and peonies. For a more classic look, roses, daisies, and other showstopping blooms in sunset colours can create a beautiful waterfall effect. If you want to add height and drama, use delphiniums and larkspurs, and then fill in the gaps with shorter flowers. To cover up the frame, use foliage like asparagus fern, catkins, laurel, magnolia, trailing ivy, and feathery ferns.
Constructing your archway
Once you have decided on the location of your arch, assemble the frame and stabilise it with buckets of pebbles or sandbags if necessary. If you are outdoors, you may be able to spear the framework directly into the ground. Then, start to build up the foliage, covering the frame and hiding any visible floral foam with small pieces of moss or more foliage. Secure trailing pieces of foliage at the top of the arch, and then continue to add flowers and foliage until you are happy with the coverage.
If you are getting married at the top of a staircase, you can incorporate this into your floral design. Flowers can climb up the railings of the staircase, culminating in a floral arch at the top. You can also add matching floral wreaths and runners to your staircase.
Multi-use archways
Many couples like to make the most of their archways by using them in more ways than one. Archways can be used to frame the wedding cake, as a photo backdrop, or broken up and used as part of a tablescape.
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Storage and preservation
Storing and preserving your wedding flowers correctly is essential to ensure they remain fresh and vibrant for your big day. Here are some detailed tips to help you do your own wedding flowers and keep them looking beautiful:
Storing Flowers Before Arrangement
When storing flowers before creating your bouquet, it is important to keep them in a cool place, such as a shed or garage, away from drafts and direct sunlight. Avoid storing them near ripening fruit, especially bananas, as fruit releases ethylene gas, which can cause flowers to wilt. Additionally, do not place flowers in a household fridge, as it is too cold for flower storage. For winter weddings, ensure flowers are kept in a frost-free location to prevent them from turning black.
Preparing the Flowers for Arrangement
Before arranging your flowers, trim the ends of the stems to allow them to absorb water more effectively. Change the water in the vase daily or every two days, and always use fresh, clean water to prevent bacterial growth.
Preserving the Final Bouquet
Once your bouquet is complete, give it a light spritz with fresh water, and cover it with a damp tissue paper to keep it fresh until your wedding. On the morning of the wedding, dry the stems and wrap them with ribbon, lace, or fabric to create a handle. Secure the wrapping with pins, and finally, cut the stems to neaten the base of the bouquet.
Additional Preservation Tips
To further preserve your wedding flowers, consider the following tips:
- Use flower food or a mixture of water and flower food in the vase.
- Recut the stems daily to allow the flowers to absorb water.
- Add a few drops of bleach to the vase to prevent cloudy water and fight bacteria.
- Avoid adding sugar to the vase, as it is not necessary and can attract insects.
- Store the bouquet in a cool room, away from direct sunlight, heat sources, and open windows to prevent dehydration.
- Experiment with household preservatives like mouthwash, apple cider vinegar, or a lemon-lime soda and water mixture.
By following these storage and preservation tips, you can ensure that your DIY wedding flowers remain fresh and beautiful for your special day.
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Frequently asked questions
The average cost of flowers for a wedding in the UK is around £1,200, but some people spend in excess of £4,000. Doing your own flowers can save you thousands.
Flowers with a large head, such as hydrangeas, dahlias and peonies are great for amateur arrangers as they make an immediate strong impact requiring little embellishment.
It’s important to store the bouquet correctly so that it’s perfect for your wedding day. Place in deep water overnight so that all of the stems drink well, and make sure the flowers are kept in a cool place, like a shed or a garage, and never in direct sunlight as they will wilt.
You can order flowers from a local flower grower for delivery straight to your door, or you can pick your own wedding flowers from a local farm.
