The moment you dive into the sea of wedding planning advice, you are pulled in both directions—spend on this and scrimp on that—but in the end it has to come down to preference and personal vision. Arranging wedding flowers is a growing trend with DIY couples, often ordering from a range of online wholesale flower companies like BloomsByTheBox or from a local farm. And though this hands-on decision may sound daunting at first, it’s very practical both in budget and execution.
This trend is not to say that a florist does not have incredibly specialized skills—arranging your own flowers will truly showcase this fact—rather, it’s a way to connect with the true customization of your décor, all the while making your budget more practical. If you’re on the fence however, consider these five reasons of why couples are beginning to arrange their own bouquets, boutonnieres, and centerpieces.
1. Customize your Design
A professional florist holds a wealth of information when it comes to varieties of blossoms, bulk greens, and seasonal preferences, but many of today’s wholesale flower vendors will walk you through the proper care, pairings, and quirks of each flower on their website. Many take some of the work out of the equation by grouping flowers in packages by season and style. But you also have the option to browse through individual flowers on your own, sparking the creative mind, perhaps even inspiring the wedding’s theme or overall motif. In this case, you and your fiancé’s personal artistic perspective in then incorporated into the floral arrangements—allowing a touch of distinct creativity to the uniqueness of your day.
As for learning to arrange, a little online research and practice goes a long way. There are often drop-in classes in certain cities as well. Most importantly, arm yourself with more information than you need—both on proper care of the flowers and the selection of helpful tools and supplies. With an artistic eye and a little bit of practice, arranging on your own is very manageable and nothing to steer away from due to inexperience.
2. Trimming that Budget
Yes, you are spending more time researching, choosing, and arranging the flowers, but when this level of crafting brings you joy, it is well worth the balance. And man, what a difference it makes on a budget’s total. Buying from a wholesale company allows more flexibility in both variety and cost; you also have the option to section off your flowers as you choose, especially if you have a uniquely shaped venue that requires smaller arrangements throughout the space.
3. Flower Arranging Parties
Hosting arrangement parties are an excellent way to slow down and celebrate with your wedding party the day before everything takes off. Between the rush of last-minute planning and the influx of arriving family members, it’s often hard to find space to take a breath, sit down, and reconnect with your friends. Mixed with a bottle of prosecco, the floral prep (usually two days before) and the arrangements (one day before), are the perfect balance of mindless activity and creative decision-making to destress and celebrate the small intricacies of your planning. And what’s best—it helps everyone slow down, and welcomes everyone to add their own personal touches to their arrangements throughout used throughout the wedding.
4. An Added Personal Connection
Looking out over the reception and ceremony space is always a breathtaking moment, but when you’ve arranged your own fresh flower arrangements, it provides an added sense of pride and connection to your hosting space. As mentioned earlier, you and your wedding parties’ individual flowers now also reflect each person’s unique style, expanding the sense of ownership across the group. And since you managed the original order yourself, consider adding small touches of flowers that may hold personal connection for you and your family.
5. Perfect for Smaller Weddings
For those looking to plan an intimate wedding, or who are hoping to plan a wedding in a shortened period of time, it’s helpful to have additional outlets for cutting and trimming. Though arranging your own flowers takes more time on the labor end of the spectrum, buying your own stock helps control the true amount you really need. Minimum orders for most sites are relatively low, making it easy to simply order enough for bouquets and minimal décor, especially if you’re eloping or holding a private celebration.
Whether you’re looking to trim your budget, celebrate your creativity, or both, arranging your own flowers is a deeply unique and rewarding experience. Weddings are all about reflecting you and your fiancé’s personal style and traditions, and this is a lovely, unique place to begin.
Interesting comment about a “mindless” activity of creating a floral arrangement…. I’m sure you mean well.
I seriously doubt that any of the pictured bouquets were the result of “mindless activity” as you state. “Minimum orders are relatively low”, I suppose, if your supplier is the local grocery store. I personally find this article frivolous at best and completely misleading for a bride to be in regards to the amount of money and time one invests to create truly beautiful and memorable floral arrangements.
I hope they didn’t pay a professional to write this crap. Surely a random off the street could write this drivel as a “mindless activity” while watching TV and braiding their hair. Those florists are total jerks!
Thanks for your thoughts, all. It sounds like my intended message was a bit misconstrued, definitely did not mean to diminish the work that goes into floral arrangements. I have loved the work (and I totally agree it is work) that goes into this type of specialized design–so much so that I find the arranging calming (perhaps mindless was a confusing word) , but I do agree it is not easy or cheap. It is a way to cut down the budget, but it is definitely not for everyone.
I deeply respect the work and training of professional florists, but also enjoy sharing my experience with arranging my own flowers. Thanks again for your thoughts!
Omw is this a joke?
I would love to see some photos of weddings with DIY flowers. Not sure if any of the ones included in this article are actually from DIY couples? Even more so, I would love to read personal stories from weddings where they did all of their own flowers… perhaps blog style. That narrative combined with photos would give me a better idea as to what the process looks like and expectations vs. reality.
Recently received a great comment notification via email (I believe it will appear here shortly?)–either way–it inquired about the weddings pictured and whether they included personally arranged flowers. It also asked for more information about true experiences arranging on your own. I can definitely assure that the pictures by Kimberley Craven were hand-designed, since these are from me and my husband’s wedding:) I was told the additional photos were as well, and I will happily ask for more info on the couples’ experience.
Also, I love that this has brought up the question of process–such as, what are expectations vs. reality with using a wholesale company? What can you really expect throughout the process? I would be happy to write more about my experience, especially if brides are seeking advice. It does take logistical planning and studying, and there is the factor that you do not have the training of a professional florist (so yes, it’s a bit nerve-wracking in the end, and it will never look the same than if it were done by a professional), but as a couple looking to limit their budget, I loved the process and the way our flowers turned out. But as with all DIY experiences, it is not worth the worry for everyone, and that I understand. Do not hesitate to reach out personally via my blog with any further questions. I’m happy to share our budget, process, and issues we encountered. Thanks!
This is the most MISLEADING article I have ever read !!! If wedding flower sound so easy like you mention in your blog why would florist pay thousand of dollar to go to school and learn about color scheme, how to care for a certain bloom. Maybe you should get your more information before posting this article. We do what we do because is a lot of work. You expect the bride to process 200 hydrangea and rose a couple of day before her wedding ??? Maybe you should talk to a real florist before posting this misleading article !
OMG I love this article! I’ve been really curious about doing my own flowers/ flower arranging and I’m so glad to see another brave bride 😉 Florists do AMAZING work but I just can’t afford it. And look, your wedding is just that– YOURS. It seems like the writer was happy with her flowers, and that’s great! This writer *was* the bride and *actually* arranged the flowers in those pictures herself, for a small intimate ceremony, so not sure what some of you mean or why you’re so upset, if it made her happy and she liked them? That’s all I want too, and I love the idea of bonding with bridesmaids over it. I told my fiance what flowers cost by real florist and he was like, NO WAY. I’m desperate for ways to trim the budget and reading this was like, thank you. And those pics look great good for her.