How to Arrange Wedding Flowers for the Reception

Creating your own flower arrangements for your wedding allows you to be creative and save money.

Couples on a budget may be looking to cut corners wherever they can. While florists can create beautiful arrangements, they can also take a large portion out of your budget. Arranging your own wedding flowers will save you money and allow you to be creative with the process. This is a cost-effective opportunity to make your wedding vision become a reality. With some research and technique, you can create floral arrangements that are picture perfect.

Things You'll Need

• Flowers
• Scissors
• Vases
• Ribbon

Instructions

1. 

   Research past events to figure out the flowers that will look best at your wedding.

   Research flower arrangements from other weddings. There are a lot of resources for this. Check out wedding magazines, wedding blogs, and search for event photos online. Keep a binder full of all the inspiration you have found. Narrow down your interests. Figure out which types of flowers you like. Consider the time of year that you will be getting married and consult a seasonal flower guide to make sure the flowers will be available at that time of year. Order them from a florist or a nursery. Aside from your flowers, consider ordering filler plants such a baby's breath.

2. 

   Search thrift shops for creative flower vase alternatives.

   Collect vessels for your flowers. You can get creative with this step. Use anything from traditional vases to Mason jars to antique trophy cups. Search thrift stores and antique shops for goblets, pitchers or anything else you can arrange your flowers in. Keep your wedding colors in mind while shopping for vessels.

3. 

   Gather your supplies to create a beautiful bouquet.

   Pick up your flowers the day before the wedding. Make sure you have enough room for the flowers on your counter top and in your refrigerator. Gather your supplies. You will need buckets of water to keep the flowers in, floral pins, scissors, ribbon and your vases.

4. Arrange your flowers by sectioning off the types of flowers you want to have together. You may want arrangements of one particular flower or a variety of flowers. The length of the stems will vary depending on the vase you are using. When cutting stems, do it under a running faucet. If you have a large arrangement, you may need to use a floral pin to keep the arrangement together. Decorate your arrangements and vases with ribbons, if you please.

References

• All Wedding Ideas: Do It Yourself Bouquet
• DIY Planner: DIY Wedding Flowers
• Julie's Flowers and Gifts: How to Arrange Your Wedding Flowers

Resources

• Wedding Flowers Guide: Guide to Seasonal Wedding Flowers