Let’s be clear: I believe florists are amazing and talented. I love the work I see most florists put out, and am in awe of how skilled they are. I follow some incredibly gifted florists on Instagram, and have photographed jaw dropping backsplashes, chuppahs, centerpieces and more, crafted by the best floral designers in the wedding industry. However, confession time: I did not have a floral budget when I had my own wedding. Weddings are expensive, and good florists are worth their weight in gold.
If you find yourself in the same predicament I was in when wedding planning, there’s good news ahead. With a little bit of elbow grease and patience, you can create your own bouquets, boutonnières, centerpieces and more. There are multiple companies out there ready to ship you high quality blooms, ready to be arranged for your wedding day.
In this round up, we will see five different options, executed perfectly, to inspire you to take the plunge into DIY wedding florals.
Flower Moxie
Flower Moxie has tons of mood boards, and the ability to customize the package. My bride went with the wildflower option and it was gorgeous. I was amazed when I learned she DIY-ed her flowers, I never would have guessed.
Blooms by the Box
Do you have some experience designing florals? If so, Blooms by the Box may be for you. While they do offer a handful of predesigned options, Blooms by the Box is great for creating your own vision. My bride (who is an artist by trade) took a local floral design course and created her own bouquets, boutonnières and centerpieces. I particularly love her use of the flowing amaranthus drooping out of her bouquet - so perfect for a fall Berkshires wedding!
Trader Joes
Believe it or not, everyone’s favorite grocer offers incredible quality florals. Have you ever passed by their beautifully curated selection as you walk into the store and wondered if you could make a bouquet out of those flowers? Guess what - you can! Over the years I have photographed two separate weddings that utilized Trader Joes blooms and both were stunning. My first wedding used Trader Joe’s flowers to decorate their chuppah, as well as for centerpieces throughout the lovely Airbnb they hosted their wedding at. For the second wedding, my bride made a simple and classic lily bouquet for herself, and gorgeous centerpieces for her tent, all using Trader Joes!
The Grocery Store!
For this wedding, my bride ordered bulk flowers from a grocery store named Giant Eagle, that was local to her wedding venue. She is a sculptor and managed to create a stunning bouquet for herself, as well as boutonnières, center pieces, and ceremony decor. When I arrived on the wedding day, I caught the tail end of her and her bridesmaids assembling the bouquets, and captured a photo to document the process. She chose to do her flowers day of because she was getting married on a hot day in June, where keeping the flowers cool over night was a difficult task. Even so, I would say her efforts were worth it, she did a great job!
Etsy
Do you sweat at the thought of having to do extra work in preparation for your wedding? Do you dislike the fact that flowers don’t last forever? Don’t worry - there’s another option out there for you! Did you know that silk flowers have come a long way? When you hear “silk flowers” maybe your mind goes to something cheap you’d imagine at a dollar store or something. Nope. Silk flowers are hand crafted to look as life like as possible, guaranteeing you will have an arrangement you can keep forever as a reminder of your wedding day. Luckily, Etsy has some amazing options out there. I love this bouquet and boutonnière created by Mtfloral on Etsy - it’s simple and pretty, and I didn’t even realize it was silk until I asked the bride who her florist was!
