diy wedding guide

D I A N A D E V I T O

Do-It-YourselfWedding FlowersTHE GUIDE TO

2014 www.BloomsByTheBox.com

ContentsIntroduction ................................................................................................................................................................................... 1

Get Ready to DIY Your Wedding Flowers ..................................................................................................................... 2

DIY Wedding Flowers Rules to Live By ....................................................................................................................... 7

DIY Wedding Flowers: Color Basics ............................................................................................................................... 11

Selecting DIY Flowers: Color & Texture ........................................................................................................................ 16

Floral Arrangement Basics: Form & Shape .................................................................................................................. 23

Floral Arrangement Basics: Flower Prep ...................................................................................................................... 25

The Top 10 Wedding Flowers .............................................................................................................................................. 27

A Do-It-Yourself Bridal Bouquet Tutorial ...................................................................................................................... 41

All About Flower Petals .......................................................................................................................................................... 45

Youre Ready to DIY Your Wedding Flowers! ............................................................................................................. 48

Additional Resources ............................................................................................................................................................... 49

For More InformationHave questions? Call 855-BUY-BLOOMS or visit us at www.BloomsByTheBox.com, where youll find

how-to videos, step-by-step flower arrangement tutorials, flower availability information, our own

flower-pairing tools, live chat assistance and the industrys finest customer service!

THE Do-It-Yourself GUIDE TO Wedding Flowers

2014 www.BloomsByTheBox.comCALL 1-855-BUY-BLOOMS VISIT www.BloomsByTheBox.com

PAGE 1

Flowers are as common in a wedding as the white dress. Lets face it: A wedding would not be

complete without a bridal bouquet, boutonnire, or centerpiece. The beauty in their

colors, shapes, and textures, along with their fragrance, make flowers the perfect

accompaniment to every style of wedding.

Whoever came up with the slogan Say it with Flowers was no

dummy - and possibly a bride - because wedding flowers will set the

tone and look for your big day. Whether you consider yourself a

flower know-it-all, an admirer, or completely clueless, you can pull

off a fabulous floral design for your wedding!

Excuse the pun, but altar your thinking! Contrary to popu-

lar belief, creating your own bridal bouquets and arrangements

is NOT an impossible feat. For all of you brides on budgets out

there, incorporating DIY projects in your wedding are essential if

you want to save some major cash. So dont be afraid to unleash

your inner DIY Bride!

You dont need to be excessively artistic to make beautiful ar-

rangements for your wedding. Doing your own wedding flowers is

probably one of the easiest ways you can both be creative and save

money for your big day. Where there is a will, theres a way!

Get Over Your Flower Phobia!

THE Do-It-Yourself GUIDE TO Wedding Flowers

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PAGE 2

Get Ready to DIY Your Wedding Flowers!Here are some helpful hints to make your DIY wedding flower experience a little easier!

1. There is a difference between wholesale flowers and retail flowers.

First of all, just because you are buying wholesale flowers for your wedding DOES NOT mean that youre

not getting quality flowers. We buy flowers from the finest growers throughout the world including Central

America, South America, Europe, and the United States, which is also where the top-notch florists get their

flowers. The only difference: They are not arranged and when you buy our flowers youre getting them for a

fraction of the price that you would pay at a retail florist. Our growers must meet our high standards for qual-

ity and consistency and are regarded as the finest in the industry.

I bet you have seen a floral arrangement at an event. And Im sure that most of you have either given or

received flowers for either Valentines Day or Mothers Day. Well, these gorgeous arrangements are the fin-

ished product. A florist put in a lot of elbow grease for these flowers to look this way. These flowers are fully

bloomed and have gone through all of the necessary flower prep to look their freshest and finest. This is not

how your wholesale flowers will arrive, so here are some things you should know about wholesale flowers.

THE Do-It-Yourself GUIDE TO Wedding Flowers

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Most wholesale flowers are cut and shipped BEFORE they have fully bloomed. When you receive your

flowers their blooms may be tight. Lilies are excellent examples of flowers that need time to fully bloom. The

reason why wholesale flowers are cut and shipped before their peak is because we want to guarantee that

the flowers you order are fresh and in full bloom for your wedding or event. Additionally, we want to ensure

that your flowers stay fresh for the longest duration so you are able to enjoy them days or even weeks after

they are used. (Helpful Hint: Warm to hot water will help the flowers bloom faster).

Wholesale flowers need some TLC! Your flowers will arrive to you how a florist would receive flowers be-

fore they prim and prep them. Remember, like a florist, you are receiving these flowers after they had made a

long trip without water, so they will be very thirsty. Roses will still have thorns on them, so be careful!

When placing an order, we suggest that you select a requested ship date of 3 days before your wedding,

meaning you receive the flowers 2 days before. This way, you can hydrate the flowers the day you receive

them while allowing them to open for a day. Arrange the flowers the day before the wedding, keep them

hydrated in water or floral foam.

Wholesale flowers are almost always packaged by the grower in bunches. The bunch might be wrapped in

a cellophane sleeve, or tied together. The number of stems might be exact, as bunches of Roses we provide

consist of exactly 25 stems. Each variety tends to have a standard stem count per bunch, but there could be

variations by grower.

2. Realize that doing your own flowers isnt cheap, its just cheaper.

According to The Wedding Report, the average cost of a wedding in 2010 was $23,867. A fraction of that

total goes to flowers. Just a bridal bouquet can cost up to $300! Yes, by deciding to do your own bridal bou-

quet you could save up to $250, but remember that you are still going to spend a good chunk of cash on your

wedding flowers.

A common misconception when buying wholesale flowers is that brides believe they will only be paying a

couple hundred dollars on a generous amount of wedding flowers. In some cases, this is may be true; how-

ever, remember that just because you are buying flowers at a fraction of retail prices does not mean that

you arent going to spend money. Yes, wholesale flowers are sold in bulk at lower prices, but think about how

many flowers you are going to need in total (for both your ceremony and reception) and then make sure to

budget accordingly! Be realistic when determining how much you want to spend on flowers.

3. Make a plan.

You wouldnt just have a wedding without some planning, right? Well, the same goes for your wedding flow-

ers. It is essential that you make yourself a Wedding Flower Game Plan where you plan the days (or time-

line) that you will be doing your research, asking questions, determining your flower budget, choosing your

THE Do-It-Yourself GUIDE TO Wedding Flowers

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PAGE 4

flowers, gathering your flower decorating team, deciding what flowers you want in your bouquets vs. what

flowers you want in your centerpieces, ordering your sample flowers, making your trial arrangements, prac-

ticing, ordering your flowers and making your wedding arrangements. If remember only one thing from this

guide, remember this: Do your wedding flowers the day before your wedding. You cannot, I repeat, CANNOT,

do you flowers on your wedding day if you want your sanity intact.

Also, keep in mind that from choosing your wedding flowers to having them walk down the aisle with you is

a process and will take some time. You arent going to research what flowers youre interested in, order your

sample flowers, and do a trial ru