DIY Weddings
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Planted by: Jennifer Tidwell
Date: Monday November 23, 2009
Planted in: Flower Gardens,Frugal Gardening,Wedding Flowers
**This is also a permanent page on the site, but I wanted to open it up for comment.
In an effort to be more environmentally conscious and save money in the process, many brides are designing and even growing their own wedding flowers. Buying flowers that are grown locally can save green in more ways than one.
Properly conditioned, flowers will last beatifully out of water. The advantage of locally grown flowers is that they are cut fresh just a few days before you need them, and are stored in water and delivered or picked up in water. This dramatically increases their vase and bouquet potential.
If you are considering a “DIY Wedding” I encourage you to check out these sites for inspiration:
- Brides.com wedding flower gallery
- TheKnot.com wedding flower gallery
- Martha Stewart Weddings bouquet gallery
These sites have galleries of real wedding flowers that will take your breath away. Once you determine your style, color scheme and budget you can begin planning. If you want to grow your own flowers, you may need to order your plants, bulbs or seeds up to a year in advance depending on what kind of flowers you want to use. If you are working with a grower and ordering bulk quantities of flowers, it’s best that you contact them at least six months in advance so they can plan the crops accordingly. Unless your grower is also a skilled flower designer, you will need to go into your meeting with a solid idea of what kinds of flowers will go well with your chosen theme.
Many growers will request that you sign a contract and pay a non-refundable deposit up front. This is no different than many of the other wedding vendors you will use, and you should ask for a contract to protect your own interests. A grower will probably refund your deposit in the event of a crop failure, but is not likely to if you change your mind at the last minute. Whether or not your wedding goes forward doesn’t change the fact that the grower ordered seeds and supplies to fulfill your order. Check your contract for the details.
You will want the grower to cut your flowers no more than three days in advance and condition them properly before you pick them up or have them delivered. Conditioning includes cutting the stems at an angle, hydrating properly and holding in a storage solution so they will be at their peak when placed in bouquets. The grower may also offer to arrange the bouquets for you if they have the capability, but expect to pay retail value for your arrangements just as you would at a regular florist to compensate for additional labor and materials.
One thing to remember about decorating your wedding with locally grown flowers is that you may have to remain flexible and be creative. Be sure your contract includes reasonable substitutes for your flowers in the case of crop failure or natural disaster. If you would prefer to go with the flow, ask your grower if you can come out three days prior to your wedding and cut what’s available. You take the risk of not getting exactly what you want, but you may also be pleasantly surprised.
The biggest reward of using locally grown flowers is knowing that you are supporting the local economy and being more environmentally friendly.
If you aren’t near Backyard Grown Gardens and want to find locally grown flowers for your wedding, here are some resources:
Possibly Related Posts:
- Perennials you Can Grow for your Wedding, Part I
- I would just like to rant a moment
- Garden Bed Preparation
- No tilling. EVER!
- Growing your own wedding flowers
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