Should I DIY My Wedding Flowers?

Photo Credit: Roy Nuesca

As someone who had done my own and my friends’ before I became a floral designer, I whole-heartedly support and understand why you may consider it.  It’s why we offer bulk floral boxes and design services for the DIY bride!

So speaking from my own experiences pre-floral designer and now, as one, I feel the most important questions would be:

• Does the idea of “homemade” flowers give me butterflies or does it fill me with dread? 
• Will I still love my wedding if things don’t look exactly as I expect it to?

If saving money is your ONLY motivating factor, I would strongly suggest finding a floral designer who can work within your budget or help you find other solutions. DIY may save you some money but it’s a trade-off. If you’re already not looking forward to it, that’s not a good sign.

The next questions would be:

• How big is my wedding? 
  When you consider flowers for the ceremony, your bridal party, your bouquet and your reception tables, think about how much man-power that will take. Both to make your flowers and then setting up that day. If there is too much to take on and not enough help, consider DIY-ing part of it and hiring out a floral designer to take care of the rest.

• Can I keep it simple?
  As artistically-inclined as I am, I have to admit, arranging flowers is harder than it looks if you’ve never done it before. Take a floral workshop or some online classes and practice a few times in advance.  Garden-style designs and low arrangements are more forgiving. Tall, elevated structures and installations are not for the faint-of-heart.

• Am I a crafty person or do I have family or friends who are?
  If you are and/or if you do, it will make many DIY aspects of your wedding more enjoyable, including the flowers. Throw a flower arranging party and incorporate making your flowers part of the celebration instead of a chore.
  
  
• Will I have a lot of social activities right up to my wedding?
  You will need to carve out dedicated time for your flowers that week before your wedding. Flowers are time-consuming. For the few days leading up to your wedding, prioritize your flowers.
  
  
• Do I generally handle stress well?
  Flowers are work. There is more manual labor than most people expect, planning and coordination involved, and keeping them alive will feel stressful, especially if this is new for you.  If you make it a fun activity for you and your helpers, it will truly change the way you go about it.  But be prepared, it will add another layer to your wedding planning and possibly consume more time than you expect.
  
  
• Am I organized or... can I be? 
  Being organized and planning in advance will make it manageable.
  
  
• Do I tend to do everything on my own or am I able to delegate?
  Divide and conquer — more help will not hurt.  If you tend not to ask for help, know that this time, you should.
  
  
• Will my friends or family help?
  Ask for help early on so they can plan ahead and make time for you.  If you have a friend who has done it before, lean on her or him! If you and your partner are handling it all, don’t hesitate to scale your wedding back. You don’t want to kill each other before you tie the knot!
  
  
• Lastly, know your limits
  I know, this isn’t a question.  Be realistic in your expectations of yourself and of others. If you’re starting to feel a lot of pressure or putting pressure on your loved ones, take a deep breath and remember, the flowers are not the main event. Don’t lose perspective on what’s important.

 If, after all this, you are excited and raring to go, you are ready my friend, go forth!

Excited to start DIYing your florals?

I can help!