Flowers

The bridal bouquet began in ancient times when brides carried handfuls of flowers mixed with strong smelling herbs and spices to ward off evil spirits, bad luck and ill health.

Today, flowers are often one of the major expenses of the wedding. Floral decorations alone for a wedding can cost thousands of dollars. When I was pricing bouquets for our wedding, most florists were unwilling to make one for less than $200.

Because we were having a garden wedding, we used our flower allotment to purchase flowering perennial plants that will bloom year after year. These were added to the backdrop of trees and shrubs that were already in the garden. Our garden still has a more festive air because of these flower plantings.

The only cut flowers I purchased were for a bouquet. I just couldn't see spending $200 for the labor of a florist to wire flowers into a bouquet that I would use for twenty minutes during the ceremony. Instead, I spent only $50 and invested it all in flowers. Because I wanted particular colors and flowers, I found a florist who was willing to order the flowers only for me. I picked them up two days in advance so I could enjoy them while I was making the wedding preparations.

On the day of the wedding, I made my bouquet and a corsage for my maid of honor. It's very easy to make your own stylish bouquet. In addition to the flowers of your choice, you'll need green florist tape (it's sticky on both sides and can be purchased at florists and craft stores), about a yard of one-inch wide ribbon (plus additional ribbon for streamers), a straight pin, and a friend. I used green ribbon so as not to detract from the flowers, but you can use any color that coordinates well with the flowers, if you would like. Simply arrange the flowers so the bouquet looks the way you want it. Have your friend hold the bouquet for you and wrap the floral tape tightly around the stems for about six inches. Then cover the floral tape by wrapping the ribbon around and secure it with a straight pin. Trim the stems to about one inch below the ribbon, and tie on the streamers. By leaving the stems exposed on the end, you can put the finished bouquet in water to keep it fresh. I "recycled" my bouquet by giving it to a friend to enjoy while I was on my honeymoon. I gave other leftover flowers to other guests to take home.

For our first wedding, we were living near San Francisco and went to the wholesale flower mart there the day before the wedding. We were able to purchase armloads of flowers for very little money. I spent that afternoon with my best friend, my stepmother, and her mother--three generations of women sitting around a big table, drinking tea and making bouquets, head wreaths, boutonnieres, and even tiny clusters of flowers to attach to my wedding shoes. It was a wonderful experience to feel the love and support of these women for my wedding and my marriage, which I wouldn't have had if I had ordered all the flowers from a florist.

Organically grown flowers are available online. We didn't use them because the limited selection of colors available didn't coordinate with my dress.

If you have enough lead time, you can grow flowers yourself to use in your wedding. Or, you can gather wildflowers, if they are in season, or make your bouquet from other local, seasonal plants.

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