Tips on creating your floral fantasy on a budget

Bride's dabbling in do-it-yourself flowers should not try to do too much.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
It's easy to get caught up in prewedding daydreams: hundreds of flowers draped over chairs and pews, sprouting from napkin rings, cascading off buffet tables, and filling the arms of the bride and bridesmaids.
But for many people planning a wedding, budgets get in the way of floral fantasies.
"I love orchids: exotic, beautiful orchids," says Laurie Kuther, who got married in Twin Falls, Idaho, last year. "But we were trying to work on a budget, and so, honestly, they were the last thing on my mind."
Instead, Kuther bought gerbera daisies and ranunculus from discount stores and online retailers, and recruited a sister-in-law to put together the bouquets, corsages, boutonni & egrave;res and table centerpieces.
"I could not be happier about how it all turned out. The colors of the gerbera daisies were incredible," Kuther says. "We saved hundred of dollars."
More and more brides are dabbling in do-it-yourself flowers, says Leanne Kesler, president of the Floral Design Institute Learning Center in Portland, Ore. But she and other floral experts warn there's a right way and a wrong way to take on the task.
"Doing it yourself is always grand except for when it gets to the moment and you're swamped and crazy," Kesler says. "It's better to consider doing part of it, and then use a trusted florist for the rest instead of ruining your manicure the night before the wedding."
A personal touch
So how to add a personal touch and save money?
Don't try to fill the reception hall with flowers. The room will be full of smiling friends, tables and chairs, and wedding gifts, all of which contribute to the overall visual impact, says Tom Simmons, president-elect of the American Institute of Floral Designers and owner of Three Bunch Palms Productions, a special-event company in Los Angeles.
Add one distinctive "signature" that everyone will remember. Make the bouquets out of inexpensive flowers -- hardy and fragrant carnations, for instance -- and add a little bling to make them special. "Ornamentation is hot," Kesler says. "I say, go to the local junk store and find really cool costume jewelry and cut it apart. Bumblebee pins and such attached to a bouquet are lovely and fun."
Stay in season. Roses, normally an inexpensive choice, can be outrageously overpriced around Valentine's Day. Ranunculus are a spring bloom, harder to find in the fall or winter. The best values are things that are locally grown.
Consider flowers from wholesalers or discount stores. "We've tested a lot of the big box stores to see the quality, and we've had good luck," Kesler says. "But you really need to be prepared because you get raw product and you're going to spend more time prepping flowers than arranging them."
Keep it simple. Ask about bulk discounts for large quantities of one or two flowers, instead of smaller purchases of several different blooms. "My favorite bouquet is a cluster of 14 single-colored roses with a ribbon around the bunch," says Kuther's sister-in-law, Kandace Lee, who arranges flowers as a hobby. "It's simple and classy ."
Go nontraditional. Bunches of fall leaves, blooming twigs from a cherry tree, or bowls of citrus fruits can make beautiful and inexpensive centerpieces. "A basket of apples is gorgeous. Try grapes or nuts with fresh flowers, or huge flowering plum branches." says Kesler.
Focus on the most important floral displays. Flowers tied to the cake knife and champagne flutes may look pretty, but those details aren't nearly as important as the bridal bouquet, which will show up in many of the wedding photos.
Pick a few things that can be done in the last days before the wedding, such as simple centerpieces, and enlist help. "Have a bridesmaid's luncheon and floral design party," Kesler suggests. "Focus on the peripheral flowers."
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