When planning a wedding, one of the most important things to account for is, of course, the floral arrangements. The first thing that your guests notice is the décor. From the minute they step in and look around, they can tell if your wedding was put together last minute or if you truly paid attention to details. Flowers have the power to transform a space from dull and plain to bright and vivacious. One of the things I strongly suggest is that you should NOT try to do this by yourself; it can very stressful! Unless you have a very capable friend that can handle it, I'd strongly suggest going to a professional. Sometimes, brides try to be penny-smart, but end up becoming dollar-stupid... It's not always cheaper to do it yourself.
There are a couple of things that you can do to make your floral arrangements look stunning, without going over your budget:
Choose Colors that Fit: The colors should not clash with your surrounding color scheme. If your room is blue and silver do not use orange and hot pink just because the colors are in style! It will take away from the presence of the room and your floral arrangements are one of the first things your guests notice (after you, of course). Add flowers that calm and compliment your existing color scheme.
Size of the Center Pieces: Since it's the summer and the time of bright and bold colors, your centerpieces don't need to be overwhelmingly big. You want to keep your arrangements as refreshing as possible. Instead of size, add some body to your arrangements by adding fruit pieces to create an airy, modern look. Skip the typical, big, "fluffy" balls of flowers. Plus, this will help you stay within your budget!
Candles: Candles are always a great addition to floral arrangements. They add romance, warmth and subtle light to the table, providing a focal point. But, like most décor, too much can ruin the look. To keep it light and airy for the summer, I'd suggest floating candles in glass cylinders with water and a few white flowers floating in the mix to enhance the fresh, summer look.
Quality and Geography: When flowers don't grow locally, it's usually because the weather is too extreme for their survival. Therefore, importing flowers is not always the best idea. Use flowers that can handle the heat of summer. For instance, Calla Lilies, Orchids and Anthuriums are perfect for this time of year. One year, I was at a wedding that had large, voluptuous arrangements with elephant leaves that were positioned right in front of a plexi glass wall of running water creating a summery, Amazon forest-type feel... feel free to steal that idea!
Glam and Glitz: Although crystals are very wintery, if you are able to incorporate your wedding flowers with a touch of green or pink glass crystal jewels, then you will create a tasteful summer arrangement with a touch of glam and glitz!
Silk flowers that were gorgeous and great prices.
The best part, I still have my gorgeous bouquet in a lovely vase on my dresser.
Be creative!
It's elegant to carry one large flower, or even a single rose, instead of a bouquet. A large paper flower can be striking. (Add a few strategically placed crystals). It's about effect, not quantity.
I've helped friends decorate with branches and pine cones and spray paint, and strategically placed crystals to catch the light. These looked just as good as expensive arrangements.
My husband and I got married a few times, because some relatives couldn't travel to "the main event." The best was held at my grandmother's nursing home. I carried a single red rose (instead of the bouquet I used at our ceremony) and my husband carried a basket of roses from which he presented a single rose to each resident in the nursing home. (There were about 100 residents). That was much more effective than my bouquet had been and I felt much better personally with one rose (and a little greenery tied by a ribbon) than I did with the huge bouquet.
At another of our weddings for another family member unable to travel, we used potted flowering plants and added some additional tastefully positioned decorations. After that wedding, the guests were able to keep the potted plants.
(Don't forget to take the leftover flowers to a local nursing home or hospital where they'll be greatly appreciated).
We used floralexplosion.com. We got 200 stems for only $117. The flowers were gorgeous. I would highly recommend them.