The paradox of wedding flowers is as follows: they are, by far, one of the most expensive elements of your wedding; yet, they are also something that no one really cares about. Yet, they contribute hugely to the ambiance. Flip-flop, flip-flop.
There are so many things that your family and friends insist on having strong opinions about, right? For example, why does your aunt care about the number of chairs per row, and why does your mom get upset when discussing your wedding party? I don’t know; but I do know this - flowers are often Switzerland. I chose to have handmade bouquets and boutineers at my wedding, and guess what? For better or worse, no one cared. Did someone have an opinion on the cocktail hour hors d'Oeuvres? Yes. Did someone express their unhappiness towards my color scheme? Yes. Did someone who was not involved with the photoshoot in any capacity try to become part of said photoshoot? Yes. Did they succeed? Yup. Was someone concerned about the amount of Beyonce I would allow to be played at the reception? Yes; several people, actually. BUT, no one cared that I chose paper & wood flowers! I guess, what I’m trying to say is, you have free rein! You can choose your flowers without any guilt that your decision could upset your partner’s step-cousin. So, take a deep breath, and enjoy figuring out what YOU want.
Pros & Cons for handmade flowers:
You can keep them. This may be one of the biggest draws to handmade flowers. All bouquets, boutineers, and centerpieces can serve as keepsakes for as long as you both shall live. On the other hand, this might only be sweet for the first 0-5 years, give or take. After that, they just become another thing you feel too guilty to throw away. If you hate clutter the way I do, you will someday figure out that anything marketed as a “souvenir”, “keepsake”, “favor”, or “momento” will bring happiness for one moment, and then straight up haunt all the other remaining moments of your life. Please email me directly if you would like to learn more about wedding-momento seances, as I have hosted several. For myself.
They can function as a wedding party gift. Add a little something extra the bouquets, such as a personalized charm, and they can provide a dual-purpose as a wedding asset and a gift.
Early arrival. If you choose handmade flowers, you can add them to the list of items that will arrive before the wedding. Cheers to one less vendor to worry about on the day of.
No Wilting. You don’t have to worry about them drying or wilting in the summer months. You also no longer have to worry if the venue has enough fridge space for fresh flowers. If they do have enough fridge space, it can just mean more room for cake, which means more cake overall, which is ideal.
Expense. Handmade flowers can be less expensive than real ones, depending on your vendor(s) and preferences.
They can’t outshine you. Although handmade flowers can be absolutely stunning, nothing is more beautiful than nature; and nature’s greatest beauty of all is the flower. It seems a little insane to openly invite that type of competition into your wedding, but to each their own. I didn’t have real flowers at my wedding for the same reason I didn’t allow Taylor Swift to be there, even after she begged me to attend.
No Allergies. No one, no matter how big of a pain in the ass they are, can claim to be allergic to your handmade flowers. Although, some people have been known to break out when in the vicinity of wood glue, paper, silk, or joy. So, I guess I can’t say “no one” with too much confidence.
A florist may still be needed. Even if you take the handmade route, you may still want a florist for centerpieces, arches, displays, etc.
A Tricky Flower toss. You probably won’t want to toss your keepsake bouquet. If you plan to have a flower toss, consider getting a separate, smaller, toss-bouquet. I drunkenly threw my handmade bouquet, and it was never the same after that.
Smell. It used to be that, unless you wanted to put an air freshener in your handmade flowers, they wouldn’t smell like anything; now, many of these flowers are scented. Nonetheless, If you love the smell of real, fresh flowers, you won’t exactly find it here. Natural is natural, synthetic is synthetic.
Fragility. Although all types of flowers are fragile, handmade ones, depending on quality and material, might not hold up very well in inclement weather, enthusiastic dance battles, or when accidentally sat on.
In the end, your choice of flowers is likely to actually be yours. Enjoy it!
Xoxo,
The KE Team
Photo credit from top to bottom, left to right: Aaron and Whitney Photography, Love and Perry, Zev Fisher Photography, Katie Robbins Photography, Zev Fisher Photography, Sweet Lady Jane Photography, Vanessa Lewis Photography
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