Floral Design

For Memphis and Midsouth Weddings

Are you the kind of person who prefers to make homemade gifts, like hand-knitted sweaters and scarves? Are you a fanatic for scrap-booking? Do you love spicing up your clothes with your own bead and jewel designs? Do your friends turn to you for help when they need something crafty done?

If that's the case, then you may have considered adding your own creative spark to your wedding festivities. One great way to do that is to create your own wedding flower arrangements. Here are just a few ideas for wedding flowers you could do yourself.

Boutonnière

Odds are your men won’t be up for sporting your custom jewelry or latest knitting masterpiece at the altar. But you can certainly add your personal touch with flowers.

Difficulty level: Easy
Average time: 10-15 minutes
Skills involved: Wiring and taping flowers and their stems.
The challenge: A little time consuming if there are many to do. Do them assembly line fashion.
Tip: Do not curl your bout stem. No one does that anymore. It looks unprofessional.

Wedding Cake Decor

Unless you’re in the running for Top Chef, a wedding cake can be a daunting project. But you can take an "average" cake to "fantastic" with eye-catching florals.

Difficulty level: Medium
Average time: 30-40 minutes
Skills involved: Planning the design; preparing the flowers ahead of time.
The challenge: Coordinating the delivery of the cake with the time you have to do the actual decorating.
Tip: Put the larger flowers in place first, followed by the smaller ones. Add greenery as an accent.

Cascade Bouquet (Teardrop / Shower Bouquet)

You could create a necklace or earring set to add a hint of sparkle to the star of the show, but the bridal bouquet offers much more visual impact. Your bridesmaids will really be fighting to catch this piece.

Difficulty level: Hard
Average time: 45–60 minutes +
Skills involved: Planning the design with appropriate flowers; working with a wet foam bouquet holder; wiring and taping.
The challenge: Getting a good shape that is “airy” and not too compact.
Tip: As a finishing touch, hot glue satin bows to the back to help conceal the plastic holder.

Whether it's bouquets, table decorations or boutonnières, with a little time management and a lot of creativity, you can add your own crafty touch to your wedding.