DIY Wedding Flowers

Are you brave enough to DIY your own wedding flowers? It’s a doable project, but be prepared for a few dead flowers and very likely, a few tears, too! There’s deciding on your overall design, buying vases and floral supplies, learning how to arrange, and figuring out how you are going to transport the finished product to the venue.

To help make your DIY florals as successfully as possible, we turned to a man who has designed flowers for Oprah Winfrey, Jennifer Hudson, Barbara Walters, Shania Twain, and President Obama. Roberto Gonzalez, owner of Chicagobased Robert James Events, is as mighty with the bloom as he is with his biceps. He shares his best tips and tricks for making your florals awesome and painless.

Q: Is it a big mistake to DIY wedding flowers?

Roberto Gonzalez: I have seen it done successfully but I have also received many frantic daybefore-the-ceremony calls, asking me to take over. Then it becomes more expensive than if one had hired a professional from the start. If you are considering doing your own wedding flowers, I suggest you first watch a few video tutorials. See how wedding flowers are designed and really ask yourself if this is something you can take on. Consider the amount of pieces you will have to make and the amount of flowers you will have to buy.

Q: Do you recommend pulling ideas from Pinterest?

RG: Pinterest can be dangerous for first-timers. I would suggest not getting too technical and complex as it can be risky. The simpler, the better. I suggest picking one or two flowers and then practice constructing the arrangement before hand; not just once but three or four times.

Q: How should one go about choosing their flowers?

RG: For starters, make sure to pick hardy blooms that will last a while. As soon you get your flowers, cut the stem and put them in a bucket with clean water and remove all foliage below the water line. Keep the flowers in a cool place, out of direct sunlight. 65 to 70 degrees is optimal. Keep away from cooling vents, fans, radiators and windows.

Q: Where are the best places to buy vases?

RG: Often times, I find the best prices at craft stores and flea markets. When I’m in New York, one of my favorite places to get vases is jamaligarden.com. Get the vases ahead of time and consider the scale. Something that appears large in a store can look too small on a table. Think about the height of the piece, especially when all the guests are seated.

Q: What kind of floral supplies should one invest in?

RG: You should buy all your supplies ahead of time, and become familiarized with them. You can get them easily online. My favorite scissors are from Jamali Garden. The best professional floral foam is by Oasis. It’s available on Amazon. You’ll also need ribbons for bouquets and boutonnieres. They can be found at your local craft store.

Q: Should centerpieces be made in floral foam or in vases with water?

RG: It depends on the kind of task you want to embark on. I would recommend trying both to see which results you prefer. Some people find floral foam easier to work with. Others prefer water.

Q: Should they all be done the day befoe?

RG: Bouquets should be made the day before. Plan for about 30 minutes to 1 hour for construction and about 25 mins for each bridesmaid. One boutonniere is a breeze but when you have to make more, it becomes tricky. Centerpieces can be created two days before. Plan for spend about two to three hours for twelve centerpieces. You may need two people working on it if it’s a large centerpiece.

Q: How many people do you usually have on a team?

RG: We usually have about 15 professionals working on all the florals.

Q: How do we get the flowers to the venue?

RG: The real heroes are the drivers that make sure all florals get to the venue impeccably. Remember, centerpieces takes space because flowers cannot be stacked on top of each other. Take special consideration of the available height inside the car. When transporting water vases, the packing material becomes extremely important because you want to avoid spills. I suggest using strong flower boxes or milk crates with packing paper. And watch out for pot holes!

Who is responsible for cleaning up the flowers?

RG: Most people send the centerpieces home with special family members to show their appreciation. If you have lots of flowers left, a nursing home, a church or a children’s hospital would be happy to receive them.

Visit RobertJamesEvents.com. Follow Roberto on Twitter @robertoFlorist.

Photography by Rick Day.