Budget Review: Flowers

Flowers

Artisan Flowers & Import Flowers

Florist: Jasmin Trenary

{This photo is owned by Natosha Benning. All rights reserved. Not for personal use}

{This photo is owned by Natosha Benning. All rights reserved. Not for personal use}

{© Epic Image Photography}

What We Got:

Jasmin is my best friend. She gave us the wonderful gift of her talents as a wedding gift. We paid for the flowers, which were purchased at wholesale cost through Import Flowers. I provided *most* of the vases in the decorations category
(she brought some as well). 

My flowers were hands down my favorite part of our wedding.

Total Cost: $385

Vendor Spotlight: Artisan Flowers

via Artisan Flowers

What happens when one of your best friends from your first graphic design job branches out into the world of floral design during your engagement? You get really friggin' lucky, that's what!

via Artisan Flowers

Please welcome Artisan Flowers to my arsenal of vendors/friendors who are starting new businesses in the wedding industry. I really enjoy collaborating with folks like Jasmin, Sarah Mallory and T30SB because, like myself, they enjoy working with brides, helping people problem solve and love this niche of the creative industries.

Jasmin has a blog and will be adding to her portfolio over the next few months. I'm very excited to see how my flowers turn out as we are using muted but lush fall colors that don't scream pumpkins and hayrides. Don't get me wrong, I love the fall. It's my absolute favorite time of the year. However, I didn't want our wedding to have the "typical" fall look. She plans to use red spray roses, hypericum, bear grass, ivy, Ivory roses, red roses, khaki roses and cinnamon roses. I love roses and I'm not ashamed of that.

We'll hang my hand-made & hand-dyed coffee filter pomanders around the venue as well! We'll be making those on Sunday with a few other wonderful friends who have offered to help me wrap up the wedding projects.

Have a wonderful Labor Day weekend, everyone!

My Friend is Awesome

Today, I got a text message that contained the picture below. My sweet friend Jasmin is already working on ideas for our wedding flowers, and although these aren't exactly the varieties or colors that we are using,  it looks great! She's working really hard on making our vintage Anchor Hocking bud vases for the reception look amazing and she's full of ideas.

I'm super excited about visiting Rose Mont Mansion later this month with Jasmin and Margaret, our coordinator. I'm hoping to get lots of details worked out and I'm certain they'll both have great ideas.

Autumn Wedding Floral Inspiration

I've gone back and forth over flower colors for our wedding and ultimately decided that if we're buying real flowers, I want color! Our budget for flowers is tiny, but since I'm buying them wholesale and having my florist friend arrange them, I'm hoping we can pull it off. Our color scheme is neutral, so I think bringing in fall colors will help pull things together - at least in my mind. What are you doing for flowers and where did your inspiration come from?

Don't forget to enter our "little" giveaway! 

Photo Credits: 


1. fall-bouquet1, 2. 13707782_710, 3. 1306dc55544f5bcbfad94ddb9a7c2329, 4. wedding cake wedding bouquet, 5. fallbouqet, 6. Jonathan Campbell Photography, 7. tik-bouquet, 8. Picture 2, 9. jenjoshweddingdeliveredjpeg-1137, 10. jenjoshweddingdeliveredjpeg-1390, 11. jenjoshweddingdeliveredjpeg-617, 12. jenjoshweddingdeliveredjpeg-445, 13. 081011_kmw_427, 14. 083_95480003, 15. clark_wedding_0226, 16. 600x600_1261632115814-n5699337382271074107, 17. 1041-bridal-bouquets-flowers, 18. 1225-centerpieces-flowers, 19. rw-lw-310-bridesmaids-bride, 20. McLellan Style, 21. redandwhite_bouquet, 22. Picture 4, 23. Picture 2, 24. nashville-garden-wedding-cedarwood-075, 25. autumn-wedding-inspiration-board

Gorgeous Flowers

photo via {Once Wed}

Collecting inspiration for my flowers. These are beautiful.

Bouquet Inspiration

photo via {Mint}

I love this bright, sunshiny Spring bouquet! I won't be able to get dogwood blossoms in the fall, but I could certainly adapt the rest.

DIY, Oh My!

My mama always said "if you want something done right, do it yourself." I'd like to modify it for the purposes of my wedding: "if you want something done right, affordably and have the time, then do it yourself."

These are the DIY projects I anticipate completing for our wedding:

• all planning (hoping to recruit a day-of-coordinator)

• invitations, save-the-dates, lined envelopes, programs, table numbers, place cards

• wedding favors

• my veil

• boutonnieres

• bouquets and centerpieces

• petal toss cones

• farewell bells

• cake topper (possibly)

• a cake stand

• keepsake handkerchiefs (if there is time left)

Top Row (Left to Right): monogrammed handkerchief via {the lace shop}/ wedding bells via {one wed}/ birdcage veil via {Bird Cage Veils}/ cake stands via {Macy's}/ceremony signs via {funkifolkart on Etsy}/wedding boutonniere via {myrakim on Etsy}/petal cones via {Wedding Bee}/wedding cake topper via {laurenalane}

Pretty Green Boutonnieres

Ooooh! I want some like these! I just discovered Laurie's blog through {Once Wed}, which is full of wedding inspiration and crafty projects. I think I'll go ahead and order those feathers I talked myself out of on Etsy.

Boutonnières are something I will most likely complete weeks before the wedding and leave a place for a live flower. I'm not entirely sure how to do this. Any suggestions?