A Florists Opinion on DIY WEDDINGS

Ok, so before you assume my what my opinions will be or skip to the end let me just say;  
I will try my best to give my honest professional reasonings for whether or not DIY-ing your wedding flowers is worth it. Take it however you like, and make up your own mind! 
 
Arranging flowers is hugely popular as a hobby (granted most of this demographic is the 60+ retired women who have stunning gardens) and, I'm going to be 100% honest here, anyone can do it. Anyone can gather some blooms, arrange the stems into a bunch and pop it into a vase, it's not that hard. But the technique behind it is what us professional florists spend years developing. There are so many rules of design that go into each bouquet we create, the lines between the flowers, the harmony of the colours, the flow and the rhythm. It's not something that can be picked up in a few hours or days, it takes time, practice and dedication (not to mention sore hands!).  
 
Now I love DIY. I'm a creative person so anytime there's the potential for me to create something with my own hands I am all for it. There are some pretty random projects found all around my house, from dress sewing attempts, to a soft case for my ukulele, jewelry of all sorts and even some half built/up-cycled furniture. There's just something so rewarding about buying the materials and turning them into something new, exciting and completely unique.  
 
If you are super creative and up for the challenge then I say go for it - make your own bouquets! Honestly the picture of the bride and her 'maids creating the bouquets they will carry down the aisle is so lovely. What great memories you'll make. 
Just make sure you know and understand your materials before you start. Look after your flowers to ensure they will last throughout your ceremony and reception and be beautiful for all your photos. I would recommend doing a trial run a few weeks before just to make sure you are confident on the day. 
 
Also be aware of how messy of a job it is. Each stem that comes into our studio has to be stripped of most of its leaves and thorns so we spend most our time in the workroom ankle deep in green leaves. A few weeks ago I made the mistake of wearing my new white shoes during wedding prep and unfortunately they only lasted one day... And ask any florist what their hands look like at the end of the day and you be surprised at how quickly flowers and foliage turn our fingers green. Another thing to note if you're using natives and blue gum you are going to get disgusting sticky and smelly sap on your hands and good luck getting it off. (On a side note if anyone has tips of how to get rid of sap please tell me - my fingers are sticking to the keyboard writing this) 
 
Another unfortunate con of DIY is that flowers are a last minute thing. They have to be arranged only a day before or the morning of the wedding to ensure the quality is up to par. It can be stressful if you're not organised, especially if there is a lot to do or set up for your wedding. 
There are a lot of thoughts to take into consideration. Arbor arrangements, signage flowers and petal aisles all have to be done as close to the ceremony start time as possible because they just don't last long in the elements (particularly on hot or windy days). Some venues don't allow access to their function rooms until only 2 hours before the reception begins which leaves little time to set up installs, table centres, cake flowers etc. Also many venues expect a midnight pack-down which will include taking apart arrangements and transporting them out of the venue (which doesn't sound like a fun thing to do on your wedding night hey....) 
 
Professional wedding floristry isn't just playing with pretty flowers all day. It can be stressful, time consuming, messy and tiring. But we are happy to do all the dirty work so you can enjoy every minute of your wedding day without having a second thought about who is supposed to be transporting the arbor arrangements or who is making sure the table centres are all in place. 
We have had multiple occasions where brides have come into the shop or called a week before their wedding desperate for help with their wedding flowers. It had come down to the last few days and they had found they had bitten off more than they could chew. Of course we helped them and offered what we could to help, but that unfortunate stress was definitely something no bride wants the week before her wedding. Some of you reading this will be fine. 
If you feel like it's something you're prepared for and really want to do then have fun and make the bouquet of your dreams! I honestly believe that as long as the bride is happy then that's all that matters. After all it is your wedding so you make the rules! ​