I've only recently been able to catch back up on reading my long list of wedding blogs... whew! I stumbled upon this re-post over at Earth Friendly Weddings, my ultimate go-to site for everything green, chic, and wedding related! Check out the lovely and simple ideas Jennifer has up for creating a showcase for early spring blooms.
It seems like flowers and centerpieces are constantly evolving. There are so many more new and innovative ways to decorate your ceremony and reception sites, more than I even had merely 3 years ago!
While perusing Martha Stewart Weddings the other day, I ran across a few of my favorite, breathtaking floral inspirations. I'm just amazed at the sheer number of ideas out there—use it to your advantage ladies, and check out Martha's 50 favorite centerpieces now!
I think fall has officially fell here in Mid-Michigan. The leaves are slowly taking over the ground, flip flops are since retired, and sweaters are out in full force. I like fall, but not as much as summer. The light and dainty flowers of summer have now turned to seed and some of my perennials are already ascending into the ground.The one bright and beautiful flower I still see around town are the dahlias. They've been catching my eye recently, especially when everything else is turning brown! Dahlias come in so many colors and have such interesting patterns and textures. You could literally build an entire wedding around this amazing little flower.Don't feel like your options are limited if you're having a fall wedding, check out all of these colorful options!
Fruit has been a feature item in many wedding centerpieces lately, and I’m loving every single one of them! Here’s a twist on filling your vase with whole fruit — slice it up instead! These yummy limes add such a nice punch of color, and would smell great too!
Searching for some poppy inspiration, I ran across Poppy's Petalworks, out of San Fransisco, California. Laura is an artistic floral designer who brings an updated and fresh look to all of her creations. Her portfolio is just full of amazing photos and innovative ideas, you absolutely must take a peek! I love the fact that she has them all organized by color and style, it makes searching a whole lot easier!
Flowers that are native to your state (Michigan in our case) can be both beautiful and cost saving when planning for your big event. Some species can be found in your back yard, and others can be acquired through nurseries. Use them in table arrangements (possibly paired with a local piece of pottery), in bouquets, or as favors.
You can educate your guests on the local flora by naming tables after them, or even making a donation towards preserving them!
A few of my favorite native Michigan plants include Black Eyed Susans, Wooded Sunflowers, Asters, Wild Bergamot, Columbine and the Michigan Lily.
Here are a few links to nurseries with species lists, as well as plants for sale in Michigan: Michigan Wildflower Farm, MNPPA, Light of Day Organics.
Flower credits: 1. Aster 2. Wooded Sunflower 3. Wild Bergamot, by John Dykstra 4. Michigan Lily 5. Black Eyed Susans 6. Columbine
Don’t miss our new mini-series, Regional Relics, beginning Monday, June 8th! These next 5 posts will be focused on rounding up goodies from around our home state of Michigan, and incorporating them into your wedding plans.
Note: While this post is centered around products found in the state of Michigan, comparable products can be found in your home state. We highly encourage readers to do a little digging to find out what’s unique to their location!
Postcard image: Michigan Historical Museum, logo: RSVP Invitation Studios
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I love tiny little houseplants, in tiny little pots. I have a few succulents arranged in my guest bathroom, and various African violets resting in small decorative pots along my bookshelf. They’re great for accenting, bring a little pinch of color to an otherwise dead space, and are easy to care for!
Not only do these little plants work well in my home, they would be perfect as a parting favor! First of all, they look unique, modern and clean. Secondly, for your guests sake, they’re easy to maintain, sitting in an office window or atop a stack of book at home. And finally, they’re easy on your pocket book!
I love things that serve double duty, as long as they look like they have a connection… I don’t want to see your cake topper combined with your garter or anything crazy like that!
These simple bud vases double as a place card holder, and at a price of 6 for $10.00, they are quite the steal! This concept can be translated into other ideas as well, when it comes to place card holders. You could easily borrow the concept with a tea light instead of a bud vase as well!
If you’re on a tight budget, think about using the place card vase as a table number, that way you only need one per table instead of one per guest.
Right about now, in Michigan, the flowering trees are out in full force. Just driving 15 minutes around our little town, you can see and smell the wonderful varieties of flowering crabapple, magnolia, and cherry trees.
Sometimes I think these trees can be even more beautiful than vase full of flowers. The branches have character and accent the light blooms perfectly, which is why I thought they might make clever centerpieces! Trim a few nonchalant branches from some of your neighborhood trees for a harmless way to dress up your wedding décor.
Here’s a how-to straight from Apartment Therapy on a simple branch centerpiece.
These hand-made flower pins from Linda & Harriett are not only beautiful, but eco-friendly too! They’re part of a new, Redesigned Line, and are assembled using letterpress misprints.
Use these as they are or add some natural looking embellishments for a trendy corsage at your bridal shower. Check out more dazling paper products at the Linda & Harriett site!
I’m really loving the style of floral & event designer Claire Bean right now. It’s probably because I’m a sucker for anything involving flowers, especially the picture perfect blooms featured in Claire’s work. I'm also on a big purple kick... must be the fresh spring air. Either way, these lovelies caught my eye today!
Take a peek at her site for endless ideas on bouquets, table tops and ceremonies.
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Conservatory weddings have a lot going for them; for one, they hold that fresh, outdoor, airy feeling without the unpredictable weather! They also have natural floral arrangements that won't come out of your wedding budget! What could be better? If you have one of these in your area, definitely check it out, it might even be appropriate for a moonlight rehearsal dinner.
Other variations of this setting could include a butterfly house, botanical garden, or greenhouse.
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Flowers are a beautiful way to dress up your ceremony site, but it can be hard to shell out the cash when you’ll really only be enjoying them for a few hours. Make your flowers work double time, as they fill your church and then later at your reception!
I love pomanders for this specific reason... after they're done dressing up your aisle or pews, you can repurpose them in a vase or on the back of your chair.
Sources: Row 1; 1, 2, 3. Row 2; 1, 2, 3. Row 3; 1, 2, 3.
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Love this post over at Celebrate Beautifully on centerpieces under $20! Looking at the photos, I actually favor some of these simple arrangements more than their elaborate counter parts!
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