I cannot tell you how long I’ve been SEARCHING for these cotton flowers! You would think they would be relatively easy to find, considering I see them growing in fields all throughout the South, but they’re not. So, I was super surprised and excited to stumble across them while I was looking for Christmas Ornaments last night.
ShopTerrain.com, which has a great selection of rustic chic products for you and your home, is selling cotton stems (that are fairly large) for a decent price. If you’re buying in bulk (like for a wedding) it wouldn’t hurt to reach out to them and see if you can get a discount. I just bought 5 for a home arrangement, so I’ll take a picture of them when I get them set up.
I think cotton flowers are a great addition to a country/rustic/vintage wedding. In my dream world I would pair them with these Pottery Barn vintage oversized wine bottles, but at $99-$279/each, that’s not happening. Instead, I would suggest you go to TJMaxx Home Goods and look for unique tall vases with a rustic feel. Or, you can buy a plain gallon jug here for as low as $3.11 each!
When it came time to thinking about what kind of flowers I wanted for my wedding, I didn’t know where to start. First, I knew nothing about gardening or the names of flowers, except for three: roses, peonies, and tulips. Oh wait, and gladiolas, too! Yes, I am florally challenged.
Since I wasn’t working with a traditional florist, there wasn’t a “shop” I could visit where someone could explain to me what was available. It was more like “tell me what you want.” So, I had to figure it out.
Wedding magazines were a huge help in the floral department, except that most of the flowers I saw and loved were either way too expensive or out of season. For example, let’s take peonies. They are only in season in the US primarily late April-June, and cost about two or three times as much as roses (which are always in season). Of course, you can get peonies when they’re out of season, but because they have to be shipped in from other climates, you’re going to pay a pretty penny for them. According to this online wholesaler (which is a great resource if you’re looking to DIY your flowers), 25 Hot Pink Ecuadorian Roses will cost you $49.99, while 100 Hot Pink Peonies will cost you $329.99 in May. For June, November, and December add $60 to that, and for Feb-April and July-October add $500!
If you love peonies (which I do) but don’t love the price, you can get a garden rose variety that basically looks the same. For example, this Peony Roseis available year-round and costs $199.99 for 48 stems. Still not as inexpensive as traditional roses, but not nearly as expensive as peonies. I ended up going with a mixture of garden roses and traditional roses that were 2-3 days old, so they had that “open” and more rustic look.
For a quick overview of what’s in season when, I’ve compiled a short list of popular wedding flower types by season and their wholesale price according to Fiftyflowers.com. For a more detailed look at the most common flowers used by florists, click here. Remember, roses are available year round, so they’re not included in this roundup. Orchids are another year-round option, too, and they average around $180 for 50 extra long stems:
I got back from Miami (where the wedding is going to be) on Saturday, and feel like I’ve been in a wedding tornado!
While my 10 days down there was exhausting, it was also really rewarding. I’m relieved AND excited to finally have a date, venue, and everything else finally in place. Since my last post, I’ve made some planning progress. I’ve booked the photographer, finalized the wedding menu, sent out my save the dates (right in the nick of time!), bought my wedding dress and veil, completed my wedding website and registry, and started a whole slew of other things on my to-do list. Here’s what else I was able to accomplish in 10 days:
Decide on a color scheme
I actually got my inspiration from stamps I used on my Save the Dates. I also realized that strangely enough, my wedding website had the same colors. Since I’m having a Fall wedding with a sort of Renaissance/rustic Italian villa vibe (more on that later), I thought these colors would work perfectly.
Start thinking about table décor
This is a work in progress, but I’ve finally been able to figure out how I want the tables to look. One of the things I love about my venue is that they have these amazing farm tables instead of the round tables with linens on them that you see everywhere. Paired with a modern Phillipe Starck Bo chair, it’s a great mix between rustic and modern and I want to carry that over on the table settings as well.
Bo chair
I went to the local Anthropologie store for inspiration, and they were extremely helpful. A saleswoman was helping us with a few questions, and actually brought the creative director out to speak with us, who normally does the in-store displays. If you’re looking for some free help from an expert, try doing this in your local store! She actually gave us some great ideas, and who doesn’t love that store? I’d like to live in one of their catalogues.
Since I have a farm table at home, I am going to try and set up a “test” table so I can start to get an idea of what my ideas will look like together. I’ll post the results as soon as I finish!
Figure out the flower situation
I met with several florists when I was down in Miami, and of course I was shocked at the prices they gave me! There is no way I am spending thousands of dollars on flowers. Mostly because when looking through these florists’ portfolios, I wanted to gag. I HATE those tall centerpieces that everybody and their mother has at weddings and other events. To me they’re like the teased bangs of the 80′s. Gross.
I actually want my flowers to look natural, not like some superhuman creation that Edward Scissorhands could have made. Because of this, I’ve decided not to go with one florist for the event, and instead get my flowers from a wholesaler and hire a designer from there who can do simple arrangements (such as roses cut short…that’s it!). I want the flowers on tables to look like I did them myself (and that I have some skills. LOL). I *might* hire a florist to do flowers for the huppah and entry to the venue, but that’s it.
I still have lots to do (like finalize a cocktail hour band and dj, and find a reasonable hair and makeup person), but other than that, I would say I’ve planned 80% of my wedding in a week. Not bad!
My lack of updates last week was actually due to the fact that I was getting ready to go to Louisville for my first-ever Kentucky Derby. We drove up on Friday and were honored to go to the Governor’s Ball that night, and then the 136th Kentucky Derby the following day. We had SUCH a great time despite the lousy weather (even though the sun did come out just in time for the 11th race. It was amazing!). While we didn’t win any money on the races, I did score a ton of ideas for a fabulous Kentucky-themed wedding. Even if you don’t live in the commonwealth, you can still steal some of its’ charm for your big day. Check out my inspiration board, below.
1.Speciality Drink: The Mint Julep
Pass around the official drink of the Derby, The Mint Julep, during your cocktail hour. I can attest to how tasty and potent these are, since I had 5 of them last Saturday. Yee-haw!
Spread these out along your reception tables for a unique touch. (They’re good luck, too!) I found this cool website where you can order old ones in bulk.
3.Get a Bluegrass band
Hiring a bluegrass band to play music before, during, and after your ceremony (particularly during cocktail hour) adds a unique twist to your Kentucky-inspired wedding. Go to GigMasters.com to find one in your area.
4. Wildflowers
The Goldenrod (Solidago altissima), a wildflower, is the official state flower of Kentucky. Ask your florist for an assortment of yellow wildlflowers (or pick your own!) for your table and bouquets, but make sure you’re not allergic to any of them first!
5. Derby-chic wedding dress
This Ivory silk crepe gown from Carolina Herrera’s Spring 2011 collection (it’s called ‘Berenice’) is perfect for balmy Kentucky days. And, if you mimic this Carolina Herrerra look and include a statement hat in lieu of a traditional veil, you’ll be paying homage to the Kentucky Derby.
Instead of a traditional guestbook, have guests sign an old (or new) bourbon barrel. Shipping might get a bit expensive, but how cool would it be to have an old barrel displayed in your home to remind you of your big day?
As a newly engaged writer, I had a hard time finding the practical information I needed to plan my wedding. While the wedding books, magazines, and websites I read had pretty pictures, they seemed to just skim the surface when it came to providing helpful ways for me to create the wedding of my dreams. Now that I'm married, I hope this blog serves as a resource for all you other bride-to-be's, with unique ideas for wedding venues, wedding decorations, wedding dresses, and more!
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