DIY Wedding Centerpieces

Fabulous centerpieces for your big day that won't break the bank!

Weddings can break the bank. So knowing your way around a hot glue gun can save a small fortune in the wedding budget and free up those funds for something else. My daughter had her eye on these gorgeous centerpieces when she saw them online a year or so before her wedding. We took the photos to our florist who estimated the cost at $150 each. We needed 20. That number didn't include bouquets, boutonnières, corsages, or flowers at the church. I know for some people that is a very reasonable floral budget but this simple girl (born in Kentucky) had to work to keep from choking on my coffee. The money was one thing, but then I thought of all these gorgeous live flower arrangements being tossed in the trash after the reception. It seemed like a frivolous waste of money to me. I knew if we did go with them I would at least deliver them to the local nursing home so the residents could enjoy them for a few days before they wilted into oblivion, but still. Side Note: Whenever you have flowers or balloons left over from a birthday party or event drop them by the nursing home the residents truly enjoy them.

I asked about doing the arrangement in silks and we were quoted upwards of $250 each. Well okay that's even worse.

I can copy about anything I see on Pinterest or in a Martha Stewart magazine back when that was a thing.

I headed to my local craft supply store and purchased enough materials do one centerpiece. Test run.

What You'll Need:

10 - 12 large assorted flowers

6 - 8 small assorted flowers

Greenery and fill

8" floral 1/2 rounds

Wire Cutters

A glass of wine and a good movie (this project takes some time)

Where to Go:

• Michaels

• Hobby Lobby

• Dollar Tree (No, seriously!)

It took a couple hours and a little trial and error to get the look we were hoping to achieve. When you are working silk flowers don't be afraid to bend them and tweak them a little. Creating a draping, billowy look just takes a little fiddling. They are very forgiving so play with them. Pull up some Youtube videos to help you gain confidence. I usually begin with a few of the large pieces, spacing them out not in a perfectly balanced equal distance but in zones or quarters of the base. Place the large ones, then the small ones, and then add your greenery or fill elements, varying the height. Just play with it. You can take it apart and start over as many times as you need to.

When it was finished my daughter loved it. We took it to our wedding vendor and tried it out with the vessels we had ordered. We had the wedding coordinator meet up with us for a final approval. She loved it! That was that. Now 19 more.

I worked on this project over the course of 4 months. I probably spent about 60 hours total including the shopping. Once I knew exactly how many pieces each arrangement needed I sorted everything into 19 bins with all the components to make each arrangement. It took awhile but it was so worth it for the savings and most importantly, making my daughter's wedding dreams come true.

A few lessons were learned along the way. Your local craft supply stores carry florals seasonally. Once we knew it was a go I went ahead and purchased all the florals I needed in late winter/early spring. As it turned out that was a saving grace. Many months later in August and September when I decided to add a couple other coordinating arrangements to the list it was next to impossible to find appropriate wedding florals and greenery. My Michael's store was overflowing with sunflowers and fall arrangements but a white rose was no where to be seen. After fall they carry winter flowers and the spring is of course daisies and the like. You have to buy your wedding flowers early in the year.

I followed the sales and used 40% and 50% off coupons to save even more. Also to my surprise I found white roses at Dollar Tree. They were smaller than the large ones I was using but they provided great fill and at $1 for a small bunch, they were a bargain.

Doing the reception flowers and so many of the little touches for her wedding was such a blessing to me. The reception was held at the Golf Course in their beautiful hall but personally creating and arranging all the centerpieces made it feel personal, like an extension of our home. As if each of our guests were truly, being entertained and hosted by my husband and I. It was intimate and personal which was an important element in my daughter's vision.

And the icing on the cake? When the wedding was over I listed all those beautiful centerpieces on a local Facebook swap and sell page. I sold all the centerpieces for $450. Making my final cost on the flowers $150.

But the icing was the look on the buyer/bride-to-be's face when she came to look at them. She fell in love with them and was so happy to have them. Her exact words were, "I always wanted something like this but they were not in our budget." She was so happy to load them into her car. She texted me photos later of them being used in her reception. Her intention was to sell them after her wedding too, so who knows how many weddings they will bless in the end.

Photos courtesy of Nicole J Photography - http://www.nicolejphotography.com/