Floral Alternatives: Part One

I love flowers.  I'll admit that I don't know much about them, but I do appreciate their beauty and it makes me happy to have them in a pretty vase on my kitchen table!  What I don't love about flowers is their cost.  Flowers are so expensive!  I can imagine them eating, very quickly, through our very small budget.  Originally our plan was to make all of our floral arrangements ourselves using flowers from the Los Angeles Flower District.  That will mean we'll have A LOT of work to do just a few days before the wedding.  The more I think about how stressful that will be, the more the idea of "alternative flowers" grows on me.


Does anyone remember this movie?  My grandma taped it for me when I was little; it was on the Disney Channel and we didn't have cable.  I remember loving this song!  I would make paper flowers for my mom to take to work so that she wouldn't miss me : )

Paper flowers can be made to look very realistic, or not, depending on what you like.  Bright flowers made of card stock can look very modern and clean, while crepe paper and coffee filters make absolutely beautiful roses!  Whatever your style, there is an endless supply of paper flower inspiration--and tutorials--on the internet.

These are a few of my favorites:

I love the thought of turning your favorite book, a book of love poems, or even Love Letters of Great Men (And Women)*, into your bridal bouquet.  It would be a great conversation piece!

{source}

These tissue carnations are made very similarly to tissue pomanders.  I think they're pretty, though.  They'd look nice bunched together tightly in a bouquet, don't you think?

 

{tutorial here}

This bride made all of her bridesmaids' bouquets out of tissue, hand-painted coffee filters, and card stock.  I love the aqua card stock flowers with the red roses.  I think they really make the bouquets original and fun.

{source}

I made these roses a few years ago from crepe paper using Martha's tutorial.  They. Take. FOREVER.  Seriously, I think this one bouquet took me three days, at three hours or so a day, to finish.  They turned out nicely, though.

{picture courtesy of my old camera phone}

Paper Source sells various paper flower kits that are all so pretty.  They even have flower making classes for those of you who are fortunate enough to live nearby one of their stores.

{source}

Poppies have always been one of my favorite flowers.  I think I'd really like to include these in our centerpieces; I wonder if they take nearly as long to make as Martha's roses?

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I've saved the best for last:

These are probably the most amazing pomanders I've seen.  I'd take these over real flowers any day... I can't imagine how much time they took to make!

 {read her how-to!}

I really, really like the idea of having paper flowers.  There's just something about them that's so cheerful!  No wonder Andy's paper daisy always made him feel safe : )  I know they're  not completely unique anymore, but I'm sure they would be for most of my guests!  I think my biggest concern would be having the time, and the patience, to actually get them finished.

Will "artificial" flowers play a role in your wedding?  If so, have you been able to finish them in a timely manner? 


*Because I know we all love us some Sex and the City.