Yep, call me crazy, but way back in 2009 when I got married, I decided I wanted to do my own flower arrangements instead of hiring a wedding florist. I had an idea in my head and a colour scheme of fuchsia pink and turquoise, and I don’t know, I’m quite a creative person and I like doing these types of things. To me it is fun. So why pay someone to do it when I could do my own arrangements at my own wedding. How did it turn out? Well have a look at the photos and see what you think.

So how did I do it? Well I did a LOT of research before hand, visiting the big flower market in Vauxhall for inspiration. I watched YouTube videos and read wedding magazines until I knew the sort of thing I wanted.

I bought 11 glass bowls from a wedding supply company online – for 10 round tables and 1 top table. I bought fuchsia pink and turquoise ribbon, turquoise feathers, those foam flower holders and diamonte pins from Hobbycraft. I bought pink and turquoise sand from Ikea in Wembley, and then the whole tealight holder display from the neighbouring Tesco. The coloured tealight candles were also from that Tesco from the outdoor section, so they had citronella in them – bonus(!)

I practiced beforehand with the glass bowls arranging roses inside them, and decided on the circular look.

The day before the wedding I went to both Tesco and Sainsbury’s and bought pretty much the whole flower displays! I bought pink roses and pink gerberas and white lilies, along with the green foliage that came with them. At home, I stored them in buckets of water.

I made my flowers that evening, along with 4 bridesmaids’ flowers and 10 buttonhole flowers for my husband-to-be, the best men, my brother, my dad and my grandad-in-law. I can’t remember how I got them to him as I didn’t see him until the wedding morning. Somebody must have taken them over I guess!

With my flowers I had pink and white roses, pink gerbera and tropical looking foliage (as the wedding was meant to have a tropical feel – we were going to Hawaii for our honeymoon!) – and I brought blue into the arrangement by inserting blue feathers. I tidied the stems by tying pink and blue ribbon round, like a candy cane.

The bridemaids’ flowers were a simpler version with a pink ribbon tying them together. The buttonhole flowers were a simple white rose attached with a diamonte pin. I stored the flowers in a fridge the night before.

I’m not going to lie, it was a bit stressful. I panicked when it took longer than I expected to make and it was 9pm the night before the wedding. But I did it and it looked just great when everyone was dressed up, the bridemaids in their pink and blue saris with flower hairclips – a tropical looking wedding.

On the evening after the Registry (Saturday night), we headed on to the Reception venue with my siblings and cousins to set it up for Sunday. We brought all the things I had bought and I basically showed them how I made one flower bowl arrangement and delegated! I had also made flower wall decorations and small flower arrangement for the outdoor picnic tables.

My mum had made our wedding cake and she handcrafted the lilies and parrots from sugar. It looked amazing and really complimented the flowers on the wall.

With a team effort, all the flower arrangements were made and set up as you can see in the photos above. I was so happy with them. I know it’s not the same a paying for an actual wedding florist to do it, not as posh, but hey, this was my style, my way, and I saved a grand – can’t complain about that!

What do you think? Would you do your own wedding flowers?

Sabrina x