DIY Boutonnières

If you've read my earlier post, you already know my desire to try my hand at DIY boutonnieres. Admittedly, I started slow. I wasn't sure where to begin the structure of the mini floral arrangement. I could have searched for one of the thousands of articles online, but my computer was in the other room, and I was feeling stubborn. It's just silk flowers and floral wire, for crying out loud!

After a little trial and error, I actually put together a boutonnière that I'm sort of in love with! It has the right blend of earth tones and reds, and even has a little sparkle. I even used some of the same floral elements that Mom and I used in the centerpieces and pomanders. I must say, if I can toot my own horn a little bit, I'm very pleased with the results.

Although it took me MUCH longer than expected (Don't all DIY projects seem to do that?), It actually saved me a good bit of money. Had I ordered them from one of my favorite vendors on Etsy, it probably would have cost me about $75, which is quite reasonable, don't get me wrong. With all my supplies, I think all six will cost me about $30. Plus, I have the satisfaction of having done them myself and I'm proud of that!

I definitely won't be quitting my day job, largely because I'd have to charge about $60 per boutonnière to account for my time! Would you consider DIY boutonnières?

Bridesmaid Dresses

Whew... After a lot of deliberation and trying on dresses, we've finally decided on Ruby from David's Bridal. Originally, I was thinking that Truffle would be the winner, but once I saw my girls in the red, there was no going back. Since I can't figure out how to get a picture out of my text messages, I'll just have to show you the choices from the David's Bridal website.

My girls will be able to choose whatever style they like (as long as the dress is knee-length or tea-length). They will also be wearing silver shoes, since I'm not a matchy-matchy kind of girl.