These "Bouts" Are Made For Walkin'

Down the aisle, that is...

I've been searching for fun and creative boutonnière ideas for our December wedding. It was one of those items that I knew we'd have to do, but didn't really get excited about. That is, until ETSY changed my mind. Now I'm so excited about another diy project that I can hardly contain myself. I had never dared imagine anything other than a rose, a leaf, and some baby's breath. Silly me! Look at all the fabulous items from ETSY vendors (Erica Cavanagh, Kate Said Yes, Emily K Botanic Studio, and Boutique In Bloom:

I love the idea of incorporating organic elements like small pine cones and feathers, with silk elements like faux berries and pearls.

I think I'm probably going to tackle this project myself, along with some ETSY inspiration. I definitely want to create something unique and one-of-a-kind for the fellas!

Flowers!

So, it's time to start thinking about bouquets. I'm really excited about it. We're using silk flowers for centerpieces and aisle decor, so the bouquets will be one of the few places we're using live blooms. As a result, I feel obligated to put a lot of thought into it, since they'll be representing all their Oxygen-producing, photosynthesizing brethren.

Here's what I know:
I want a mix of red and white flowers.
I want to add some organic elements like berries and fiddleheads.
I want the bridesmaid bouquets to just be smaller versions of mine.
I want tulips and lily of the valley to represent my Scandinavian heritage.

Since we're getting married in Florida, the growing season is much longer, so I know I'll have a wide variety of flowers available to me. I'm not too much of a traditional rose kinda gal, so I'm leaning toward what I consider more interesting options, such as:

Anemones and Tulips:

Peonies and Ranunculus:

Gardenia and Lisianthus:

Lily of the Valley and Stephanotis:

Hypericum Berries, Fern Fiddleheads, and Dusty Miller:

These are the bouquets that I'm using as my inspiration:




We'll probably incorporate some real versions of the silk cousins featured in our pomanders and centerpieces, just to make sure everything is cohesive. Did you do real or silk flowers for your ceremony and reception?

My DIY Pomander

I've mentioned before that I am fascinated by pomanders. They are just such lovely little balls of happy that I can't resist. When envisioning my ceremony, I saw myself gliding down an aisle lined with them. I couldn't resist the urge to try to make one. How hard can it be, right? It's just clipping silk flowers and jamming them in a styrofoam ball, isn't it?

My first vision was an orb of snow white carnations, perhaps with a few pearls tucked in for some sparkle. Well, trips to JoAnn's, Michael's, A. C. Moore, and Hobby Lobby yielded exactly zero white carnations.

Hmmm... now what? Roses? Perhaps, but when they are too large, the ball looks a bit comical. Comical is NOT what I'm going for in my ethereal vision of pomanders. Do they have to be white? I guess not, let me see what I can find in the red department. So I did. I decided on mixing red and white flowers, with small pearls tucked in for a little gleam.

So I got to work, clipping the flowers off the stalks. I got a little help from my buddy:


In the end, I really like the mix of colors and I lurrrvvve the pearls. I even like the organic quality achieved by tucking in leaves here and there.

We also have seven silver lanterns that we plan to alternate: pomander, lantern, pomander, lantern... you get the idea. Pretty and festive- what more could you ask for?

Current Obsession: Pomanders

Perhaps it's the fact that it's May Day and I'm consumed by thoughts of flowers, but I've decided to take a hiatus from my OOT bag obsession to move on to a new fascination: pomanders. Those lovely, little balls of flowers that adorn so many weddings these days. They are fun and happy, and isn't that what a wedding should be? I love them made out of tissue. I love them made out of fabric. I love them made out of real flowers. I love them made out of silk flowers (Is it me, or do I sound like the Cat in the Hat? I love them in a box, I love them with a fox).

Not sure what I'm talking about? Well take a look:



Mark my words, these little babies will show up somewhere in the future. Stay tuned...

Centerpieces take Center Stage

So how did I spend my easter week end? Making wedding centerpieces, of course!

OK, so I knew we wanted to cut back our wedding costs as much as possible, and there were several areas that I was willing to trim. First among the list is centerpieces. While I want something pretty and formal enough for a wedding reception, I'm also not afraid of silk.

My mom and I took a couple trips to Michael's and we found a lovely silk arrangement that we thought we could copy. So, armed with a 40%off coupon and good intentions, we struck off through the aisles of silk flowers. We ended up with a lot of greenery, some pretty white and red flowers, and (the piece de resistance, read in a french accent) sparkly red butterflies.

Here is the final result:


We have neat mirror tiles upon which these little beauties will sit, and they will be surrounded by sky blue votives and silver-framed table numbers. Love it!