Deciding if you are the DIY bride type

There is no question about it, DIY brides can save money by doing it all themselves.  But when it comes to doing it all, do you have what it takes?  Here are a few things to consider about becoming a DIY bride.


1.  You have the knowledge and knowhow.  If you are the crafty type that spends hours looking through magazines and recreating the projects with ease, then DIY is for you!  It does take some skill to make the perfect wedding bouquet.  Even as a florist I have found myself tossing the flowers back into the bucket and walking away before it all goes down hill.  These are the days I'm happy to have backup and get advice from the other florist in the shop.  If you have made arrangements in the past or even helped others create their wedding flowers, you are all set. 

2.  You have the time.  On a nice sized wedding we can spend upwards of 40 hours on creating the pieces.  This includes consulting with the bride, determining flower count, ordering flowers and supplies, processing the flowers, and making the bouquets and centerpieces.  Now your time will vary depending on your skill level and flower choices.  If you are doing simple single flower arrangements you could breeze right through it.


3.  You have a designer in your back pocket.  You may know a person that has spent time in the floral industry, or is naturally talented.  If so take time to meet with this person and discuss your ideas.  They may have just what it takes to make your day perfect.

4.  You have the budget.  It's not all about the flowers when considering your budget.  You also have to take into account the containers, the supplies, and the materials to make your arrangements.  This may include florist tape, cutters, processing chemicals, bouquet holders, bowls or dishes for centerpieces, and more.  All of this is factored in when a florist gives you a quote.  If you do not have these materials you will need to make a few purchases to make your designs.

5.  You enjoy it!  This is important.  Your wedding day will come with stress.  You are going to be following up with photographers, DJ's, limo services, caterers, and the likes.  If you enjoy working with flowers and designing this could be a great stress reliever.  You could find yourself sweeping your cares away as you strip thorns off of roses.  This could be the perfect way for you to regain your balance before the big day.


If you think you have what it takes to DIY then jump in!  Get inspiration from blogs, flower shops, friends, and family.  Then get started on creating the day of your dreams!

Things to do before you call your florist

For the DIY bride looking for a hybrid wedding, a little bit of us and a little bit of you.  This is a guide from our partner florist The Secret Garden.  

It's wedding season!  We wanted to write a little bit 
about what to expect at a bridal consultation. 
First a little about us:

We are a full service florist, offering you a wide selection 
of fresh flowers as well as silk flowers and balloons.  
In addition we offer rental items such as candelabras, 
floral baskets, centerpieces, and arches.  
These pieces are available not only for the ceremony 
but for the reception as well.  We also offer delivery 
and set up of all of your wedding day items.

The Secret Garden is limited to only fifty on-site weddings 
a year so book as soon as possible to guarantee your date.

Now for the fun part~ 
Before you schedule your appointment 
you will need to have the following tasks completed.

Wedding Date:______________

Ceremony Location:____________________________

Contact Person at location:_____________________

Reception Site:___________________________

Contact Person at location:__________________

Photographer:___________________  Time of Photos:___________________

Caterer: _______________________  Set up Time:_____________________

Cake Decorator:_________________  Set up Time:_____________________

Theme or Style of Wedding, Color Scheme, and the number 
in the wedding party.

____ Brides dress purchased

____ Attendants dresses purchased

____ Grooms attire picked out or decided upon

____ Groom's attendants attire decided upon

____ Mother of the Bride's color scheme decided upon.

One of the most important things in making the floral 
selection is your dress.  The style of your dress sets 
everything into motion. 

We pride ourselves on our one on one attention we give 
to each bride.  This is why we only schedule one on-site 
wedding each week.  We want to make your day the 
wedding of your dreams and this insures our undivided 
attention. 

One thing we can not do is give price quotes over the 
phone. The factors that go into pricing a bouquet range 
from type of flowers all the way down to what type of 
ribbon will hold it all together.  Another thing that we 
do not offer is package deals.  Your wedding day is one 
of a kind and so are your needs.  We will gather all of the
information we need to give you the most accurate quote 
at your consultation.  

Also keep in mind that not all flowers are in season year
around.  The way flowers are grown now it is possible to 
get almost all the flowers you want at anytime of year but 
at a greater cost.  For example, roses at Valentine's day 
would not be the best choice as far as cost goes.  But we 
will work with you on prices and selection at the 
consultation.

Expect your consultation to last about 2 hours.  
First you will look through books to give us an idea of 
what size and shape you are wanting your bouquet to be.  
Then we will walk through a check list to make sure we 
cover everyone from the Mother of the Bride to the servers.  
Everyone in your wedding is special and goes into making 
your day perfect. Then we will discuss decorations, flowers 
for tables, pew bows, rented items, and so on.  Be sure to 
bring with you any pictures, samples, swatches, and ideas
that you may have to help the process along.  

We sure hope this helps lay out what to expect at 
your bridal consultation.  If you would like to schedule 
yours today give us a call: 
217-875-9038 or stop by: 1215 E. Pershing Rd.

Hello & Welcome

As florists we noticed that more and more brides are going the DIY route.  Our bridal consultations have included the phrases, "We are doing our own centerpieces for the reception" or "We just need the bridal bouquet we are doing the rest on our own".  As a business owner at first this was frustrating, but then we embraced the changing world of special events.  Today a new side of our business is being formed.  This side of the business will include:

• Bulk Flower Buying
• Supply Buying
• How To Videos
• How To Tutorials
• Hands on Classes at our shop
• Professional Advice on Flowers

We hope by providing these services we can help you create the special event of your dreams.  We will be rolling these new services in phases.  The first, as you can see, is the blog.  This blog will help you find all of the information you need to DIY.  

Thank you for visiting.