Rethinking DIY Flowers

OK--So here's the deal.
I know what I want the flowers at our wedding to look like. Exactly.
And considering the savings to be seen from having my mom and crew help me with very simple centerpieces and the omnipresence of wholesale flowers online, I have been very set on creating our own centerpieces etc.
The most compelling reason for this thought is the sheer price-tag on florists.
The second reason is that we're not having a bunch of flowers, anyway...and the idea of having complete control over the outcome.

BUT, after reading tons of caveats about DIY flowers...I have begun to reconsider.
I mean, anything can go wrong. What if the flowers never arrived? Or arrived in bad shape? Or wilted? Or...the list goes on.
What if, even after test-running my arrangements well in advance, they just don't come out right for our big day?
What if someone really hurts themselves de-thorning roses?

Fiance and I were talking tonight, and seeing how simple we want our centerpieces, we think we'll price some florists first just to see. Originally, I was going to a floral only for: bouts and my bouquet.
We'll meet with some florists the second week of October and I'll update you then.
But do know, if it's too outrageous, I'm sticking to the original plan.

My flowers are Drownin': aka.Submerging Flowers

One recent trend in modern floral design that I really think is gorgeous/striking/conversation piece/weird is the water-submerged flower.
Of course, my first thought when imagining myself trying to submerge a flower was, "hey, don't flowers float?? How will it stay put? Will it die?"
Well... apparently, only some flowers float (like, I think, roses) and submerging flowers in water is actually a trick to "spruce up" wilting flowers, so it seems that many flower types may actually fare BETTER under the H2O. Also, apparently there is a floral glue that will fix a flower stem to the bottom of a vase, or you can wire and tape flower stems and anchor them to the vase bottom with decorative rocks or marbles. A good background and "how-to" article on submerged flowers ("Submerged flowers are a sunken treasure") can be found here at www.mkeonline.com. The story says submerging flowers actually "magnifies them" and suggests placing blooms upside down in the water.
You can also see this thread on IndieBride where one DIY bride created lovely submerged orchids and candles centerpieces. She got all of her materials from the "Dollar Tree" except the orchids.
The trend seemed to have reached Cleveland. One cool flower shop called Fleurs de France has ventured into submerging flowers AND even throwing some floating candles on top. Which leads to my next ingenuous inquiry, "Hey! Won't the candle flame burn the flowers!"
Here is a photo of the DIY bride's table I referenced above:

And here are more drowning flowers:

And the Dress Saga Continues...

Yesterday, a fellow wedding blogger drew my attention to a Watters gown I hadn't seen that is trumpet-style and resembles some of the haute couture gowns that are far beyond what I can do budget-wise. So here I have posted pics of that Watters gown and two others--a "2 Be Bride" by Sabrina Toy and a Mon Cheri Couture that I actually tried on and that was way more lovely on and in person. I am still considering a few others, but of these, which one do you like and why?
Please note, this will likely be my last post about and with photos of specific gowns.
**Once I make a decision, you'll just see my writing about "that gown!"
Watters


2 B Bride (please, pretend that veil is NOT there)

Mon Cheri

InspirationVolume 1

OK--so this is really cheesy... but please ignore the format and canned music and see some of the images that are inspiring my "vision."
Ciao-

Hjelm VS. Casablanca

You get what you pay for.
Nine times out of ten...this is so true...especially when it comes to wedding gowns as fabric, craftmanship and attention to detail is essential.
But--I came across this Casablanca gown ($$) and really feel like the style and cut of it resembles a couture Jim Hjelm gown ($$$-$$$$).
So the photo on top is the authentic Jim Hjelm (yes I've written about this gown before...)and the one below is the Casablanca at about a third of the cost (the top could likely be altered to a "deep V"...)
Honestly, which one do you like better, and why?

*****

Simple=Stunning!

So-- let me reiterate that we're not having a "flowery wedding" (I hope that makes sense!) And what we are doing flower-wise will be a lot of DIY ( with the exceptions of bouts/corsages/and ahem...my bouquet).
So yesterday, I bought the first of a bunch of books I plan on reading on the art of flower arranging.
This first one, Simple Stunning Wedding Flowers by Karen Bussen and William Geddes is great so far! It has fabulous ideas and photos and has already made me a lot smarter as to types of flowers, seasons, availability, etc.
Things I love about the book so far:

I. The authors really emphasize the power and visual impact of simple, monochromatic flower arranging. This style is the easiest for DIY...and just happens to be my favorite style! The authors also warn against overdecorating.
II. The authors explain which flower types are most pricey and suggest cheaper alternatives...that usually give close to the same look and are just as stunning.
III. The authors give advice for "do-it-yourselfers": Like:

a.Order your flowers enough in advance so that the blooms open fully
b.Tips on caring for the flowers/ de-thorning/ leaf removal
c.Caveat to NOT order "fragile" blooms for DIY that are
temperamental, like orchids...

Review: RK Bridal: New York, NY

Where: RK Bridal, 319 W.39th Street NY, NY 10018
My Visit: Friday & Saturday Aug.31, Sep.1

Over Labor Day weekend I visited RK Bridal Boutique, located in an unassuming building on a side street near Times Square in New York City. It by FAR had the largest selection of wedding gowns I've seen under one roof in my search so far. In fact, it had more gowns than all of the places I'd visited in the DC/MD area, where I wasn't having have much luck.

First, I made the mistake of going on a Friday afternoon when it was super busy. So after choosing some gowns to try on and realizing I'd have to wait for an hour or so to get a fitting room, the fiance and baby and I decided to return the following morning exactly when the store opened.

Fast forward to Saturday. RK opened at 9:30 a.m., but due to typical NYC traffic/congestion/hell fiance didn't get me there until about 9:45. But even as about a half-dozen brides-to-be and bridesmaids had beaten me there, I was immediately assigned an assistant and given a dressing room.

My assistant was very helpful and laid back--not at all pushy. I told her the look I was going for and she immediately suggested some gowns for me to try. Meanwhile, I stormed the rack of mermaid/straight gowns-- (it's in the back on the left)a secret I'd learned the day before.

Then she asked the magic question: "Are there any gowns you've been wanting to try specifically?"

Me: "Yes!" (Then blurting out the four-digit number of the Allure gown I love but that I couldn't find anywhere to try on. "Pleasssse tell me you have it..."

And they did!! They had THE gown!!

So I got to try on about six or seven gowns in the styles I'm interested in. And now I really do have a better idea of what I do and don't want.

By the end of my "try-on" only two gowns had made my heart skip a beat: The one I'd been pining over (the sample fit me almost perfectly...and it was stunning) and one other gown that was never one that "jumped out at me" but that on looked really fabulous.

SO--at this point, I don't imagine trying on too many more gowns, mainly because of the selection at area shops...
I may visit a bridal when I am home in Cleveland in October.
One popular one, Catan's, promises to have a pretty good selection. In the meantime,I have to first decide on a gown, then figure out through which bridal shop or vendor I'm going to order!!

Overall Score, RK Bridal: A- for the sheer volume of gowns they have in store. I think they may very well be one of the largest bridals, period.