How To Save Big On Centerpieces: Traditional Flowers

We’re absolutely loving the advice from Denise Vivaldo, this week’s wedding Wednesday entertaining expert extraordinaire and author of Do It Yourself! Weddings. Denise graciously let us in on the secret to busting one of the biggest bride-to-be-headaches: finding budget-friendly, cost-conscientious centerpieces!

Flowers are one of the main points of spectacle at many weddings. And because of their traditional importance, this is an area where many brides tend to throw their budgets out the window. In wedding planning, it is easy to feel like vendors are only after your money, not concerned with helping you make your day the most special that it can be. No one will have the passion for your wedding that you do, aside from maybe your mother, but you might have a friend or relative with a great eye for design. Consider letting them handle the creation of your centerpieces.

Homegrown options:

Do you have flowers in your garden you can use? If not flowers, do you have a bush or tree with great leaves that can be used for filler? Check out the local farmers’ market just before closing time for great deals on flowers.

Preserve for long life:

Remove any foliage that will be under the water line and cut the stems on an angle. Use warm water and add fresh-cut flower food, available from your florist, to prolong the life of the arrangement.

Securing arrangements:

When trying to arrange and secure branches, grasses, and bamboo stalks, mold a square of chicken wire across the top of the vase to hold the stems in place. You can cover this with parts of the arrangement, itself, or with decorative ribbon.

Make it short and sweet:

It is much easier to make short arrangements than to make tall ones. An easy arranging trick is to hold the flowers tightly together in a small bouquet, then cut all the stems so they are an even length and arrange in the vase. If you’re unsure about what flowers will work, take the vase along to a florist and ask for advice.

Staying in season:

Cut flowers such as daffodils, hyacinth, lilacs, peonies, ranunculus, or tulips always say “spring.” Arrange them in small galvanized vases or buckets for a rustic display. For an alternative, use an empty clean coffee can with the label removed. Tie with a bow of raffia or paint the cans in bright primary colors to complement the flowers. Turn back the petals of tulips to give the flowers a more open, airy look.

Go monochrome:

If you are overwhelmed by the sheer choice and variety of flowers, try sticking to one type and color. An all-white arrangement will work with almost any décor.

Potted plants:

Potted herbs and flowering plants also work well for tabletop décor and can be potted a week before the wedding. No need to re-pot them; just place the plant in an inexpensive terracotta pot that is slightly larger than the plastic pot in which it was purchased. Plant the arrangements after the party or give them away as favors.

Vases and other containers:

Use clear vases or containers that have narrow necks and wide bases. This way you only need a minimum number of stems to fill them. Fill a glass vase with cherries, pebbles, or thick slices of lemons and limes to help keep the flowers in place and add another dimension to the floral arrangement.

— from ”Do-It-Yourself! Weddings” by Denise Vivaldo

Denise Vivaldo is a seasoned food professional who has catered more than 10,000 parties and has cooked for such guests as George H.W. Bush, Prince Charles, Cher and Arnold Schwarzenegger. In 1988, she founded Food Fanatics, a catering, recipe-development and food-styling firm. She has catered such events as the Academy Awards Governor’s Ball and Hollywood wrap parties. In addition, she has written four books and is working on her fifth. She lives in Los Angeles, California.