Whether you’re looking to save some money or just want to be a little more eco-friendly, growing your own wedding flowers is a great way to do both. The average couple spends well over $2000 on flowers for their wedding, and that number is nothing to blush at. The fact of the matter is that many couples spend more on their wedding flowers than they do on the wedding dress. Consequently, saving that money to use on something else can make a tremendous impact on the entire experience. By growing your own wedding flowers, you can give the celebration a personal touch. Additionally, you can keep your expenses as low as humanly possible.
What many people don’t understand when they are buying their wedding flowers is that they may actually be contributing to environmental problems. Most people wouldn’t think that a living plant would be harmful. However, the government only regulates plants that are used as food products when they are imported. Over half of the flowers sold in the United States originate in foreign countries. Often times massive quantities of pesticides and herbicides are used during their growth to make them as profitable as possible without regard to the environment. On top of that, those same chemicals can harm the employees at the flower farms leading to illness or death. Fortunately, you can avoid all of these things by growing your own wedding flowers.
Wildflowers
When considering using your own wedding flowers, be sure to avoid the urge to run to the nearest field and pick some wild flowers for your event. The flowers in the wild are part of the natural ecosystem, so it defeats the purpose if you run out and start messing with nature’s balance. Instead, you’ll want to go to your local garden shop and pick up some seed packets. Don’t buy flowers that are already started for you, because they have probably already been treated with harmful chemicals.
Take your time when choosing what type of flowers you want to grow for your wedding. Make sure you do a little research to determine what type will work best in your region. The last thing you want to do is attempt to grow flowers that are destined for failure. In the end, you’ll need to deal with disappointment and end up buying your flowers in the end. The major benefit of all your hard work, aside from being eco-friendly and cost-effective, is that your backyard will be blessed with the beautiful sights and smells of flowers until you harvest them for your wedding.
Keeping Flowers Fresh
To bring glorious looking flowers fresh from your garden to the wedding, you’ll want to cut them no earlier than the day before your wedding. The best way to store them is to put them in some water. Then, cover them loosely with plastic, and place them in the refrigerator. You must remember to remove all the fruit from the refrigerator ahead of time. Fruit can cause the flowers to wilt overnight. When it comes time to transport them to the wedding, just pack the vases into a cooler upright. Additionally, add water and a little ice to keep them fresh and cool until you arrive at the venue.
Skip Growing Your Own Wedding Flowers
Of course, some people want to skip this process all together. If growing your own wedding flowers seems like too much hassle, consider an affordable alternative. Some options include wooden roses or paper flowers that are much less expensive than the real thing. They offer all of the beauty of real ones without the added cost or headache.
