A sneak peak
Today I had a practise with some of the flowers I'll be using for my wedding posy. Here is my gorgeous flower girl holding them . . .
Esther seems to have developed a new habit of putting her fingers in her mouth when a photo is going to be taken! She told me that she will smile sweetly on the wedding day but I don't know if I believe her.
After getting two quotes from florists, both of which seemed very costly ($400 to $480 just for the bridal party), I decided to do the flowers myself with help from friends. One of Dad's friends has done flower arranging courses. A few of my friends are willing to help out as well.
I have chosen chrysanthemums and freesias to buy from a wholesaler. Both flowers are hardy, last well, and do not require wiring. The bridesmaids' freesias will be pink. I also want to include some early daffodils and some jonquils in my posy - the flowers that stand out most from my childhood. The posies will also contain eucalypt, since Dave came to Australia as a result of these trees!
After making a posy today and being content with it, I am confident that I will be able to make my posy on the day before the wedding and place it in water ready for the next day. It is nice to be able to make something myself for the wedding. The flowers may not look as sophisticated, but they will be more special to me. They will not look just like this, as other flowers/foliage will be included and the posy will be larger . . . after all, this post is just a sneak peak!
I have some friends (without any flower training) who made bouquets (or posies, as you say :-D) and corsages for a few weddings, as friend favors, and they're going to do mine. They're nothing fancy, but they'll suit my taste, and I'd much rather buy the flowers for a good price than pay a florist an arm and a leg.
I am glad you and I are both dispensing with expensive traditions in this way, Susan :). I think we'll both end up happier with the visual effect and the sentiment of it as well as the price. It is so nice to have friends help out, rather than strangers.
The price is also a big consideration, of course! The cheapest quote I received for bridesmaids was $46 each (for one lilly!). Another florist quoted $65 for 4 lissyanthus (spelling?). Their posies can be made from wholesale flowers for about $20, and they will have many more flowers.
I call them posies because they are going to be round bunches rather than trailing bunches or arm sheaths. I was forced to learn about all these terms during my florist adventures!