I was introduced to a bride that was looking for a bouquet and a few other arrangements by a great San Francisco artist whose mother owns a flower distribution shop at the SF Flower Mart. (If you ever need fantastic roses, you MUST check out “Sunshine International” )

The bride and I spoke over the phone a couple of times, and we went through her special day. The wedding was going to be intimate, with a total of 6 people attending (including the bride and groom) in the foothills of Mount Tamalpais.  The bride had antique blue Hydrangeas in mind as her dress had silver accents on it and she felt that the blue hue would look nice against her dress. She also mentioned that she likes non-traditional flowers, as she’s not a very traditional person, and was adamant that we use the signature Nafis Designs yogurt tubs wrapped in wax paper as her vases! A truly low cost, environmentally friendly wedding!

Total material cost: $80.00

Shopping list: Antique Blue Hydrangeas, Green Hydrangeas, Fig Branches, Sedum, Bells of Ireland, Star of Jerusalem, White Roses, Scabiosa  Seed Pod.

The bride’s bouquet was made up of Star of Jerusalem flower, Sedum, Green Hydrangea, Blue Hydrangea, and Scabiosa Seed Pods, and was wrapped with light silver satin ribbon at its base.

The Groom’s boutonniere was crafted with three Scabiosa Seed Pods and some interwoven silver wire.

There were enough flowers left over for three really full arrangements that could be used as alter pieces, and or table arrangements.

Once again, you don’t have to spend a lot of money to get some great looking flowers that will leave a lasting impact in your wedding photo album!

Tip of the day: If you want Hydrangeas to be in full bloom for your event, place the flower head in cold water and watch the blossoms burst open!

Most wedding arrangements need a bit of green in them, and all too often it tends to be run-of-the-mill filler flowers and leaves selected to keep down costs.  Saving money is great, but why not give each element meaning too?  Add local herbs to your bouquet for foliage that adds to both the look and the aroma of the day. Rosemary, lavender, and mint all especially lend themselves to floral arrangements well. Try pairing rosemary with white blossoms, lavender with tulips in bold shades, or mint with pink peonies or dahlias. Ornamental oregano is a stunning plant on its own (see photo at the bottom of the post) or paired with blooms. You can find all of these and more at a local store or farmers market, but don’t be afraid to experiment with what you find in your own back yard.

Then, take the herbal theme to the next level and incorporate it into other elements of the day. Offer lavender sachets or soap as a favor.  Fill your caterer in on your plan, and serve food and drink like rosemary chicken, lavender scones, or minty mojitos.  It’s a great way to give guests a taste of the local flavor without hurting your wallet.

As vendor bids come in and your wedding budget gets more and more difficult to balance, I’m willing to bet you’ll think to yourself “I could make that for less!”  I wholeheartedly applaud a DIY wedding, but let me be the first to tell you—kid, it ain’t easy.   When my husband and I wed last October, we funded the wedding ourselves on a very limited budget.  It was DIY from top to bottom, including the ceremony, decor, even the food! One of the places I was able to save a ton of cash was on flowers, and here’s how I did it:

1) Shop where the florists shop: Search online or get friendly with a local florist to find out where they source their flowers from.  If you’re a Bay Area Bride it’s the San Francisco Flower Mart.  Go several months before your wedding to start building a relationship with a vendor whose flowers you like. Your vendor will be more honest and accommodating if you’re a familiar customer.  After a few practice bouquets or centerpieces, and a little calculation, get a quote on what the flowers will cost and schedule a pick-up date and time.

2) Keep it simple: For your centerpieces pick one or two colors and florals for your blooms then add a little greenery. Buying direct from a floral supplier means you can get more flowers for your money, as you are providing the labor yourself. Use clear floral tape to construct a grid over the top of your vases, especially wide-mouthed vases. The grid will give your arrangement added structure and stability.

3) Throw a party: Enlist the help of as many friend as you can comfortably fit in your work area.  Put some to work de-thorning and trimming flowers while others make grids and start arranging.  Provide mimosas, snacks, and a little music to make the afternoon more fun.

5) It’s all in the details: Narrowing blossoms to two types of flowers and colors leaves you room to add special details without making the final look too busy.  This could mean incorporating table numbers into your floral arrangement in a unique way, or adding a touch of ribbon.  Here I used wide ribbon around the edges of pots that were all the same size and color, but had different raised patterns.  The ribbon covered any bits of tape that overlapped from my grids and really brought the look together.

6) Get Your Timing Right: Even with help, this process will take you longer than you think.  Time yourself from start to finish on a sample arrangement, including cleaning and trimming, then multiply it by the total number you want.  Give yourself a cushion on top of that to avoid stress.

7) Cool Off: Keep the flowers well-watered in a cool place until they are ready for their big moment! Make sure in advance that you have boxes for transporting your arrangements. On your wedding day, enjoy!  All of those compliments about how beautiful things look?  They’re the reward for all of your hard work.

If you are looking for extraordinary centerpieces, expect the unexpected from Tina Vietmeier, founder of Urban FarmGirls.  I ran into Tina in 2009 at the Inner Sunset Farmer’s Market.  While one of her specialties is custom container gardens set in amazing handmade pots, I was drawn to one of Tina’s other top sellers—her sustainable wreaths.  Tina weaves together moss, succulents, air plants and more to create one-of-a-kind living wreaths.  I’m in love with the idea of keeping a wreath alive.  It’s so sad to see cut flowers droop, or be limited to dried flowers alone.  Why not place one of Tina’s wreaths on each table at your wedding, and fill the middle with pillar candles of varying heights?  When the festivities are over, these amazing centerpieces would make lovely gifts for the people who’ve helped you most.

Tina has worked with brides in the past to create custom centerpieces and decor for their big day.  She can even create unique bridal bouquets and boutonnieres with succulents and air plants.  Prices for the wreaths start at $45 for 8″ hearts, then go to $75 for 8″ rounds.  10″ rounds are $85, 12″ rounds $95. Larger sizes like 14, 16 or 18 ” wreaths start at $175 and can go up to $350.

Are you looking for a unique favor idea?  Try gifting your guests with a 3″ starter pot filled with a succulent starter plant. Urban FarmGirls has them in a wide variety of shapes, colors, and styles starting at $8.