How to Save Money on Wedding Flowers

[ad#co-1]

 

Have a Holiday Wedding

Holiday weddings are great options for couples trying to save on flowers. Most venues are decorated during the festive season and after Easter. They help you to save money you would have spent on expensive flower arrangements. You might even find both the church and reception venue decorated.

Use Non-Traditional Elements

Herbs, fruits, and vegetables can make beautiful, cheap bouquets and flower arrangements. If you want an expensive flower, buy only a few blossoms and bulk up the arrangement with beautiful, inexpensive greenery. You can also use single elements instead of whole arrangements. These are becoming increasingly popular nowadays. Some options include lavender, baby’s wreath, and wheat.

Choose Flowers that Are in Season

Sticking to locally grown flowers that are in season is cheaper than having your favorite blooms flown in. For instance, if you are getting married in December, don’t choose peony bouquets. Go for flowers like tulips, sweetpeas, and waxflowers. While your florist may be able to get out-of-season flowers for you, you will have to pay a premium. Florists will not charge you high prices for flowers they have easily sourced. Keep in mind that the flowers will depend on where you live. Do your research early to find out what you like.

For Wedding Flower Centerpiece Ideas see our post here:

Wedding centerpiece ideas for your big day!

Pick Your Own Flowers

You can pick your own wedding flowers if you have a limited budget. Ask for help from your family and friends to avoid getting overwhelmed. After you’ve collected the flowers, make unique bouquets and flower arrangements. It is important to note that if you want arrangements that look like they are from a magazine cover, you have to hire an expert.

There are many ways you can save on your wedding flowers and still have the wedding of your dreams.  Use these easy tips to minimize costs.

For more wedding ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Family Reunion and Family Wedding Decorating Ideas

[ad#co-1]

 

Create a family banner

Create a huge family banner and hang it in the main area of the event. Have everyone sign it and take a group photo under it to keep it as a memory. If you have a family slogan, add it. This idea is sure to be a hit and your loved ones will rant about it for years to come. To make it even more personalized, let everyone dip their hand in paint and leave a hand print by their name.

Family reunion decorating ideas: Celebrate heritage

Seek inspiration from your family heritage for your next reunion party. For instance, if your grandparents come from America, decorate using American flag. Or if your grandfather belongs to America but your grandmother came from Italy, bring out flags from both the countries. The idea is to create a feel of whatever country your ancestors belong to by decorating with items that transform the reunion setting into your family’s home country.

Family reunion centerpiece ideas: balloons and streamers

What is a family reunion without balloons and streamers? Especially, if you have a lot of little ones in the family, they are always a hit. Blow up several of them and let them float around. Make sure they have long strings so that kids can enjoy walking under them. To personalize them you can also family pictures on the strings. Wall hangings and refrigerator art from everyone’s childhood is another interesting idea.

A family reunion like other parties requires decorations and a festive atmosphere. Use these ideas to make it fun and merry for all. But just remember to keep it simple and low stress!

For more family gatherings and wedding decorating ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Wedding Reception: Summer Cocktail Ideas

Image Via: Fine Wine Fine Food

[ad#co-3]

Love Blooms

Doesn’t the name stand very familiar to the wedding mood? Made using one part grape syrup, one part rose aperitif and two parts of organic spirit, this beautiful cocktail tastes as good as it looks. Serve this cocktail champagne flute glasses and garnish with pansy flowers. Also do not forget to use lots and lots of ice while preparation so that it is served chilled.

Image Via: Pocketful Of Dreams

Rose Crush

A gorgeous blend of one part orange juice, one part cranberry juice, two parts rose wine and lots of crushed ice this cocktail is a perfect fit for beach themed summer weddings. You can garnish this summer cocktail with fresh mint, cranberries and raspberries. Use martini glasses to serve this lovely wedding drink and get ready for a rocking beach party.

Image Via: Bridal Guide

Summer Passion

Out of the many wedding drinks, this beautiful orange red cocktail is a delight to the eyes. When served fresh and cold, garnished with edible summer flowers this cocktail beautifully complements the summers. Prepared using one part passion fruit juice, one part hazelnut liqueur, a little champagne and grenadine, this cocktail needs to be served with lots and lots of ice. What you will love is the beautiful gradation of orange to pale yellow, that is an absolute treat for the eyes.

Image Via: The Polka Dot Wedding

Blushing Bride

Blushing Bride is a blend of one part grenadine, one part peach schnapps and eight parts sparkling wine. This very flavorsome cocktail is nice sparkling pink in color and very much stands up to the happy and gay mood of your wedding. Best served in champagne glasses, you might not need any extra garnishing as the beautiful color of the cocktail is a highlight by itself.

Image Via: One Wed

Sparkling Romance

A combination of two parts chilled Champagne and one part Rhuby rhubarb liqueur, Sparkling Romance is a great choice for wedding drinks. To add a spurt of color you may choose to garnish it with seasonal fruits like raspberries, strawberries or even edible flowers. Do not forget to line the glass edges with salt for that extra punch of flavors.

Image Via: Wedding Chicks

Summer is a season of fruits, so it is taken for granted that summer wedding drinks are going to be a beautiful combination of fruity and alcohol flavors. After all sweet blanches bitter in a very nice way. Use fresh fruits and edible flowers like pansies for garnish and just wait for compliments to flow in. Also make sure that lots of ice goes into the preparation so that the cocktails are served nice and cold. Do share your views on this post and let us know of your favorite summer wedding drinks.

Click here for more Summer Cocktail Ideas on Stagetecture!

Outdoor Wedding Reception Decoration Ideas

Image Via: Colin Cowie Weddings

[ad#co-1]

Decorating With Ribbons

There is something which is very feminine, dainty and festive about ribbons. The same can be said about weddings. Outdoor wedding reception decor gets a very elegant touch if you can incorporate ribbons cohesively in the decor. You can use ribbons to form walking aisles, you can hang the from trees and wrap them around reception chairs. Another great way to use ribbons is to hang them from a height and tie old bulbs at the ends to lend a vintage touch to your wedding.

Image Via: Festival Brides

Flavors Of The Sea

As we have discussed many times before, sea has a very soothing effect and balances the harsh summers perfectly. Sea elements bring about the same effect. If for some reason you can’t organize a beach wedding, you can always bring the sea to your outdoors via sea elements. Use shells lavishly, use flora that resembles sea life, add ribbons and frills in hues of blues, aquas and azures and see the magic happen. You can also bring to use green and aqua colored bottles and work out beautiful summer flower arrangements in them.

Image Via: Ruffled

Decorating With Streamers And Buntings

Streamers and buntings are the happiest forms of wedding decor, especially for an outdoor wedding. Summers too long for happiness, cheer and glee and hence this decor setup matches the mood and spirit that is required for a summer wedding. You can arrange for bamboo poles for the lack of trees and run streamers and buntings end to end. If you are lucky to have trees in your outdoor setup then buntings can form a very interesting zig-zag mesh. Buntings and streamers can also be used effectively on table edges and chair backs.

Image Via: Style Me Pretty

Mason Jar Magic

Mason jars carry a certain nostalgia with them. Weddings are nostalgic affairs too. You can arrange summer flowers in mason jars and hang them using ribbons or jute cords from tree branches. Mason jars can also adorn your reception table decor along with flowers arrangements or candles. You can even fill them up with sand and stones for a beach wedding feel.

Image Via: Wedding Chicks

Decorating With Tents

If the summers are too harsh around your wedding, you can use white breezy tents to keep the glare away. Tents will give an outdoor feel along with an indoor sheltered experience. Tents can be worked out in many interesting patterns and color combinations. Apart from white you may use pastel shades of yellow, blue, peach, green, etc. to create a protected environment.

Image Via: Weddings Romantique

An outdoor wedding reception party requires you to be careful on many fronts. Apart from the decor elements there are a few other aspects that need to be taken care of. For instance, if arrangements have already been made for an outdoor setup and its too hot without any breeze you might want to introduce outdoor fans. You might also have to cater for sun protection and bug protection. All in all, with everything working out as planned, your outdoor wedding reception can be the best one in town.

Click here for more Summer Wedding Ideas on Stagetecture!

Spring Party Ideas for your Wedding or Get Together

Image via: Style Me Pretty

[ad#co-1]

Send Out Spring Invitations

The invitations you choose will set the tone for the party. Keep the season in mind when choosing invitations. You can create customized invites if you’re crafty or buy readymade options and personalize them. Add herbs or dried flowers to the cards or pictures of your plants and flowers if you have a green thumb.  Inform your guests that the party atmosphere is relaxed and they should wear comfy attire.

Choose a Theme

It goes without saying that spring foliage should create a backdrop for your get-together. Stretch your decorating budget by using inexpensive flowering plants and mix them with the bulbs you planted in fall. String white lights in trees and add a fire pit for wonderful night lighting. Set multicolored plates and cups on the table and cover it with a brightly colored tablecloth. Decorate chairs with fresh flowers and hang flower baskets from patio trellises or eaves.

Image via: Celebrations at Home

Serve Seasonal Finger Foods

Fill the buffet table with mouthwatering finger foods. This way, your guests can move around and pick what they like most. Include finger foods in your menu like cheesy quesadillas, crisp toasts, mini pizzas, frosted cupcakes, creamy dips, artful veggies, candy-coated almonds, and fresh fruits.

Don’t Forget Seasonal Drinks

The drinks you serve at the party should reflect the season. If you have a big budget, hire a bartender to mix drinks. If you don’t, create a spring cocktail to replace a fully stocked bar. Serve drinks like gin and tonic or mint julep and have a selection of wines. As well, include soft drinks like sweet tea and freshly squeezed lemonade to the menu.

Image via: The Kitchn

There’s no better way to celebrate spring than to throw a fantastic party in your garden. A garden party is the perfect way to usher in the season and forget about winter. Whether you want to host a standout soiree or a no-frills affair, look to these spring party ideas.

Can you share with us your spring party ideas?