For the Birds

It’s been known for, well, as long as I can remember that throwing rice as the Bride and Groom run to the cars is ‘the thing to do’ at a wedding. However, anyone who’s ever been at a wedding with this fiasco knows that it isn’t the best way to celebrate the new couple. I mean, who wants to spend their limo ride to the reception picking rice out of your hair or clothes. There are many alternatives to the old-fashion cooking rice on the market now’a days and after hand testing them all, we’ve found the best!

Heart Shaped Bird-Friendly Wedding Rice. This elegant looking rice is not only edible for the birds that want a piece of the party, but its also heart shaped so that it doesn’t look like something that came out of your pantry. At less than $20 a bag, this bag of wedding rice can fill up to 100 wedding favors.

If you like the idea of catering to the birds on your wedding, or are just throwing a party and want some cool gifts to give away, we’ve found these awesome Bird Seed feeders. They either come in the form of Garden sticks, or as hanging hearts, but either way, they’re sure to be a fit for all your eco-friendly guests!

Flower Packages

One thing we’ve found while doing all our bridal research is that more and more we’re seeing flower shops that are offering Bridal packages. This can greatly cut back in the cost of your flowers, getting them as a collection is the way to go. ProFlowers.com offers a few different packages ranging from smaller packages, to ones a little larger.

If you’d like to order flowers from your local flower shop or grocery store, yes- I said grocery store, then be sure to ask them what kind of packages they offer for wedding parties. Sometimes you have to ask to get a better deal!

Another thing to do is do a little research and see if you can find a local wholesale garden supplier. Most cities have local wholesalers for flowers and plants and its a great way to get fresh items at a low cost!

Good luck!

How to make your own Bridal Bouquet!

With more and more brides and wedding planners keeping the environment in mind while plotting out the perfect wedding, we’re finding that the suggestion of making your own bouquet keeps popping up everywhere! I’ve mentioned this before, but in case you missed that blog, personally when I get marriedI’ll be planting a wedding garden and growing all my flowers. (Which I think is an amazing idea!)

But no matter how you come about your flowers, whether from you local grocery store or flower shop, an online organic supplier, or growing your garden a hand made bouquet is a wonderful way to go! After doing hours of research (oh how the internet is amazing) we found the best outline for making your own bouquets on none other than www.ehow.com. Here are the instructions from their website:

Things You’ll Need:

• Pearl Sprays
• Fresh Flowers
• Artificial Flowers And Greenery
• Large Bowl Of Tap Water
• 2-inch Wide Silk Ribbon
• Scissors
• 2-inch Wide Satin Ribbon
• Tulle Ribbon
• Lace Trims

Step 1:
Do some research and plan ahead. Look through bridal and floral magazines and books for information on different types of flowers and ideas for bouquets. The Internet is a wonderful resource.

Step 2:
Choose flowers that will complement both the wedding colors and any other floral arrangements planned. Incorporate the bride’s favorite flowers, if any, into the bouquet as well.

Step 3:
Consult with a florist about the availability of the chosen flowers, and order the flowers well in advance of the wedding. (Or, grow your own!) Also order filler flowers and greenery in advance.

Step 4:
Use a purchased bouquet holder. Bouquet holders are usually made of white plastic, are cone-shaped and have an attached handle. They come with floral foam already inserted into the cone and can be found pretty much at any craft store and sometimes at your local Wal-Mart.

Step 5:
Place the bouquet holder upside down on the surface of a large bowl of water. Hold on to the handle and let the holder gradually sink to the bottom of the bowl. This will saturate the foam. Remove the bouquet holder from the water and dry the exterior.

Step 6:
Begin the placement of the flowers, greenery and filler items at the bottom of the bouquet holder and work your way up.

Step 7:
Hold each flower and stemmed piece up to the arrangement before you cut the stem. Determine how much of the stem you’d like to have above the foam, and then cut the stem 1 1/2 to 2 inches below that point.

Step 8:
Cut each stem at a very sharp angle and insert it 1 1/2 to 2 inches into the foam. If you want to rearrange an inserted flower, remove the flower, cut the stem once more and reinsert it in a different spot in the foam.

Step 9:
Create a cascade effect by inserting various lengths of greenery such as ivy or fern at the bottom of the bouquet holder. Trim as needed for a symmetrical look.

Step 10:
Add a bow at the point where the handle of the bouquet holder joins the cone portion. Use a 2-inch-wide silk or satin ribbon in a color that complements the wedding colors. Add a pearl spray or two as well.

Step 11:
See “How to Preserve a Wedding Bouquet,” under Related eHows, for information on having your wedding bouquet professionally preserved, as well as some suggestions for doing it yourself.

Avoiding Floral Flaws

When it comes to picking your floral arrangements be sure that you physically see a sample of them before placing your order. A common error falling on brides today is that its so much easier to pick a picture out of a book or design your own idea than pick one pre-built in a store window. But what happens when you pick from a book and pay big bucks on all your flowers is that they tend to show up looking not quite how you’d planned. By that time, its too late to fix anything. An error of this size can totally ruin your whole day. So, to avoid any trouble with your flowers ask your florist to see a sample of your arrangement first. Trust us, you’ll be glad you did!

A Wedding Gone-Green

As our society goes greener with each passing day, more and more people are doing what they to help to save our planet. If you find yourself planning your wedding thinking, “what can I do to help,” we’ve got some great answers for you!

There are a few simple things that can be done to not only make things easier on your wedding, but also on our community as a whole. Things like hiring local vendors will save on transportation and support the local economy, using digital photography will cut back on the use of paper and harsh chemicals. Using recycled paper for your invitations (a great place is Naturally Ever After.com) or even invitation that contain flower seeds that you can plant and grow. Botanical PaperWorks.com has a great selection of handmade plantable wedding invitations. Another thing you can do is send online “evites” for all your pre-wedding events. This saves paper and postage. Evite.com is a great place to customize and send your online invitations.

One thing I myself am personally going to do when I get married is plant a wedding garden. Find a friend or family member who’s got a little land to spare and plant a garden with all the flowers you want at your wedding. This not only will save a huge cost, but is also a wonderful way to get people involved. Plus, you’ll have a little more pride on your day knowing your green-thumb created one of the most important aspects of your whole wedding. If you don’t exactly have a ‘green-thumb’, another thing to do is order organic flowers that are grown without any harsh chemicals.

Serving organic foods, using utensils and plates that can be washed, and getting all your wine from a local winery are just a few other ways to go-green on your wedding day!

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