Create Consistency With Your Wedding Flowers

By on April 27, 2012 in Daily Scoop, How To, Wedding Design Ideas

Many DIY brides get stressed out at the thought of making one unified theme for their wedding. Maybe you feel the same way. You want to have a nice, traditional ceremony, but a casual, fun reception. The only problem is, you want to make sure both of these events compliment each other. You don’t want people feeling like they attended two completely different occasions. When faced with this situation, most brides choose matching color schemes for both events. Nicole Janowicz, a writer for Huffington Post Weddings, supports this decision.

Your wedding colors will be apparent throughout the details of the décor: flowers, linens, centerpieces, etc. Incorporate your wedding colors throughout your wardrobe changes to create a look that is consistent. For example, add pops of your wedding color to your ceremony dress through a sash/belt, headpiece, shoes, jewelry, or even with the flowers in your bouquet. Continue this color story by choosing a cocktail dress in your wedding color for your reception. Even if you are not in white, every one will still know you are the bride.

At Afloral.com, our wedding flower experts encourage you to take it one step further. Pick a set of half a dozen flowers, and incorporate them in every aspect of both events. Take the wedding flowers that you used in your boutonnieres, corsages, and bouquets, and use them to create stunning centerpieces. Use your wedding flowers as a transition piece, allowing them to go from accessory to decor.

Here are some great visual examples.

Pictures were taken from iWeddingNews.com, BotanicalBrouhaha.Blogspot.com, and MarthaStewart.com.

 

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How to Create a Phalaenopsis Orchid Centerpiece

By on April 19, 2012 in Daily Scoop

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Rustic Wedding Theme

By on October 22, 2011 in Daily Scoop, Wedding Design Ideas

afloral.com's rustic lavender theme

Rustic weddings are casual with natural elements and personal touches.  They are recently growing in popularity as a wedding theme due to their versatility, style and charm.  Simple, natural and beautiful.

The rustic look is like the hip older sister to the country wedding look.  She has her own personal style with just the right accessories, worn just the right way. She is the one everyone loves and never stops taking about.

Whether you are the younger or older sister a rustic wedding is affordable for any budget bride.  Keeping the majority of decor items simple and natural will help cut down on your costs, and a rustic wedding is ideal for DIY wedding projects that will add a touch of personal style.

One of it’s reasons for popularity is versatility, you can take the rustic look in several different directions, each one unique to itself yet still embodies that sought after rustic charm.  I’ve created three different rustic wedding boards for today’s post, to give you a visual glimpse of how this wedding theme can be styled.  You can go with a specific styled rustic look or pick and mix different elements you like.

Soft, Romantic

Soft, Romantic Rustic, altar, cake, vintage jars rusticweddingchic.com, dessert bar, bride & groom ruffledblog.com

A soft, romantic rustic wedding.  This bride is marrying her sweetheart, her soulmate and she wants a fairytale day to remember.  The color palette will be soft and feminine,  accented in romantic flowers like roses in buds or full blooms. Pair these soft, romantic florals with a rustic, natural element like the tree branch altar from rusticweddingchic.com or afloral.com’s wheat stalk paired with the lavender centerpiece.   For another romantic, rustic centerpiece idea view Afloral.com’s how to video to create a centerpiece using dried lavender tied into bundles with chiffon ribbon.

Still keeping with that rustic charm, decor will be simple with fresh, neutral table linens, white twinkle lights strung and softly lit votive candles, leaving room for a few key extravagances.  These might be found in rich, decadent desserts or cakes, lavish favors or extravagant items like this fur wrap worn by the bride on ruffledblog.com.

Our romantic bride will do her homework finding one or two splurges, keeping the rest of her wedding day items within budget.  Guests will enjoy her stylish touches while appreciating the more informal, intimate tone set by the rustic theme.

Vintage Rustic

Vintage Rustic, bride oncewed.com, containers & place setting rusticweddingchic.com, bouquet bellemagazine.blogspot.com, cake topper etsy.com

Vintage, rustic wedding.  This is for the bride and groom who are sentimental, they hold one another and their family very close.  The causal nature of a rustic nature will be appreciated by this couple who wants their guests, friends and family, to be able to enjoy a close, warm wedding day.

Vintage weddings can be eclectic and playful.  Items can be choose based on style, appearance or for a special meaning they hold.  Brides can find inexpensive wedding deals by using vintage place settings, table clothes and vases.  Vintage or heirloom brooches, jewelry will add personal touches like this elegant cake topper from etsy.com, with vintage flowers and lace.

Keep other decor items fresh and simple so not to take away from the charm and personal touches of your selected vintage items.  Your guests will spend the evening remarking about your fabulous eclectic style and enjoying the warm, casual setting.

Touch of Color

Touch of Color Rustic, cake weddingchicks.com, place setting theknot.com, chairback afloral.com, couple greenweddingshoes.com, lantern rusticweddingchic.com

Touch of color rustic wedding.  This look is for the bride who is saying I do to the man she endlessly loves and always makes her smile.  This couple is looking for a party with close friends and family to celebrate their love.

Find natural elements to set the causal tone.  Then pick your bold color palette, whether you go for one particular color, a set of complementary colors for a bold pop, or a whole bouquet of vivid hues.  This is the perfect theme for couples to show off some personal touches.  Create a few simple DIY wedding projects, loosely tied bouquets, centerpieces or chair backs like the jumbo dahlia, rustic chair back.

Some couples pick a subject and repeat it throughout their theme.  The rustic, yellow cake featured on weddingchicks.com is from a wedding the couple used birds throughout, the top of the cake, printed on napkins, in flower arrangements.  Something simple, fun, a touch whimsical and true to the couple’s taste. Find something that fits your interests or taste, guests will be amused and have a blast as they laugh and dance the night away in celebration of your wedding.

Why You Love Rustic

A rustic wedding can fulfill all your little girl fairytale dreams, while still staying in your big girl, reality budget.  Simple, natural, beautiful.  Choose from our inspiration ideas, adding in your own touches and style.  You’ll be guaranteed a special day with rustic charm to remember.

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DIY Fall Chair Back Ideas

By on October 20, 2011 in How To

lavender wedding theme, featuring DIY chair backs

Are you looking to dress up your wedding venue?  Chair backs or chair covers can dress up any drab venue chair and provide a beautiful accent to your wedding decor.  They are an easy DIY wedding project and inexpensive decor item.

Here is part two of afloral.com’s fall DIY chair backs, featuring a romantic, rustic lavender chair back and a gorgeous, bold dahlia chair back.  From the ceremony to the reception.

Romantic Lavender

lavender chair back

Materials:

  1. From the ivory tulle bolt measure 1 – 1 1/2 yards of tulle.  (Measure the height of your chairs and where you’d like the tulle to fall for an exact length)  Off the bolt the tulle is folded in half, leave it this way.
  2. Gently drape the piece of tulle over the back of the chair, the top of the chair resting on the inside fold of the tulle.
  3. Measure 8-10 inches of chiffon ribbon, cut and set it aside.
  4. Going back to your draped tulle take each side of the tulle and fold it in at an angle to the center of the chair back.  Hold it together with one hand.
  5. With your other hand take your cut piece of ribbon, tie and knot and bow tie around the tulle your holding in place.
  6. The last step is adding the lavender pieces.  Take a small bundle of lavender, trim the stems by taking a few inches off with wire cutters.  Secure the bundle by wrapping it with floral wire.  Then slip the bundle into the bow tie you already tied, give it a little tug to hold everything in place and…..

Viola! a romantic, rustic lavender DIY chair back.  A fabulous accent for your bridal table, pair it with lavender and wheat bundle centerpieces for a beautiful reception table.

Gorgeous, Bold Dahlia

dahlia chair back

Materials:

  1. From the bolt of tulle measure and cut 1 – 1/2 yards of tulle.
  2. Fold the tulle in half length wise, remember it’s already folded in half width wise.  About 4 inches down from the top fold pinch the tulle together to make a poof.
  3. Next your going to take the jumbo dahlia stem and trim the length of the stem with wire cutters.  Lay it over where you are pinching the tulle.
  4. Secure the dahlia stem with floral wire.
  5. To finish the piece take a few loose strains of natural raffia and tie around the tulle and dahlia.  This will provide a great accent while also hiding the floral wire.

That’s it!  Attach your jumbo dahlia chair back to your ceremony or reception chairs with a piece of floral wire.  Give the tulle a few puffs and fan it out once it is attached to your chairs.  This is a great DIY chair back you will be able to prep before, saving you time the day of your wedding. Don’t forget about our DIY gorgeous dahlia centerpiece to bring the whole look together.

Simple, affordable DIY wedding projects with a big look.

Deal Breaker

Now I’m going to bring it home with the price.  Both chair backs total out at under $3 a piece.  The rice they’ll throw as you’re leaving your reception will cost you more than one of these chair backs.  You can make 26- 40 romantic lavender chair backs  for $2.50 a piece (using 40 yard bolt of tulle, 25 yards chiffon ribbon and 5- 6 bunches of dried lavender).  You can make 26-40 gorgeous dahlia chair backs for $2.75 a piece (using 40 yard bolt of tulle, natural raffia bunch, individual jumbo dahlia stems).

Another example of how DIY wedding projects can add style and savings to your wedding day.  With a few steps and affordable materials you’ll have guest pleasing DIY chair backs that will leave them talking.  Please keep the blushing to a minimum as your tell them all you did it yourself!

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DIY Fall Centerpiece: Country Chic

By on October 6, 2011 in Daily Scoop

country chic, dahlia centerpiece

Picture this DIY dahlia, river rock arrangement as your fall wedding centerpiece.  Rich fall hues, natural elements in a stylish arrangement.
Three products, afloral.com’s silk dahlias, a square glass vase and river rocks keep it simple, natural yet fashionable.  Step up your country wedding, keep it fresh and current with this fall country chic look.

 

 

Materials:

  1. Using floral wire cutters snip the stems of the medium and mini dahlias about 6 – 7” in length.(if you are using a 5” glass vase you want the flower heads to sit higher than the ridge of the vase)
  2. Fill your glass vase half full with river rocks.
  3. Start arranging several medium dahlia stems, enough to fill out the top of the vase.
  4. Once you are happy with the medium dahlias start to slide the mini dahlia stems in between the flower heads to finish filling out the arrangement.  Adding the mini dahlia stems last will allow them to rest just above the medium flower heads.

country chic, dahlia centerpiece

 

The square glass vase gives a modern look to this arrangement, with crisp, clean lines.  The pairing of soft, silk flowers and smooth, rounded river rocks are a bit different than your traditional floral arrangement keeping with the fresh look.  Afloral.com has created another beautiful, easy fall arrangement with 3 products and 4 DIY steps.  The perfect fit for any level DIYer and budget wedding.

A touch of romance can be added with softly lit votive candles to accent the arrangement and a sprinkle of mini dahlia heads along the moss table runner.  Simple, natural, chic.

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