DIY Wedding Flowers: Everything You Need to Know

If you’re not a professional florist, DIY wedding flowers can feel a little intimidating at first. But with a little time and know-how, you can quickly find the best options for your big day. Here’s everything you need to know about types of wedding flowers and how to make your own arrangements as well as some really pretty ideas to inspire you.

Explore the pros and cons of DIY wedding flowers

There are some things to consider before you make a commitment.

Pros:

• You’ll save money. For example, an inexpensive DIY bridal bouquet can run you about $50.

• It’s fun to do. Plus, if you use fake flowers, you can incorporate craft time into your bridal shower or bachelorette party to lighten the workload. 

• You can fully personalize your bouquets and centerpieces. There’s an incredible selection of blooms both real and fake to choose from. And you have complete artistic control over the final product, which is great for couples who want every detail of their wedding to reflect their shared style. 

Cons:

• It takes time and dedication. For example, a single 8-inch bouquet takes about one hour to construct after you’ve chosen a design, found proper instructions, and gathered your materials. 

• You have to deal with transporting supplies and arrangements. They’ll need to be kept at a temperature between 34-75 degrees. Plus, you’ll need to prep materials to secure them in a vehicle ahead of time (a few empty vases wedged into a cushioned box will do just fine). 

• It’s easy to go over budget. Certain blooms cost more than others and it depends on location, time of year, demand, and growth difficulty. If you’re set on fresh gardenias, peonies, or hydrangeas, you’ll need to be extra careful with your spending elsewhere.

Discover answers to frequently asked questions about DIY wedding flowers

Once you have these down, you’ll be able to search for budget-friendly arrangement ideas using these cost-effective blooms. 

What's the most popular wedding flower?

Based on search engine results, it’s a tie between peonies, sweet peas, hydrangeas, buttercups, and red roses.

What are the best types of wedding flowers?

Wedding flowers are usually sorted by name (for those looking to use a specific flower in their arrangement), color (to go with your overall theme), and style (aka which arrangement design it best fits into). Because specific flower requests and wedding theme colors vary greatly, we’ll focus on the types of wedding flowers worth knowing for centerpiece designs. These options are cost-effective, beautiful, and fairly easy to get ahold of. 

• Carnations. Here are some ideas to get you started. 

• Baby’s Breath. These submerged arrangements are customizable and enchanting. 

• Gerbera Daisies. Check out these pink wedding centerpieces. 

• Alstroemeria. Here’s a lovely tutorial that pairs this flower with roses. 

• Rice Flower. Buy them wholesale in a variety of colors to use alone or in arrangements. 

What are the best flowers for wedding bouquets?

All of the flowers we’ve mentioned so far would look fabulous in your bouquet, but if you’re looking for some standout blooms, you’ll want to feature one of these sturdy and long-lasting options: 

• Sunflowers. They pair really well with blue and white flowers. View these gorgeous examples for inspiration. 

• Zinnias. We love these zinnia wedding ideas.

• Orchids. Here are 25 sophisticated bouquets to copy. 

• Freesias. These can be used in any part of your wedding decor. 

• Gladiolus. Watch this tutorial video on how to work with this bloom. 

Where can you find DIY wedding flowers online?

These retailers have a wide variety of options for bulk orders and ship most places. 

• Blooms By the Box. They’ve got plenty of tutorials to help you figure things out. 

• FlowerMoxie. As the name implies, this brand has a lot of personality and brightly colored flowers that really pop!  

• Fifty Flowers. They have fun categories like the Pantone Color of the Year selection. 

• Bloominous. They sell flowers and full-service options if you want some day-of assistance. 

• Bulk Wholesale Flowers. Make sure you check out their specials. 

When should you start looking for DIY wedding flowers? 

Your order needs to be placed at least one month in advance. Plan to have your design ideas ready to go a couple of weeks before that so you have time to shop around and compare prices. 

How long before the wedding can you make a bouquet?

Fresh flower bouquets should be made within 24 hours of the wedding in order to keep everything perky and beautiful. However, some blooms can last 48 hours after being cut. So if timing is a priority, make sure to research the shelf life of each type of flower you plan to include in the bouquet ahead of time. 

How long does it take to make wedding centerpieces? 

Some wedding centerpieces are quite simple (like single stem sunflowers or mini round vases with rose heads) and don’t need much time at all. But as a general rule of thumb, the bigger the table, the bigger the vase. And the bigger the vase, the more flowers you’ll have to work with, which in turn takes more time. 

For large, complex centerpieces, it may take you 60 to 90 minutes per arrangement. And for smaller, easier centerpieces, give yourself at least 30 minutes per arrangement.

When should you pick up fresh flowers? 

Pick them up as close to your assembly time as possible. If you need to hold them for a few hours (six hours max if you use a dedicated refrigerator), use some of these great florist secrets for keeping them fresher longer. 

How long can you store fresh flower arrangements once they’re done? 

Same as a wedding bouquet — 24 hours or less is ideal, 48 hours might still work but you’re not guaranteed a uniform outcome. 

Discover ways to save money on DIY wedding flowers

• Avoid purchasing flowers or materials 2-4 weeks before major holidays (prices on these items are usually marked higher during this time). 

• Use your most expensive flowers in the bridal bouquet. Then, use a smaller amount of those in your bridal bouquets. After, limit your centerpieces to the least expensive blooms that appear in all of the bouquets. Everything will still look great together but you’ll spend less on the pricier pieces.

• Use your wedding bouquets as centerpieces. Simply leave empty vases on your tables and instruct your bridal part to place them on different tables before the reception starts. 

• Fresh flowers are your best bet since faux flowers are often made with silk which makes them more expensive. If you’re not comfortable buying them online, try looking at bulk stores like Costco. You may even have some luck working with a local flower farm if you speak with them a few months out. 

• Lean on faux and fresh greenery! It looks elegant alone and can be used as extra filler around more expensive blooms. Here are some great greenery wedding bouquets to prove our point. 

Check out these 10 DIY wedding flower centerpiece ideas 

Before you can create any of these lovely centerpieces you’ll need to gather supplies. Your basic flower arrangement kit should include: flower frogs (which hold the stems in place as you arrange), your super glue of choice as well as a lighter glue like Elmer’s, green floral foam and/or wire caging for your base, green and clear tape, and dedicated gardening sheers. 

You can find all of these items at your local craft store or online at general retailers and specialty shops. However, if you buy your blooms online, the company you purchase from might also include or at least offer the necessary supplies along with instructions, so be sure to check out their blogs and special offers. 

Now, without further ado, here are some beautiful combination ideas to get you started:

1. Roses + Dusty Miller + Seeded Eucalyptus

2. Daisies + Tin Cans

3. Sunflowers + Blue Hydrangeas + Roses

4. Lavender Astrantia + Bonsai Eucalyptus + Willow Eucalyptus

5. Spray Roses + Carnations + Scabiosa

6. Leatherleaf + Spray Roses + Carnations

7. Thistle + Olive Branch + Ranunculus

8. Alstroemeria + Hypericum Berries + Seeded Eucalyptus

9. Submerged Baby’s Breath + Glass Hurricanes + Floating Teal Lights

10. Zinnia + Carnation + Gerber Daisy

Use this DIY wedding flowers guide as inspiration for your big day!

Up next, check out our other beautiful bridal bouquet ideas you can totally make yourself as well as some DIY wedding table decorations.