Wedding Lesson #5: You're not Martha Stewart

As you know, I'm all for DIY, or even better -- DIT (Do-it-Together). But as we got closer to the wedding date, I started to get real with all of my crafty, DIY ambitions. As I've said before, I'm a crafting wannabe, a complete novice. I've had some successes that actually turned out pretty nicely, and then some fails. Ummm, the flower girl baskets I was determined to make? Ultimate fail!!!  If you're not the crafty type, don't take on projects you know you don't have the skills or time to accomplish. Be real with what you can do amd you'll save yourself a headache.

One area I knew we had to be real with ourselves were our centerpieces. I met with different florists, but I was pretty unsatisfied with what our budget could buy us: a few flowers in a vase and a ribbon. yippee. Forget about orchids. They were too expensive. Needless to say, we skipped the florist. But with our wedding in the morning, we knew we had to come up with centerpieces that didn't require a whole lot of time, work, and of course, money.

Then we saw our inspiration while walking through the Asian Mall in Westminster, CA: a display full of tall, potted purple orchids. They were gorgeous, made a great impression, and yet so simple! We loved the idea of a potted centerpiece instead of cut flowers. These were centerpieces we knew our guests would want to take home with them, and they would last long after the wedding. Put them in nice pot, top the soil with moss, and they're good to go!

Potted orchids can be kind of pricey depending on where you buy them. We decided to order our orchids, moss and pots wholesale from the LA Flower Mart. We wanted double stem orchids as they looked more lush than single stems. We went through a vendor who offered us $13 for each orchid and we ordered our pots from another vendor for $4.50 each.  We purchased all 12 of our centerpieces for less than $20 each.

The Friday night before the wedding, we were in a time crunch and with me fighting through a migraine, the last thing I wanted to think about were centerpieces. Luckily our centerpieces were so easy my husband-to-be put them together.

And I must say, they turned out nicely.

 

 

All photos by our coordinator, Regina Bunye

Wedding Lesson #3: Forget DIY, Be a DIT Bride

(personal photo)

The boutonnieres my aunt and cousin made as I nursed a migraine

So when I last left you, I was stressing out big time over my last minute Taualuga dance and my DIY flowers. By evening time, when I planned to work on the bridesmaids' bouquets and flowers, my headache had gone from bad to worse. I was feeling nauseous and dizzy. I couldn't stand up upright without feeling like I would puke. We decided to work on the flowers in the hotel where everyone was staying in the night before the wedding. My MOH, Matron of Honor and even one of our groomsmen came to help me cut the leaves, stems and thorns from flowers. Thank goodness our potted orchid centerpieces were pretty much already done. My FH simply put them all in their pots and covered the soil with moss and voila! Our centerpieces were taken care of!

But by the time I had put together one bridesmaid bouquet, I decided to give up. My head was pounding and my body was telling me to get some rest.There was no way I could finish the rest of the flowers. I needed to go to bed.
But then my aunt and cousin came knocking on our door. They had just come to see how we were doing and bless their souls, they took on the rest of the flowers! They knew exactly what to do because they've done bouquets and corsages for church-related events before. They did an absolutely beautiful job--even better job than what I could have done without a migraine! My aunt and cousin used several leftover roses from the bridesmaid bouquets, baby's breath and purple orchids to make the bouts. I was able to get the sleep I needed while they made the rest of the bouquets and all the pretty bouts for our groomsmen, sponsors and parents.

My aunt scolded me by saying I should have asked her earlier for her help. There's no reason for me to try to do it all on my own. She's right.

My lovely bridesmaids with their bouquets (photo taken by a friend)

So don't be afraid to ask for help. Forget being the super-DIY bride all the time. You can't do it all on your own. Do-it-together -- with friends and family who really do want to help -- and take some of that load off your shoulders. A bride needs her beauty sleep you know!

Wedding Lesson #1: Conquer the Flower Mart Mad Grab

Photo by Bliss Imagery

We woke up bright and early Friday morning to pick up the flowers for the wedding. After visiting the LA Flower Mart several times already to scope out vendors and pick out flowers for tester DIY projects, I thought we had this Flower Mart thing down real good. I had a list of everything we needed. Easy Peasy, right? Well, try shopping at the Flower Mart on a Friday morning, along with hundreds of other DIY brides and florists with the same mission in mind -- must. get. flowers. for. big. day!!!!!

So what rules should you follow when getting your flowers at the Flower Mart?

Rule Number 1: Want first dibs on your flower selection? Arrive early. The Flower Mart opened at 8 a.m. We arrived at 9 a.m. It was grab what you can find by then.

Rule Number 2: Have a list of flowers you need and the quantity you need. This is what we did right and fortunately we found almost everything on my list.

Rule Number 3: Can't find what you need? Have a list of backup flowers ready. I couldn't find billy balls for the bridesmaids' bouquets! Every vendor was out of them! I had to scour the Mart trying to find a reasonable alternative. I found some flowers that looked somewhat like billy balls, but I still have no clue of what they're called.

By the end of the Flower Mart excursion we purchased:

1. Our centerpieces: Purple double stem potted orchids. We ordered these 2 weeks in advance from our favorite orchid vendor. Along w/ moss and the pots, our 12 centerpieces came out to $233

2: Bridesmaids' bouquets, boutonnieres for the groom and groomsmen, sponsors and parents, as well as cake flowers and extra decorative flowers: $100

So all together, our flowers cost us $333 (not including the flower girls's petals which had to be silk per church policy, my bridal bouquet -- won through a blog giveaway, tester flowers or ceremony flowers -- a gift from a friend).

My DIY bridesmaid bouquet, part II

OK, I know I've missed my weekly installment of Freebie Friday this week, but I promise to have a lengthy batch for next Friday! But in the meantime, we got much done this weekend. Such as another bridesmaid bouquet trial! I tried one months ago with carnations, but this time we got a little more adventurous. Here's the inspiration photo:

Here's what I came up with:

I used 3 yellow orchids, 10 yellow roses and 2 calla lillies. The bouquet was pretty easy, except for the orchids which can be kind of tricky. You'll need floral wire to insert into the stem, as they their stems aren't long enough. After that, just bunch them together, tape with floral tape, wrap your favorite ribbon around the stems and secure with corsage pins (make sure you pin in a downward motion). For the final run, I'll replace the calla lillies with billy balls (they're cheaper), and use a more lighter shade of yellow for the roses. I made four bouquets for less than $40 (using flowers we purchased at the LA Flower Mart).

I also made a trial boutonniere for the groomsmen. I didn't think we'd be able to give boutonnieres for our groomsmen since our ceremony is in the morning and I assumed that boutonnieres needed to be made the day of to stay fresh for the wedding. But I tried one anyone using a leftover rose from our DIY bouquet.

I simply cut a rose two inches down the stem, added a little baby's breath, taped down with floral tape and wrapped a ribbon around the stem. Use a corsage pin to pin it down on the jacket and voila! You have a boutonniere!

 

I refridgerated the boutonniere in a corsage box overnight and the boutonniere stayed fresh for two days.

Are you DIYing your flowers? Any advice for brides going the DIY route? 

Wedding Inspiration: Alphonse Mucha

One of my favorite artists is Art Nouveau icon Alphonse Mucha. The Czech artist is renowned for his ethereal, sensual portraits of women. His paintings captured each woman's natural grace and beauty in their long cascading tresses and flowing frocks. In college, I would plaster his work all over my dormroom walls, admiring how each woman seemed free and confident; feminine yet bold.

And what great inspiration for a vintage wedding! Think warm colors of gold, purple and green. Think bohemian chic with long, natural hair and lots of flowers. Think empire waist gowns evoking turn of the century vintage chic!

Ahhh...*swoon*

Affordable Centerpiece Alternatives

Nowadays, it seems like "affordable" and "centerpieces" just don't fit in the same sentence anymore. That's what it felt like early in our planning, when it seemed like the only worthy centerpieces were $100 or more. Try $300 each for the manzanita arrangement one florist quoted me at. When I asked for something cheaper, the florist showed me what $25 a centerpiece would get me...four daisies in a tiny glass vase wrapped with a ribbon. Really? I can make that for just under $10! But after doing some research and scouring the Net, I saw that with a few items, and relatively less dent to your wallet, you can make "Wow" centerpieces for your wedding!

It's amazing what candles can do. 
I was really inspired by this Wedding Bee post. With glass votives from IKEA and Molokai plumerias from Hawaii, one bride created this gorgeous look for just $25 a piece!

Via Wedding Bee

Go au naturale
Sometimes less is more! A minimilist, simple look can create that modern chic vibe.

Rocks

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I heart cymbidium orchids!

Sea Shells
Some sand, sea shells, a candle and a glass vase creates this beach themed centerpiece.

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Potted plants
For the bride who lacks time for arranging (morning brides out there?) or the budget for a florist, potted plants can be the answer. And really, some plants don't need a whole lot of dressing up. We're ordering a bulk of potted orchids from the LA Flower Mart, and with a bamboo vase and some extra moss and flowers to cover the base, we're done! Easy Peasy!

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Fruit
Why not dress up those few daisies with fruit. They add a vibrant, colorful and surprising touch to your centerpieces!

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 Get Bookish

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I've always loved the idea of books being the centerpiece, especially old, weathered vintage books. You can purchase these from any used bookstore or even scope them out at thrift stores where you can buy them for a steal! And if you're a true bookworm like me, you've just added a few classic treasures to your library!

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Lanterns create the mood
I love lanterns, and they work best for evening outdoor weddings or venues where the lights are set down low. What a romantic ambiance!

Moroccan lanterns
You can actually order these for a few dollars each, and with a few clustered together, they look very classy and wordly.

Via Style Me Pretty

Paper Luminaries

Maybe not for dining table centerpieces, but great accessories for say a walkway or guestbook table. And they're pretty cheap and easy to make!

Photo Frame Lanterns
Give your lanterns a personalized feel. Very easy to DIY, too!

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Any other affordable centerpiece ideas? Please, share!

Our bridesmaid bouquet

After our trip to the LA flower mart, I'm thinking our selection of bridemaid bouquets can be expanded beyond carnations. I still think they're cute and very budget-friendly, but I'm liking this bouquet:

Cute, unique and fits our color scheme of purple/plum/gold very well. I know that roses come in the cheap at the LA flower mart but don't know how much the orchids will cost me. I'll do another DIY trial with these flowers, so stay tuned!

It's...just...cake

So we're cutting back on a few things, but cake is not one of them. Although it may look like we are from the looks of our single-tier 10 inch round wedding cake we ordered. No, everyone is getting cake -- a pretty good-sized portion and mighty delicious. But it ain't coming from the cake the fiance and I are cutting. That's just for show cuz, well, we're dropping $45 just so we can have a mound of flour and sugar to cut into. Our restaurant offers a dessert option meaning everyone will already have chocolate mousse cake with their meal.

mmmmm

But you might recall my moment of insecurity when the future in-laws griped at our decision to order a tiny cake, the cake they coined "Mickey Mouse." Never mind that everyone will be served cake. Never mind that dessert is already added to our catering expense. According to our in-laws, we must have the tall, gigantic wedding cake for the photos and for display. Who cares that no one will have room to eat it. Who cares that it will cost us another $300 (at least). They even offered to pay for it. Now some folks won't mind the offer and gladly accept. But I would rather put that extra cash somewhere else. It just seems such a waste for a prop.

But it will be so embarrassing. Who wants to look at that tiny little cake? You don't want a mediocre wedding!

Yes, those were their words. Mediocre? But...it's...just...CAKE!

As a foodie, I love cake. I love anything that will satisfy my obsessive sweet tooth. But I think our chocolate mousse cake will be far better than any three-tier confection we can afford to buy. I don't feel like purchasing a huge cake just because, OMG, what will people say???

So I think our 10-incher will suffice. It's from Ninong's Pastries in Granada Hills, a Filipino bakery that also serves some yummy Filipino-style breakfast (ahhh, longanisa and eggs!). We had a cake tasting at their shop and even though we thought chocolate was the winner, we went with vanilla. It will be a nice contrast to the Chocolate Mousse cake we're serving to everyone.

So, it will be a vanilla and buttercream cake, and they even offered to add strawberries to the filling for free. It serves about 30-40 people and we figure the wedding party can have dibs on it if they chose to eat it. With a bridal expo coupon, we purchased the cake for about $42.

Can a single tier wedding cake look classy? I figure we'll place it atop a tall cake stand. Our baker will wrap the base with a ribbon. We'll also top it with some fresh flowers.

Here are some inspirational photos to make me believe that yes, it can be done!

Here's something closer to our color scheme. I like the pearls and swags.

I like the simplicity. Don't think we'll be going with the bride and groom cake topper. It seems a little dated to me.

Pretty. Simple.

Oh, but how are we going to decorate the cake table with such an itty bitty cake? I thought I'd place some flowers at the base, like below. Champagne glasses...no...maybe some candles.

So, am I just being delusional, blinded by my need to cut corners? Or can this really work?

Calling all DIY Brides: Head to the LA Flower Mart!

If you're seriously considering DIYing any flower projects for your wedding, I highly suggest...no, I insist you head over to the LA Flower Mart! Folks, this is where most of So Cal floral vendors get their flowers, and if you want to cut out the middle man, here's the spot.

 The LA Flower Mart offers tons of flowers at wholesale prices. I just about died thinking of all the floral possiblities I can do for much less than I would have paid a florist. $40 for a bridesmaid's rose bouquet? Psssh! How about for one for about $10?

A 40-count of roses is just $8!

Or a carnation bouquet for less than $5?

 

Mix n' match flowers, because they have just about every flower in season (and some not in season!)

 

I have never seen roses this shocking blue until I came here!

A bundle of Asian lillies for about $9 each

They have bamboo by the bundle:

 

and the elusive Manzanita branch for $7 each!

There also tons of accessories and supplies you'll need for centerpieces such as vases, candles, ribbon and even sea shells!

And we found our potted orchids! We found some for about $6-$9 each, but as we compared orchids from all the different vendors, we noticed some looked healthier and prettier than others. The ones that looked centerpiece-ready were about $15-$20 each. Still not bad considering some stores will charge you $40 for each!

 The flower mart is open to the public for a few hours each day, so you might want to check their hours on their website. It costs $2 a person for those who aren't badge members (which costs $50 a year). But the $2 general admission is worth it! The place is huge, so you want to get there early for the headstart and the fresh dibs on the selections. Also, prices and quality will differ between vendors, so keep looking. I would suggest making multiple visits so you can keep note of the prices and selection. Also, keep in mind that prices and selection differ between seasons.

And...since you're in the LA area and you might be hungry after all that flower shopping, grab a bacon dog!

Total artery-clogging goodness--it's what LA's all about!

Grow your love

As we have been plannng our wedding I've thought about messages or themes we wanted to convey. Yes, it's a party, and yes, we want aesthetically pleasing images, but we wanted it all to mean something in the end, rather than wedding-porn-worthy photos. That's when I became fixated on the theme of growth. Marriage is not the pinnacle of love -- it moves forward, it progresses, it evolves from the day vows are exchanged.
Yes, I am guilty of looking at hundreds upon hundreds of wedding photos in the blogosphere and I've coveted countless dresses, centerpieces, decorations and photography angles. But I noticed something when I drew up a preliminary timeline for our ceremony and reception. All of this will last five hours -- just five. All these months of planning and daydreaming culminates in five hours. When put in that perspective, you start to realize that letting you life revolve around five hours is pathetic. The abundant, lush centerpieces you see in that photo will all wither and die in a matter of days, hours even! That $1000 you paid that florist was used for a whole 5 hours, and only remembered by you. Sure, your photographer may have captured lovely shots of your bouquet, but who else besides yourself and a few family members are going to look at it again?
Nothing material will ever really take the place of two people's love and their commitment to nurture that love. But thinking about it, all these shortlived, materialistic things that we spend on does nothing to really convey what our love is about.
 So how do I balance the practical side of me -- the one that's screaming at me to forget all these materialistic things and high-tail it the altar in my jeans, with the girly side of me-- the one who likes things chic, stylish and a bit more refined?
There's no easy compromise, but I think I found one area that both sides can agree on--the centerpieces. Walking around the Asian Mall in Westminster, CA, my fiance and I noticed gorgeous potted orchid plants. They were in stylish bamboo pots and were only $12 each. They were simple and minimal, but our eyes were instantly attracted to them.
If I were a guest, I would rather take home flowers that will last longer than a day. Guests can keep it, plant it or water it at home. The orchids would be long-lasting tokens from our wedding that would only need nurturing care. My fiance and I loved the idea of potted orchids as our centerpieces --especially since they're beautiful, eco-friendly, affordable and they fit nicely with our theme--growth.
Here are some potted orchid centerpiece examples. We thought of dressing up the base with extra flowers and candles.

Not bad, huh?