DIY Silver Wedding Bouquet for Under $50

When my wedding came up a few years ago, I suddenly realized that having ten bridesmaids also involved having ten bouquets plus my own bridal bouquet! After looking up several floral shop prices, I realized that I would either have to sell my firstborn child to pay for the flowers or go with faux flowers instead.

I opted not to sell any future progeny and instead ended up buying all of the supplies for ten bridesmaid bouquets, one bridal bouquet, flower baby mini-bouquets, flowers for each pew, and even fabric flower petals all for less than $100! If I had opted for the real thing, $100 might have bought me a wedding bouquet but everyone else would have been woefully flowerless.

Faux flowers not only save you money, but also look fabulous in pictures! You can check out my own handmade floral bouquet in the photo. Four years later, and the bouquet still looks fresh. In fact, my wedding album looks like I spent thousands on fresh flowers. (Shhh...don't tell my secret!)

Step 1: Buying the Flowers
I lucked out and caught a 50% off sale at the local craft shop. Call up the local craft shop and ask when they are having the next sale or do some price checking online. Thank goodness I had my super crafty mom with me who not only can make a mean banana bread, but also has a knack for beautiful flower arranging. She chose a wide variety of flowers, butterflies, sprigs, greenery, and ribbon.

Think about the seasons when you are buying your supplies. For a silver wedding bouquet in the winter, for instance, you may want to add a few silvery snowflakes or snowy glitter with white velvety ribbons. Talk with the sales clerk to see what they have available in the way of floral arranging supplies.

Step 2: Arranging the Bridal Bouquet
Before you begin to arrange your flowers, be sure to determine what your style is. Do you want a cascading flower bouquet or something more simple? Before you begin to glue gun anything, test a few arrangements. Did you add silvery bells or crystal butterflies? How does the arrangement look with more or less ribbon? Practice walking with the bouquet. How will it look with your dress? Get some ideas from wedding magazines and websites.

Step 3: Final Touches
Be sure that every little butterfly, ribbon, and petal is in place. Shake the bouquet a little bit to test for loose foliage. You can make this bouquet the week before the wedding or six months ahead of time. It is up to you. You may enjoy making the bouquet so much that you decide to make the bouquets for your bridesmaids and flower girls.

BONUS: Silver Floral Decorations
When you buy the floral bouquet, be sure to purchase silver tool, large ribbons, and some extra flowers. You can use these materials to make beautiful silver floral decorations for the church.