Funky Wedding Flowers

Flowers and weddings go hand in hand, but for the non-traditionalist they can create a conundrum. Fortunately, there are ways to add an extra bang to your bouquet.

Make a cameo appearance: attaching a vintage cameo to the band of your bouquet adds a spec of spice, or go the extra mile and replace several buds with cameo pieces of different colors and size. The same can be done with other kinds of brooches or pieces of jewelry. This can be a great way to pay homage to family members who are unable to attend the wedding.

It's in the details: add a few small touches to incorporate special meaning or tie-in with your theme. If you've pinstriped your wedding, for example, add a pinstriped charm to the bouquet band, or glue to the end of a spring-like willow spiral poking up through the center of your flowers. If you have a vintage theme, think about using a vintage ribbon or fabric swatch to wrap the stems of your bouquet in style. Or add some steampunk funk by sliding each bloom through glistening gears to create a vase on the go.

Go faux: think paper, felt, ribbon, even socks can be folded and fashioned into pretty pretend flowers. And you don't have to stick to the traditional, try a unique origami arrangement, with some practice you may even want to use the same trick to save on beautiful floral centerpieces.

Colors not seen in nature: don't be afraid to expand your palette beyond what occurs naturally. Flowers come in a wide variety of colors, shapes and sizes, but perhaps the look (or price range) you're going for isn't readily accessible. White roses, carnations and most other light-colored flora can be stem-dyed to any shade you'd like. The flower heads can also be dip-dyed for a darker color, but the look is less true. Either way, the result can be stunning; eliciting oohs and ahhs from your guests as they exclaim, "I didn't think roses came in blue!"

Don't use flowers: how about a bouquet of seashells, buttons, lollipops, feathers or fruit? Nearly anything goes these days. For your fall wedding, spice things up with a bouquet of fresh herbs like rosemary, lavender, basil and posy. Or carry sprigs of corn stalk with a few painted ears for color.

Don't let the thought of grandmother's flower garden hold back your creativity and spunk, create a bouquet (and centerpieces) as unique as you are. You'll compliment the wedding style as a whole, bringing a cohesive feel to your big event while showing guests your creative side. As a bonus, these ideas can also cut the cost of your flowers, making them very budget friendly while being beautiful to boot.