How to Make Inexpensive Orchid Centerpieces for Your Wedding Reception

Orchids are a beautiful and elegant flower to use in your wedding. They are long lasting and sturdy flowers. However, orchids can be quite expensive. This doesn't mean you can't have orchids in your wedding, even if your budget is tight. The key to using orchids when you need to save money on your wedding decorations is to use them creatively.

Many people wouldn't think you could use orchids on every table at your reception and keep your budget under control. However, it's perfectly possible with some design know-how and the creative use of modern style glassware.

To create the simple yet elegant design pictured you will need a few basic materials and tools.

You will need:

Cymbidium orchids on the stalk in your choice of color or colors, enough to provide one bloom per glass. You can buy these from a floral shop but they can be ordered for far less from wholesale clubs like Costco and Sam's Club. The savings on these flowers alone can be worth the cost of membership. Wherever you buy these cymbidium spray orchids be sure to order them well in advance.

Aspidistra leaves. These flat, broad leaves can be ordered wherever you buy the cymbidium orchids. Banana leaves, strelitzia foliage, or ti leaves can be used as substitutes if aspidistra leaves are not available.

Large cylinder drinking glasses. You can buy these at just about any wholesale club or department store.

Scissors or garden shears to cut your flowers and leaves.

Green floral wire which can be bought at at florist shops and craft stores.

Wire cutters to cut the florist wire.

Instructions:

Cut the florist wire into one inch lengths, one for each glass you will be using. Cut the individual cymbidium orchids off of the stems using scissors or a pair of garden shears. Leave about half an inch of stem on each bloom.

Select aspidistra leaves that fit the width of the glass cylinders. If they are too wide you can either trim their edges off to make the leaves smaller or if the leaves are very wide they can be cut right down the middle lengthwise. Holding the leaf in both hands, run the leaf on the edge of a table or other rounded edge to soften its center vein. If you have to use banana leaves or ti leaves instead you will probably need to do some trimming. Cut the stem completely off of the leaves.

Push the pieces of florist wire through the stems of the orchid blooms, just below the blooms themselves. Use the wire to punch through the aspidistra leaf about an inch and a half from its tip and bend it to hold the orchid bloom to the leaf.

Push the leaf into the cylinder glass tip down with the orchid bloom facing up until the orchid bloom sits on bottom of the glass. Then bend the other end of the leaf and push it into the glass until the stem end touches the bottom.

To make them easier to deliver, fill the glasses just full enough with clean, room temperature water to cover the cymbidium orchid blooms. You can fill them the rest of the way at the reception venue.

Arrange the glasses three to five to a table depending on your budget and the size of your tables. Single arrangements of this style are just awesome on cocktail tables and also can be used to decorate the cake and gift tables or the guestbook table.

Be sure to give yourself plenty of time to arrange your flowers. Do not refrigerate orchids - ever - they are damaged by temperatures below 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Typically these orchid centerpieces will last about a week so you can design the arrangements days ahead of time.

This design style is so money saving you may well end up spending less on orchid centerpieces than you would on daisies!