“June is bustin’ out all over” and it is the wedding month of wedding months! The economic situations of the day are putting the kabosh on wedding budgets everywhere and more brides and mothers-of-the brides are choosing to do much of the preparation themselves. As with the previous posting, I thought that I would share with you another idea that I used in our daughter’s wedding – a pretty and inexpensive nosegay that is gorgeous for the wedding attendants. The nosegay is simple and really fun to see go together and can even be done at a “Nosegay Party” with the attendants each making their own. I used the following with silk flowers but real ones will work as well. Use floral wire to keep the stems of real flowers rigid. For each bouquet plan on:
• 3 larger round flowers like peonies, open roses, cabbage roses, etc. in one wedding color
• 2 identical flowers but smaller
• Bunch ivy in any color you wish
• Bunch small flowers like honeysuckle, stephanotis, baby’s breath, etc.
• Floral tape
• Satin in second wedding color
• Ribbon in matching or complement color
• Hot glue gun
• Wire cutters

Directions: Cut the stems on the flowers to the length that is appropriate for an attendant to hold in two hands, one hand over the other, about 7- 8 inches long. Wrap the three larger flowers tightly together with floral tape, pulling the tape as you wrap, to make it stick to itself. You don’t have to wrap all of the way down the stems, but just enough to make them tight and thin. Add the two small flowers on two sides of the group and wrap them tightly. Divide the bunch of smallest flowers and work stems in one or two at a time, wrapping as you go and turning until the larger flowers are cushioned under small flowers. Do the same with the ivy, nestling it beneath and around the flowers as a nest. Finish group by wrapping all stems together as one “handle”.

Cut two circles, with a diameter 2-3″ more than twice the length of the nosegay “handle”. With right sides together, sew circles together with a ¼ inch seam. Leave enough unsewn area to turn. Turn to right sides and press. Press under remaining seam and topstitch around the perimeter of the circle, leaving a ¼ inch edge. Place a drop of hot-glue in the center of the circle and hold the tip end of the bouquet “handle” onto the glue until it sets. Pull the circle up around the base of the bouquet and tie with matching ribbon around the base of the bouquet at the top of the handle. Straighten cloth around so that it evenly undulates around the base of the bouquet. Using a hot-glue gun, strategically glue the cloth to the underside of the bouquet. When dry, tie ribbons of matching and coordinating colors over the first ribbon, using one or two to make a bow and then let the rest drop about 12-14”, staggered so that they will float against the dress as the attendant walks down the aisle. These bouquets are lightweight and can be used in a circle with handles pointing in and one bouquet in the center, for a lovely floral arrangement at one of the serving tables during the reception!! See pictures below and click on each to enlarge:

Wedding season is on its way and having been the mother-of-the-bride last year, I know the stress and frazzles that go into planning a wedding. In these tough economic times, money is a real issue and so I thought that I would share some of the ideas that helped me in planning.

For the bride and mother-of-the-bride, who wish to really budget carefully, beauty and elegance does not have to be forfeited. A lovely sit-down reception can still be had for pennies if one is careful. Just as an example, I’d like to share an idea for a centerpiece that I designed and used. Guests complemented us on the table decorations and thought that we had spent much more than we did.

First, if you have a Hobby Lobby or a Michael’s near you, that helps! Their coupons in the paper or online are a lifesaver for the planning bride. My relationship with the clerks grew to a first-name-basis! My coupon use became a joke for them and they laughed when they saw me coming. I am certain that I saw them making signs to each other indicating that I was crazy. I wasn’t crazy – I was just cheap! For example, for our 25 reception tables, my centerpiece required a silver charger. That meant twenty-five silver chargers at $1.87 each. As I said, I am cheap – ok, thrify to sound better – and so everytime that I went into town, I stopped at Hobby Lobby and purchased one charger with one 40% off coupon. What would have cost me a total of $46.75, came to $28. Doing that for nearly everything that I purchased at Hobby Lobby wound up saving me a fortune. I printed coupons off of the internet and used them religiously. The centerpiece that I describe below, cost $5.67 each to make.

The following are the items for a lovely centerpiece.
-Tulle in either white or a coordinating wedding color
-One colored charger per table (silver, gold, red, black,etc at Hobby Lobby)
-1 paper doily per table (Dollar Store)
-One tall votive candle holder per table (Hobby Lobby)
-3 feet of pearl garland per table (Hobby Lobby)
-1 piece of ivy per table (Michael’s)
-1 coordingating flower or grapes or other accent piece (Michael’s)
-1 miniature flower pot per table, spraypainted the same color as the candles to be used (Michael’s)
-1 votive candle in coordinating color (Michael’s)
optional: large cloth napkin of a coordinating color

For each table, place a large square of doubled tulle in the center and turn edges under to form a loose, puffy circle. If using white tulle or if you wish to use two wedding colors, place large napkin of a coordinating color in center of table and place tulle on top of napkin. Place charger in center of tulle. Place doily in center of charger. Put tall votive candle holder onto the charger and to the right of center. Put a candle into the minature flower pot and put both into the candle holder. The flower pot makes it easier to clean the candle holder of candle remnants. Lay ivy around the base of the candle holder and around top edge of charger. Place flower or grapes or other accent piece to the left of the candle holder and in front, nestled in the ivy. Pile the pearl garland in the center right of the charger and drape it over the edge and onto the tulle or let spill to the table. Light the candle and take pictures!! Below are photos that you can click to enlarge. Good luck!