Florals? For Spring? Groundbreaking. The Devil Wears Prada may throw shade towards spring florals but even Miranda Priestly can't disagree with the beauty of cherry blossoms. Textured, whimsical, and romantic these blooms are always on trend - but not always in season. Cherry blossom trees bloom once a year between April and March, making them an unpredictable and expensive floral favorite. Fortunately, you have other options!
LeAnne Samuelson, Afloral's creative director, and in-house floral enthusiast, creates beautiful DIY arrangements with artificial flowers. "It doesn't matter if it's in season. It's your wedding, your home, make it your way. There are no rules with silk flowers!" she says.
Artificial flowers are hardy, easy to work with, and can be repurposed over and over. Samuelson makes DIY bouquets with whatever materials spark her imagination - today it was a cherry blossom stem found in the Afloral office.
She's no florist and is quick to mention how simple the process actually is. "There is no intimidation, no stress, you can rebuild it a million times," she says. Another perk, you can reuse the bouquet as a table arrangement or keepsake for life. She made a matching flower crown with the extra stems!
Here's how you can too:
Step 1: Find your statement flower. Whatever draws your attention, start there.
Step 2: Build around your statement. Let it grow organically. No math, no reason, just fun!
Step 3: Tape, tape, tape. Samuelson uses a ton of floral tape in her arrangements so she can rebuild as she goes.
Step 4. Keep your stems long and don't cut till the end. With long wire stems, you can redirect your flowers in whatever way you see fit.
Step 5. Add your greenery. If your arrangement is simple, go big. If it's more complex, add some light greenery for balance.
Step 6: Add ribbon or drop it in your favorite vase as a table arrangement.
Step 6: Enjoy forever, or until you want to rebuild it into another DIY.
Take this Advice
Weddings are stressful, we get it. Choosing your flowers, shouldn't be. Plan ahead (you can create arrangements months in advance with artificial flowers,) know your budget (artificial flowers aren't dependent on season or region,) and get creative! With fake flowers, you'll not only be creating memories that last a lifetime but keepsakes that do too! ~ Meg Callahan/Wedding Vendor
From the Wedding Vendor
Afloral is a team of everyday floral enthusiasts, DIY fanatics, and proud plant-parents. Our focus - to create simply. Online we offer artificial florals, live and faux plants, home decor, and craft supplies. Offline, we offer over a decade of floral experience. We're rooted in upstate New York and Florida but can ship anywhere. Together, let's make life beautiful.
Vendors
Floral Designer: Afloral
Photographer: Afloral
