Alternative to flowers for bridal bouquet?

Shybride2016

Hi everyone,

Hope the plans are all going well. I've moved on to researching flowers and wondered if anyone had any alternatives to a floral bouquet because the prices I've been quoted are nuts imo.

I'd love a brooch bouquet but again they cost a fortune so would be grateful for any suggestions and ideas please!

tink2

Hi I made a brooch bouquet for my wedding it cost about €120 and a bit of time! There are you tube tutorials that show you what to do. Other alternatives are button bouquets or crochet bouquets. I've attached pics of my brooch bouquet with foam flower bouquets I made

MarieOC

I eloped but couldn't justify the prices I was being quoted, so I got a foam flower bouquet made here that was I think €50-70 it made it to NYC and back in my suitcase and is still perfect. (In hindsight I didn't need it as I could have picked one up outside city hall very reasonably but I like having mine to keep now)

Not sure if I can post the link but PM me for details if you'd like

Shybride2016

Hi tink,

They're gorgeous but we're on a tight budget so would love something cheaper. I defo wouldn't have time to make one myself as I've loads on and by the time kids are in bed I'm wrecked lol!

Miaireland

Keep an eye on etsy.com and ebay.co.uk (seems to be better that the Irish one), they often sell bulk brooches and the foam you need to make the bouquet. Also charity shops can be a good source. You could also put a ad on adverts/gumtree etc asking could you borrow one/rent one.

Shybride2016

MarieOC wrote: »

I eloped but couldn't justify the prices I was being quoted, so I got a foam flower bouquet made here that was I think €50-70 it made it to NYC and back in my suitcase and is still perfect. (In hindsight I didn't need it as I could have picked one up outside city hall very reasonably but I like having mine to keep now)

Not sure if I can post the link but PM me for details if you'd like

Sent you a PM there. Thanks!

PhoenixParker

I'm making a paper flower bouquet.
Hopefully something like this - https://img0.etsystatic.com/000/0/6271081/il_fullxfull.254679318.jpg
but I've lost motivation, so not sure it'll ever be done.

Given your lack of time, I'm guessing that's not an option for you.

I'd suggest looking up what flowers are in season when you get married and going for a really simple single flower bouquet in an in-season flower.
Pick it up the day before and there should be no delivery costs and it should be relatively inexpensive. Some examples:

A baby's breath bouquet - http://www-static.weddingbee.com/pics/106083/babys-breath-bouquet.jpg
Hydrangea bouquet - http://dwymbfinut5ul.cloudfront.net/weddings/galleries/images/hydrangea/bridal-blue-LG.jpg
Sunflower bouquet - http://bios.weddingbee.com/pics/235646/Sunflower-Bouquet-250x375.jpg

fits

Could you make your own? A single flower bouquet should be simple enough to do. You could use babys breath, roses, lilies. You can buy a heap in the flower market. Or a florists.

Its a personal thing I know but I really love flowers above any other option.

Shybride2016

Thanks for the replies everyone, so helpful!

Personally I'm not into flowers at all, they remind me of funerals and I feel they're a waste of money given that they only last a few days so that's why I'm looking at alternatives.

I definitely wouldn't have the time to make one but I've gotten great ideas and links here so thanks a mil!

pooch90

PhoenixParker wrote: »

I'm making a paper flower bouquet.
Hopefully something like this - https://img0.etsystatic.com/000/0/6271081/il_fullxfull.254679318.jpg
but I've lost motivation, so not sure it'll ever be done.

Given your lack of time, I'm guessing that's not an option for you.

I'd suggest looking up what flowers are in season when you get married and going for a really simple single flower bouquet in an in-season flower.
Pick it up the day before and there should be no delivery costs and it should be relatively inexpensive. Some examples:

A baby's breath bouquet - http://www-static.weddingbee.com/pics/106083/babys-breath-bouquet.jpg
Hydrangea bouquet - http://dwymbfinut5ul.cloudfront.net/weddings/galleries/images/hydrangea/bridal-blue-LG.jpg
Sunflower bouquet - http://bios.weddingbee.com/pics/235646/Sunflower-Bouquet-250x375.jpg

The paper bouquet looks lovely,I was going to make similar for my BMs until my mother asked,What if it rains? So I made them out if beads and they kind of looked like baby's breath. Was pretty quick too and cheap. My own button bouquet took a good bit longer. I made the buttonholes out of paper flowers,it lashed the day of the wedding and by the time the photos were over,hubbys one had disintegrated

January

Fake flowers? Tip top in Dublin sell loads of fake flowers and everything needing to make the fake bouquets.

If you are near Dublin and want to borrow my fake flower bouquets you're more than welcome? If you like them that is... I'm sure I still have them.

Milly33

you don't have to carry anything if you don't feel like it.. You could maybe if you did want to carry something maybe bring a candle to use for the lighting of the candles. if you didn't want to carry a lighted one you could pick up one of the battery operated ones. or maybe a lantern something like that...

littlenubbin85

Button bouquets are cute.

pooch90

https://www.dropbox.com/s/z90locjhf7mnc3p/Mark%20McGuire%20Photography%20%28442%20of%20612%29.jpg?dl=0

These were our bouquets.

kitten_k

For anybody looking for buttons for a button bouquet

https://www.livingsocial.com/deals/1446914-heart-shaped-wooden-buttons-x-50?cvosrc=email.blast-ie.digest_nationalshopeurope&utm_campaign=digest_nationalshopeurope&utm_medium=email&utm_source=blast

Mimojo

I found this lady yesterday on Etsy. dried flowers & I think they are really pretty and so reasonably priced, and can be purchased way in advance! Have been in touch with her & she seems really nice & positive reviews on the site.

https://www.etsy.com/ie/shop/FlowerDecoupage

There are so great finds of Etsy :-)

fannymagee

pooch90 wrote: »

https://www.dropbox.com/s/z90locjhf7mnc3p/Mark%20McGuire%20Photography%20%28442%20of%20612%29.jpg?dl=0

These were our bouquets.

Oh my God I have never seen a button bouquet before- they are GORGEOUS!!! And teh foam flowers are gorgeous too- I thought they'd look really foamy/fake but they're beautiful! :-)

pooch90

fannymagee wrote: »

Oh my God I have never seen a button bouquet before- they are GORGEOUS!!! And teh foam flowers are gorgeous too- I thought they'd look really foamy/fake but they're beautiful! :-)

Thanks very much, I loved our bouquets, totally worth the million hours spent on them, the BMs were little beads with a few sparkly ones thrown in.

tink2

It might be worth posting in one of the wedding websites and asking would anyone rent their bouquet to you? It would work out a lot cheaper for you!

fannymagee

pooch90 wrote: »

Thanks very much, I loved our bouquets, totally worth the million hours spent on them, the BMs were little beads with a few sparkly ones thrown in.

I was at the alternative weddings fair in Croker today, and I saw that one of the stands had a "guess how many buttons in the jar" competition. I made a beeline for it because I thought they were making button bouquets, I was very disappointed when I realised it was just men's suits haha!

pooch90

Haha!! That's lousy!
Actually easy enough to make, if you have the time. I'm not an arty type at all! Sure, inside the ribbon stem of mine, all the wires are inside a toilet roll insert!!!