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Wedding on a budget? How to do flowers that make you look like a fancy florist!

I’m in the event planning business. That means I’m a big proponent of hiring pros to do as much as possible when you’re throwing a big party. Want killer music? Hire a DJ. Need more than chilled wine in an ice tub? Find a bartender who can rightfully be called a mixologist. Want someone to plan your entire party and find all the amazing professionals for you? Call moi, The Party Goddess! But I get that sometimes an event or budget calls for something more low key, more DIY. So this week I’m sharing some tips on doing wedding flowers yourself. Holy hydrangea! Yes, it really is possible to take on the flowers for such an auspicious occasion — and have all your mother’s friends saying that you simply must give them the name of your florist.

Have a garden party to select the wedding flowers you want!

So, where to start? Decide on the look you’re going for and focus on that. For a self-styled wedding, keep it simple and use flowers that are easy to find. Create some arrangements in advance to help you figure out what you want. The best way to do that? Have your besties over, pop the champagne and have a practice session of course! Sounds fun, right? Even more fun is having a practice session for your bartender at the same time! Taste a cocktail, trim the flowers, taste another cocktail, trim more flowers! But I digress. Make sure you choose flowers that you’ll be able to locate right before the big day. The flower mart is always a great place to shop. And if you need more blooms at the last minute, you can make a quick run to a neighborhood florist or even the grocery store.

For maximum impact with minimal spending, opt for lots of vases and containers of the thrift store variety. Start stockpiling them early to build up your collection. In addition to using them for your chosen wedding flowers, you can fill them with inexpensive filler-type greenery and blooms. Then scatter the vases on a table with some candles for a full and lavish look. If you like what you’ve done, make some notes, take a picture so you can recreate the look later, pour another drink and call it a day!

Where to find The Party Goddess! ideas galore?

If you’ve been one of my loyal blog followers, you know that we publish these image roundups weekly. We feature a particular event for a particular client so you can go deep on the particular theme. If you know what’s up, skip this part. New visitors, take a look below…

In case you missed it, here’s what we’re doing, mentioned in the first blog. (And if you already know what’s going on, skip to the first photo!) Every day we’re posting event photos & inspiration to my Instagram page to give you ideas for your own events. And, of course, to encourage you to hire yours truly, one of the top wedding planners in Los Angeles, for your next soirée! In terms of format, we’re trying to capitalize on the whole hashtag calendar world and take advantage of #WeddingWednesday (#WW) and #ThrowbackThursday (#TBT) by posting wedding photos and cool stuff we’ve done on Wednesdays and on Thursdays, harkening back to a past client’s event, be it a celebrity, or just one of us tastemakers.

Favorite Event Photos and Inspiration – Monday:

Fancy that! Sometimes the simplest arrangement you make yourself can look as good as something from a fancy schmancy florist. Like this one! Put easy-to-find flowers and a few greens in a tight, slightly cascading arrangement. Add a few single blooms to the table and you’re done! So simple, yet so fancy!

Wedding Flowers That Look Like A Million Bucks! | The Party Goddess! — Love this? Pin it to your Pinterest Flowers Board.

Favorite Event Photos and Inspiration – Tuesday:

Pick a color and go with it! These purple flowers make quite a statement behind your back!

Favorite Event Photos and Inspiration – Wednesday:

Get thee to a thrift store! You don’t have to spend a fortune to put together a beautiful table. Use vases of different shapes, heights and sizes, throw in some faux crystal, a few pedestal bowls, and you’ve got yourself a lavish-looking display… even though you didn’t spend a lot. But who’s gonna know? Happy #WeddingWednesday!

Favorite Event Photos and Inspiration – Thursday:

Flower budget not as big as you’d like? No problem! Fool everyone with a few simple arranging tricks. Multiple vases with single stems, a metal tray or two, separate your whites from the colors, a cute little bud vase with some delicate filler… et voilà! You have a table display that looks like you broke the bank, when in fact, you barely broke your piggy bank. #TBT

Favorite Event Photos and Inspiration – Friday:

Talk about flower power! These giant pansies are so fun and fab! Put them on the back of a few chairs for extra color. Or save them for the bride and groom. Can’t go wrong either way! #TGIF

Favorite Event Photos and Inspiration – Saturday:

Peonies, please! I love these flowers! They’re perfect for a summery garden arrangement. You can find them almost anywhere, even the grocery store. And they look even more lovely if you place them in a pedestal dish like this one. Takes about two seconds and only a few dollars to up the elegance factor of any table.

Event Photos and Inspiration – Plus, tell me what else you want to see on the blog!

So, what do you think of our gorgeous wedding flowers? Which is your fave? Let me know in the comments below!

And because we love that you love parties, we’re giving this away for FREE! It’s our Super Secret Party Tips Guide that has tons of useful tips for fetes of every shape and size. Check it out!

xoxo M

P.S. Looking for more info on wedding flowers? Then be sure to check out: Wedding Season Is Upon Us…, Make a Scene with…Flowers? and Tips for Hiring a Floral Designer. You can find more interesting blogs and images on our website, or just contact us to book your next event! And if you like this blog, would you be so kind as to share it with a friend?