Tattooed Brides

Times are a changing....

In years gone by, brides used to cover up their tatoos for their wedding day in order to look all prim and proper. Nowadays, many brides are purposely tatooing their upper bodies in order to personalize their look on their wedding day. Proudly they walk down the aisle with their decorated arms and shoulders to celebrate their love, their way. And who can blame them... I`m a big tattoo fan, especially when they reflect the bride`s personality and style.

Floral print armband or sleeve tattoos are especially suited for wedding showcasing.

Another popular wedding tattoo trend is wedding band tattoos. In an age where the divorce rate is at 50% of weddings, matching ring finger tattoos can be an excellent way for loving couples to showcase their eternal love. Another advantage to wedding ring tattoos for couples who work at careers where rings can be dangerous or forbidden is that the love union will be demonstrated throughout the work day. The simple statement of a celtic wedding band or wedding date in regular or roman numerals on the finger is a wonderful ode to a couple;`s love and wedding day.

Add Bling To Your Wedding Flowers

Bouquet jewelry is the latest trend! Adding sparkle to wedding bouquets, wristlets, boutonnieres and hair pieces, is now an affordable luxury due to many new lines of products available through your local florist or online. Floral jewels vary in size, shape and price. For a touch of glamour, add a few crystals, pearls or glitzy butterflies or dragonflies placed here and there throughout the bouquet.

For a traditional look that will add sparkle to any bridal blooms., add a crystal monogram using you and your husband’s initials. You could also add the initials of a lost loved one on your bouquet for that sentimental touch of glitz. This is a simple way to include their memory on your wedding day. Some companies sell jewels in all types of shapes such as hearts, flowers, diamonds, butterflies, animals, etc.. These can link your theme to your bouquet and add fun in a classy way.

To add jewelry to your bouquet is super easy. Simply insert the pick or pin into the center of each or select flowers. If the jewel is large or medium, you would be best to insert the pick between flowers at the center or central area of your bouquet. Another idea for jewel shapes is to attach them to the stem or to the ribbon wrapped around the stems such as in the picture with the heart crystals. Simply glue them on with a touch of hot glue. Do not use too much as to make spider strands of glue...just a dab will do.

Bridal bouquet jewelry is often used only in the bride`s bouquet but can also be used to add extra glamour to the bridesmaid's flowers, centerpieces, hairpieces, and even the wedding cake. Wristlet corsages can now be composed on bracelets highlighted with ``rhinestones`` in all colors for extra bling to all who will be wearing them. Add between $20-$30 per bracelet at the florist and $10-$15 if creating it yourself at home. Pins to tie the boutonnieres to men`s suits also come in all colors and shapes of ``crystals``and ``diamonds``. Add $8-$15 for these jewel accents to your boutonnieres if you are getting them at the florist or $2-$6 if making yourself at home. Bouquet jewelry is a relatively inexpensive way to create a unique and personalized touch to your special day. They can also be used long after your wedding in other floral arrangements and special occasion centerpieces! Consult your local florist or search for bouquet jewelry online to find these precious accents to make your wedding that much more special.

Find wedding bouquet tools and accents on our ebay store at: http://www.weddingsflowerpower.com

Throw a Pitch In Party, Have Fun, Get Help!

You want to make your own flowers but don`t think you can handle the job by yourself? Wouldn`t it be nice to have the help of your best friends and closest family members?

Throw a Pitch in Party and get the help you wished for!!

The moral support as well as the helping hands can make the difference between a frazzled bride and a glowing bride. The memories of the Pitch In Party you threw will live on for years and the stunning flowers you created will inspire pride in all who helped out.

The Following exerpt is from this book:

Unleash Your Inner Florist: How to Make Wedding & Special Event Flowers- paper copy

In the case of weddings, anniversaries and family reunions, pitch in parties are great to reunite your most important allies such as your bridal party, mothers, cousins, aunts or other special friends. Even though you will be together on the special day, that day is usually fast paced and filled with excitement. Quality time spent with family and friends before the event or the wedding while assembling the flowers will be remembered as some of your most precious memories. In the case of fundraiser organizers, you can lay the foundation for a great team and create a united spirit for the cause. Volunteers can get to know each other better and many will truly enjoy working with fresh flowers. You can accomplish a lot with the help of helpful volunteers, and/or with your inner circle of family and friends. You can also save lots of money and have fun while you are creating beautiful flowers. When groups of people come together for a common goal, there are bound to be some who love making crafts. Enlisting their help will make them feel special and they will glow with pride along with you when the compliments start flowing at the event.

Items that are perfect candidates for Pitch-in Parties
1) Favors
2) Invitations
2) Centerpieces
3) Bouquets
4) Body Flowers such as boutonnieres and corsages
5) Wrapped Flowers
6) Hand-Tied Bouquets
7) Vase Bouquets

Special Touches for your Party
1) Put out delicious snacks and drinks to keep everyone happy.
2) Play inspiring tunes on the stereo, so that your friends feel like they’re at a party, not just part of an assembly line.
3) Take lots of pictures to be able to include later in a scrapbook.

For more information on how to get organized for a pitch in party, see chapter 9 in

Unleash Your Inner Florist- the e-book

Save on Wedding Flower Arrangements

I found this great website with all kinds of information and tips on saving money on your wedding. This is where this article comes from. http://www.cheap-wedding-solutions.com/

Successful cheap wedding flower arrangements are all about keeping it simple. You don't have to be the world's best florist to achieve this. Having willing volunteers to complete your flower arrangements always helps as flower arrangements normally get left until the big day and you will have a lot to do. For the first flower arrangement you will need small glass vases, these could be square or you could even use glass jars or finds from your local goodwill store. The idea is to fill all of the space with flowers, great flowers to do this with are Hydrangeas as they are big flowers and you won't need as many or you could use roses. Keep all of the flowers the same color, or shades of the same color and you won't need to worry about having to artfully arrange them. You can use this simple arrangement in a bigger display by using lots of different sizes and shaped vases. Group the vases together for a stunning display.
You can also use a shallow and wide bowl to display flower heads floating in the water, Gerbera work well for this and so do big flower heads of roses, daisies - any flower that is fairly flat so that they stay floating as you want them to.
You could also use the shallow bowls to have rose petals and floating candles, a very simple and inexpensive display and one that is used a lot. Some tables may need height in the display, you can achieve this by buying glass candlesticks and having them sit in the water. The key is to keep it simple. Potted plants also work well as cheap wedding flower arrangements and the added beauty of this is that you can have them ready for your wedding, days before. Group plants together in individual white pots or use the color theme of your wedding, keeping it simple works best. Have the same plant in 3 or 4 pots as your centerpiece. Plants that withstand some serious neglect will mean less stress for you! Herbs such as rosemary, lavender, marjoram and mint would look simple and stylish plus they bring a beautiful scent to the table. Miniature roses, violets, daisies again work well. You can then use your centrepieces as gifts for your guests – they could end up being your favors, saving you even more money. Tie a label to each plant, you could personalize them with your guest’s name and a thank you from you bot

How to Make a Boutonniere

1) Difference between boutonnieres & corsages:
The essential difference between a boutonniere & a corsage is the bow. Boutonnieres are for men and do not have a bow. Corsages are for women and usually have a bow and are fancier.

2) What you need:
What you will need to make your boutonnieres are: florist tape, florist wire, floral shears, 1 rose or other flower per boutonniere (smaller flowers often look better as boutonnieres and would be most welcomed by the men in your life- small roses are called sweetheart roses), leather leaf or other type of foliage, baby’s breath if desired, plastic baggie, pin

3) When to make your boutonnieres:
These should be the last flowers you create as close to your wedding time as possible since they have no water source. Ideally, you would make them the night before the wedding. If not possible, you can make them during the day on the day before the wedding. Obviously if you choose silk flowers, you can make them as much in advance as you wish.

4) Before Starting:
Before starting gather all your flowers & tools and find a well illuminated and comfortable working area.



10 Steps to Making a Boutonniere

Step One
Lay out all your ingredients on a large table. Take out enough ingredients for 1 to 3 boutonnieres at a time.

Step Two
Prepare your roses in the following manner… Cut your stems to approximately 4”. Wire each rose by piercing the flower head through its base with a half piece of wire approx.10” long. (The ideal wire size is a 22 gauge) See illustration that follows.

Wiring helps ensure sturdiness of boutonniere. If using another type of flower, wiring is not essential. This may seem scary at first, but it is the best way to make your rose boutonnieres secure. Once you have pierced the rose, bend both ends of the wire down along the stem. Tape the entire length of the wire & stem together as one. (To use floral tape, remember that what makes the tape sticky is the stretching of the tape & the heat from your fingers so don’t be afraid to keep the tape very close to your fingers and pull hard) Set roses aside with the other ingredients for your body flowers. If using other type of flower, this step does not apply to you.

Step Three
Assemble the background of your boutonniere. Take 2 pieces of foliage & layer them each slightly off center so that each piece overlaps each other & you can see each piece clearly.

Step Four
Add a little piece of your baby’s breath over the top of your duo of greens. It should be centered so as to cover & overlap the foliage. Keep holding this all together in your left hand (if you are right handed)


Step Five
Add the rose or other flower. Place the rose so that the tip of the foliage extends above the rose for about 1.5 inches.

Step Six
At this point, you now need to secure your main flower to the foliage & baby’s breath together with tape. Make sure to tape tightly from the top of the stem right to the bottom, pull hard to ensure that it is very solidly taped together.

Step Seven
To finish your boutonniere, add another piece of foliage &/or baby’s breath to fill in the bare spot at the front of the main flower. Tape to the rest of the boutonniere.

Step Eight
Add a pin to the back of the stem that will be used to attach the boutonniere to the groom’s or groomsmen’s suit. A pearl headed pin in white or black is best.

Step Nine
Spray boutonniere with a tiny bit of water with a water mister. (often used to mist plants)

Step Ten
Package your boutonniere in a clear baggy.
Baggie types with fold tops work fine. You can then group them in flat top boxes for delivery or transportation. Helpful tip: Label who it’s going on the bag to help with organization of who gets which boutonniere. Keep the flowers cool until time to wear, either in a fridge, or in a cooler. (NEVER put in freezer!) To transport in cooler, place ice or ice packs at the bottom of the cooler. Place medium thick towel over ice. Place body flowers on top.

Learn more about how to choose & make your Wedding Flowers by following this link:
www.howtoweddingflowers.com/unleashinnerflorist/

How Much $$ Can I Save by Making my Own Wedding Flowers?

Making your own wedding flowers can be a very rewarding experience. For anyone who really loves flowers and likes to dabble in crafts or gardening, making your own wedding flowers can be a great success story and memory, especially if you share the experience with a loved friend or family member.

Let`s look at the advantages of making your own flowers.

1) First of all, you will be getting exactly what you like since you will be choosing your own flowers, ribbons and accents. For many bride to bes, your tastes and preferences are unique and specific. By choosing your own flowers, accessories and ribbons, you will feel confident that your personality is reflected in your bouquets.

2) Second, you will be putting your love & positive energy in your bouquets. The flowers will live on in photos for years to come and will bring you good luck and blessings for a wonderful marriage. Try to visualize your happy marriage while making your flowers, and sending positive energy through your flowers to the people you are making them for. Your mom will feel your love when she proudly displays the corsage you made especially for her.

3) If you share the experience of fabricating your own wedding flowers with your bridesmaids, friends and/or family, you will be creating memories for years to come. Get everyone to bring happy mementos or photos of when they got married and have fun chatting it up with your girlfriends while working on your fabulous wedding flowers.

4)Finally, and most importantly for many brides to be that are trying to cut costs, you will save lots of money by fabricating your own flowers. It`s seriously not that hard, especially if you have some craftiness in you or can find friends or family with that crafty touch and love of flowers. Let`s examine the different types of wedding flowers and how much money you can save by making each item yourself. Please keep in mind that these are rough estimates for this purpose.

Floral Item Florist Price Your Price Savings
Boutonniere 8.00 2.5 5.50
Corsage 15 6 9
Bride`s Bouquet 80 38 42
Bridesmaid Bouquet 40 18 22
Floral Cake Topper 50 20 30
Floral Centerpiece 50 25 25
Floral Hairpiece 42 14 28
TOTALS¸ $285.00 $123.5 $161.5

You definitely will save by making your own wedding flowers. You can save between 50-80%. Definitely worth the effort! Anyone can make their own wedding bouquet . It`s not that hard! All you need is 1)organization 2)a love of flowers 3) craftiness or help of someone crafty 4) willingness to do it.

If you can picture yourself making your bouquets, you can do it, especially with proper instructions and professional guidance through books, videos and online resources.

Check out : Unleash Your Inner Florist: How to Make Your own Wedding Flowers for all the instructions you will need to make your own wedding flowers. http://www.authorhouse.com/bookstore/ItemDetail.aspx?bookid=51871