Monday, March 8, 2010

In defense of paper flowers (photo heavy)

I have a confession.  I don't really care about flowers.  Especially cut flowers.  W doesn't have strong feelings either  -- other than concern for disappointing the owner of the farm.

I told this to her -- that we just were not into flowers -- and she worked very hard to convince us that we should have SOME flowers -- her hope being that that we would buy flowers from her and have her arrange them.   We talked flowers, and I got briefly excited, but man, they do nothing for me.  I've look at so many flowers on the knot website, and I like some of them, but not enough to exchange currency for them.  She would still like me to tell her what I'd like, and my "flower budget", and let her draw up an estimate to look over, but the whole idea of a "flower budget" is so outside of the kind of wedding W and I have in mind.  I guess we could spend 100 dollars and call it the "make/keep-the-farm-owner-happy budget."  That is in line with what we're going for.  We would like everyone involved to feel good about the whole affair. 

Ultimately, all I really care about is having a lot of very very bright colors around, and that the things at our wedding be things that were envisioned and labored over by us. I feel like I've met the wedding industrial complex halfway --- I'm making centerpieces, for pete's sake!  

We are growing an herb garden of rosemary, mint, basil, and sage this summer, some of which will be clipped and some transplanted for centerpieces (and bouquets and boutonnieres).  Our centerpieces will be clusters of jars, caraffes and milkglass receptacles full of herbs.  So we want to throw in some color. 

Option I:  I wrested with growing flowers to cut and add to the arrangements, but then remembered what a hassle flowers are, and how you can go out of town for just a few days and BAM, those plants are angry.  At least that was my experience.  The swiss chard and peppers were just so much easier, and so mild mannered by comparison.  And the herbs!  Every summer they have a wild party and take over the whole garden (I always overplant, out of fear that I will ever be without enough basil). 

Option II: We could buy an armful teddybear sunflowers, from the farm, or online.  This is feasible -- I just don't want it to get out of control and we end up ordering full flung wedding flowers.  There is a whole industry out there working to make this happen, but I've got my defenses up.

OR!  Option III: behold, the paper flower:
Peonies 
Roses

More Instructions (for my own reference as much as anything):

3 comments:

caitlin said...

hey lady. don't know if you're checking for back comments or not, but i felt that i had to say something before you give yourself unnecessary carpel tunnel. do not make paper flowers. yes they're pretty, but they take a ton of paper. and a mega ton of time. very tedious wrist and hand hurting time. i know this from the dozens of them i had to make when i worked for paper source. and i imagine you might be wanting more than a few dozen. plus knowing you, this wedding is probably pretty project heavy as it is. and you don't like flowers. so. just saying.

Anonymous said...

I would agree - both that I hope Allison is checking for back comments, and that it doesn't pass the cost/benefit analysis. Your time is worth more than $5 an hour. Triple your "flower budget" and talk to the owners. I bet the cost of paper and supplies alone would exceed the cost of flowers, and her local growing would be greener than paper production. No offense Ws.
Deirdre

Allison said...

Maaaaan. You guys are harsh :) But it's cool -- I started losing momentum for making flowers once I thought about buying paper. Our wedding flowers (and herbs!) are presently sprouting in trays in the dining room, and we'll buy some from lady of the farm, to boot.

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