DIY arranging and fresh flower websites

[citylove]

Has anyone out there used a site like freshroses.com? I've heard one good review of that site specifically, but I'm also wondering if anyone has any DIY arranging tips. I'm thinking probably just gerbera daisies, no fillers. I don't want corsages or anything like that - just one bouquet and some flowers in vases. I guess I'm looking for tips/advice/recs for cheap fresh flowers and then inspiration/encouragement for arranging said flowers myself.

:) Thanks

[apoppy]

I used freshroses for my flowers and overall I liked them. I was married in May of 2005.

I ordered a test group in March of all the flowers I thought I wanted. I am so glad that I did because I discovered that I was allergic to some of them! Anyway, this early ordering allowed me to rethink some of my choices. It also allowed me to play around with different combos for the bouquets and vase arrangements.

Freshroses recommends that you order your flowers to arrive two days before you need them. I followed their directions and I later wished that I hadn't. I thought my flowers looked a little droopy on the day of my wedding. Some of that could have been due to my mishandling...but I think that if I had received them a day later, they would have looked better.

Arranging your flowers yourself won't be hard since it sound like you want something fairly simple. You can find a lot of great info on the web about arranging your own flowers (sorry, I deleted all my wedding bookmarks). You can do this!

[lawyerlee]

I almost did the flowers myself, but changed my mind at the last minute. From the research I did at that time, freshroses.com definitely seemed like the way to go. Real Simple did an article on online flower shops and gave them a good rating. Shopping for Flowers Online (http://www.realsimple.com/realsimple/content/0,21770,686739,00.html)

These other Real Simple articles will probably be helpful:

Keep Cut Flowers Fresh (http://www.realsimple.com/realsimple/gallery/0,21863,1054327,00.html)
How to Make Flowers Last Longer (http://www.realsimple.com/realsimple/content/0,21770,685083,00.html)

These articles from Martha Stewart's website have some good advice on flower arranging and bouquets:

Bouquet Basics (http://www.marthastewart.com/page.jhtml?type=content&id=channel1701&contentGroup=MSW&site=weddings&rsc=ns2006_m2)
Bridal Bouquet with Preston (http://www.marthastewart.com/page.jhtml?type=content&id=tvs2734a&contentGroup=TV&site=living&rsc=ns2006_m13)
Orchid Bouquets with Michael (http://www.marthastewart.com/page.jhtml?type=content&id=tvs7810&contentGroup=TV&site=living&rsc=ns2006_m29)

These are helpful articles, too:

How to Make a Hand-Tied Wedding Bouquet (http://www.favorideas.com/learn-about/wedding-flowers/how-to-make-a-hand-tied-wedding-bouquet/)
Top Tips For Droop-Free Wedding Bouquets (http://www.favorideas.com/learn-about/wedding-flowers/tips-for-droop-free-wedding-bouquets/)

Good luck with your flowers. I love the look of gerbera daisies. :)

[Adaya]

I was in my best friend's wedding last September and she got all of her flowers fromPacific Callas (http://www.pacificcallas.com/) and they were so beautiful. We made the bouquet, the bouts, corsages for the family, the 2 MOHs bouquets and all of the other arrangements for the wedding and reception. Everything was gorgeous. That particular company said to order pretty early b/c the stems would come closed...so they arrived on Wednesday for a Saturday wedding. By Saturday, they had bloomed to perfection.

We got all of the ribbon and things to make everything from Michael's and a floral shop. So I said all that to say, you can do it!! It was so easy and it was really fun making everything and putting our own stamp the creations. :)