If you’re here, you’re probably beginning to plan your wedding florals—and maybe you’re thinking, ‘Could I do this myself?’ At Salt Farm, we work with couples, planners and families all along the spectrum from DIY to fully designed weddings–here are some things we’ve learned that might help determine whether DIY (or partial-DIY) is right for you.

DIY is not for everyone, but it’s a great option for some! DIY is an amazing option for couples or family members passionate about flowers or with floral design experience—especially those looking to focus their spending on other aspects of their wedding. That said, DIY isn’t ‘free’ and while it may be a financial savings, it requires an investment of time, space, and advanced planning.

*An example of a DIY bucket from Salt Farm*

Here are a few questions to consider when trying to decide if DIY is right for you:

Will working with flowers bring you joy, or cause additional stress during an already busy wedding week? We all love flowers–that’s why we’re here! That said, if creative challenges stress rather than soothe you (or whoever is tasked with putting together your flowers), a full DIY wedding may not be your best option;
Are you traveling to your wedding from out of town? How many days in advance will you arrive? Does your venue or housing space have room for assembling florals? Is that space able to get dirty and wet? Do you have vehicles to transport flowers and finished pieces from assembly site to your venue?;
Do you have a dependable crew of helpers? In our experience, most people don’t want to come to a wedding to work–despite what they say a year in advance (even your mom or your crafty bestie–we’ve seen it!). Ensure that your “design team” knows what they’re signing up for in advance and is able to commit the time necessary to get the job done.
Do you have the time? We recommend setting aside at least a full day for designing, if you’re preparing a full wedding of centerpieces. You’ll also need to factor in time to pick up flowers from the farm, prep vessels and stems, and transport finished arrangements to the venue. Does your wedding week schedule realistically allow for flower assembly time?
Do you have the resources to source supplies and vessels? Most floral supplies are readily available online, and vases can be found everywhere from thrift stores to craft supply stores to Amazon, but they do require some advanced planning. Do you want to spend time sourcing these pieces? If you’re traveling to your wedding from out of town, what is your plan for transporting or shipping supplies to your venue? What’s your plan for rehoming or transporting arrangements once the wedding is over?

Overall, think realistically about the value of your time during an already busy period–your wedding! When you hire a floral designer, you’re not only investing in their time, you’re investing in YOURS. Think through the value of your time during specific aspects of your wedding week–what do you want to be available for? What do you want to NOT think about?

Or maybe you do half and half? Another option to consider is a partial-DIY wedding, where you have some aspects of the wedding designed by a professional florist, but assembly others on your own. This is a service we provide often for clients! Typically, we will design personal flowers (bouquets, boutonnieres, corsages, etc.) and ceremony pieces, while clients purchase our DIY buckets to arrange their own centerpieces and reception flowers. Splitting the work this way ensures that the flowers that will be photographed most—and require the most design skill—are off your plate, while you still get the option to work with flowers for your reception.

If you’re committed to DIY’ing it and ready to start planning, jump to our next post with our favorite DIY tips and resources.

Is a DIY Wedding Right for Me?

Seasonal Bouquets