I hate to be the bearer of bad news. You shouldn’t DIY your wedding flowers. It is going to be tempting when your wedding budget feels overwhelming to just go to Trader Joe’s and buy some flowers but trust me that is not going to create the wedding you have been dreaming about. I have literally had couples not book me after their consultation (which by the way is totally fine) and plan to DIY their flowers (not totally fine and a little delulu) and then get so overwhelmed that they have called me the week before their wedding hoping to pick up where we left a year ago. 9 times out of 10 we have booked their weekend long ago and even if it was open, we could not execute that event to the level you expect from a wedding florist in that time. I hate to be a buzzkill so hire the wedding florist. Don’t get me wrong you absolutely could DIY your wedding flowers but here are some reasons it’s going to be way more time, money, and frustration than it is worth.

Credit: The Commoneer

Planning and executing a wedding is stressful. You are juggling your job, building your relationship with your partner, and listening to your Aunt Carol’s many opinions on what china your wedding food should be served on, why would you want to add to it. DIYing your flowers means sourcing the flowers, purchasing the hard goods, processing the blooms, making the arrangements, setting it all up on the morning of your wedding, and breaking it down that evening. You might think, “I can just go to Trader Joes or the farmers market a couple days before my wedding” but do you know they will have the amount of flowers you need and all the colors you want? No you absolutely don’t and now you are stressing.

Credit: Rebecca Burt Photography

Add to that the months in advance you have to purchase vases, hurricanes, chimneys, votive holders, pillar candles, tapers, corsage bases, the list literally is never ending. And these things are not cheap! Especially when you don’t have access to the wholesale pricing your florist does. Plus, now you have to store them in your house which is slowly starting to feel like a shrine to all things wedding.

Credit: Bessie Black Photography

Then the week of your wedding, you have to learn how to process each different variety of flower to ensure they don’t die before your wedding day. Do you have a cooler to keep them cold and lasting longer? No? Looks like your kitchen counter, dining room table, and living room is now completely covered with flowers and flower detritus. Are you able to take off the entire week before your wedding to do all the processing, arranging, and prepping? Because realistically that’s how long it will take you. Do you want to spend all morning driving your flowers to your venue, setting them up, and worrying about the heat or would you rather relax and get ready with your best friends? Finally, do you want to be on the hook for breaking it all down at the end of the wedding?

Credit: Rebecca Burt Photography

I don’t mean to sound harsh. I want to be protective over your time, your experience, and your enjoyment. We are always trading time for money and money for time. DIYing your wedding flowers is not a good trade of your time to save some money. You and your friends and family, who would inevitably get roped into all of the DIY work, should be having the time of your life, creating memories that you will cherish and reminisce over for years to come. So hire the professional, ahem check out this professional’s service page, and party the night away.

Credit: Kate Simon Photography