Bouquets...

The original plan for flowers was to get $200 worth of bulk flowers and make bouquets myself using a video guide I found online. I intended to get pink spray roses and/or white vendela roses, but neither of those seems to be sold in bulk here in Canada, so I asked a bunch of places online if they'd ship to Canada and I actually never got any responses from any of them (I forgot that till just now).

Anyhoo, after deciding that maybe Costco was my best bet, even if they only have generic white roses here in Canada (or blue hydrangeas, which I would have figured out how to use if I had to), it dawned on me that I could try my friend T's idea for her own wedding and I started cruising etsy for fake flowers. If I can get a bouquet I like, it would save the hassle of dealing with fresh flowers, I thought. 

To be honest, I didn't think I would find anything I liked. I found some bouquets I wasn't sure of and I favorited them and asked a few vendors how flexible they were with arranging things and stuff.... It would be hard to match a bouquet with my dress, especially when my dress changes colors... 

And then, by chance, off on a tangent, I found this:

At this store. And I've made probably about seventy or something (rough estimate) colorful origami butterflies for the wedding and I saw this and I had to have it. Something about how intricate and delicate the butterflies are.... 

There's something about butterflies for our wedding... I'm not usually a butterfly person- I mean, they're pretty, but I'm a penguin person through and through. But somehow, the symbolism of them and the lightness of them both seem to fit what I intend for this wedding (and Mike agrees).

So anyway, I perused her shop...

And I found my bouquet...

Another picture I stole from the etsy ad:

And another:

Last one, with Mike's boutonniere:

It was the middle of the night and it was all I could do not to just buy it immediately. Of course, as with everything else about this wedding, I needed a second opinion to make sure I'm not crazy (I don't know why I'm so adamant about that for this particular endeavor).

Morning came and T was the first one awake and she approved, and by then, I'd messaged the lady who made it to ask if she could make four others, but with three butterflies instead of all the ones mine has (because I have to be special, see?). I also asked if she could make the three other boutonnieres with hydrangeas only because Mike has to be special too (he's only got three groomsmen). She said she could. And I was filled with glee. I bought the string of butterflies and my bouquet as a deposit and today, she sent me pictures of the near-finished products to make sure I was happy with it all.

And I totally am!

YEY!

Here are the pics she sent (they do click bigger)...

The boutonnieres:

She asked if Mike wanted her to add some hydrangeas to his butterfly since next to them, it seemed so small, but Mike likes his butterfly as is, so that's how it will stay.

The prototype bridesmaids' bouquet.

Yey? Yey, I say.

The bridesmaids are supposed to wear white (I conceded that they would wear a bit of black since the guys will just be black and white, but no other colors unless they're sure they'll match my dress, which is difficult to match, but I guess blue would be ok? But I digress...), so hopefully this will provide enough texture that it'll still be set apart from their person and not blend. 

So yey! She's supposed to finish them today (which she doesn't have to because we still have tons of time). 

I think I totally do have to splurge on a textile storage box though. I'm overly prepared and between the dress sitting in a garment bag and these coming soon...? I have to make sure everything makes it to the wedding in August...

Anyway, so that's the bouquets. :D

ETA: Oh, right, and in the process of ordering all that, she said she had an extra string of butterflies too, so I'm getting that one also. Two strings of white butterflies. Two. Ok, that is all. :D