We have a lot of weddings (and other great events!) on the calendar for 2015 here at the arboretum. If all of you brides and wedding planners are like me, February cabin fever has many of you furiously brainstorming ideas for decorations, favors, lighting, flower arrangements and everything else that goes into throwing a big party.
I can also guess that many of you are on a budget and you’re trying to find ways to save. That’s where the DIY comes in. Here are five great ideas that we’ve posted on our Pinterest board for a Do-It-Yourself Prairie Garden wedding at the Dyck Arboretum:
1. Flowers
We have no shortage of flowers here at the gardens, but you are probably looking for something to jazz up your tables and bouquets. Supplement your florist order with, or exclusively use, hand-picked wildflower arrangements. Wildflowers grow in the ditches and in fields everywhere in Kansas – just be sure to have permission to pick them, and plan the time for picking into your schedule not too long before the ceremony! For color inspiration, I suggest you google “Kansas wildflowers in (month of your event)”, check out our Native Plant Library and just type in your month, or browse our Pinterest boards for pictures of what typically blooms here at the arboretum at that time.
Wildflower arrangements
You can even get some mason jars or other creative containers and hang those arrangements from the tree branches – this would look great for a ceremony in our amphitheater.
Also, here’s a tutorial on DIY bouquets.
2. Centerpieces
There are so many great ideas for centerpieces, it’s really difficult to choose which one to highlight here. If you’re going for something simple that will make an impact, visually speaking, try playing around with this idea: choose one type of flower (long and slender is best) in quantity and tie many of that bloom around a small votive jar with twine. Make sure you choose a plant that will withstand a little heat for awhile, or choose really thick glass. You may even do a test run and see how the flowers hold up after several hours of the candle being lit. Hop on over to our Pinterest page for some other centerpiece DIY projects and ideas.
Simple DIY centerpiece
3. Rustic Signage
An open garden venue like ours can be a little confusing for first-time visitors, but with a few strategically-placed signs, you can point them in the right direction. Here’s a great tutorial on making your own rustic wooden signs for the big day!
DIY Rustic Wooden Signs
4. Mason jars (your new best friend)
If you like rustic, or vintage, or just easy to find and cheap, you’ll want to think about how to incorporate mason jars (or wine bottles, beer bottles, second-hand bottles and jars) in your decor. Here are a few past weddings held at Dyck Arboretum that used mason jars in creative ways!
Paint and/or wrap your jars with creative materials to define your style.
Or use mason jars as glasses.
5. Dramatic outdoor decor!
A large garden space doesn’t need a lot of over the top decorative touches, but can benefit from a few strategically placed decorations to define the space. This eco-friendly wedding very elegantly accentuated the natural beauty of their surroundings. I especially like the large piece of fabric draped between two trees and the “ribbon wall” hanging behind the couple.
Hang large pieces of fabric from tree branches.
Ribbon Wall to define ceremony focus.
A few last words of advice – if you are going to DIY your prairie garden wedding or event, be sure to plan for extra time! Not everything is going to go exactly according to plan, so be sure to have more time and more helpers than you think you need! Don’t do it all yourself – ask for help from your friends and relatives! Find those craftsy people in your life and enlist their creativity! They’ll love it!
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