By guest blogger: Rick Bucich

If you’re like me, you struggle with ways to cut your wedding costs. After things like the reception site, caterer, florist and photographer have been booked, invitations ordered and seating chart planned, both patience and budget have been severely tested. You’ve likely cut some corners already but don’t want to overly compromise on your special day.

I must admit that I’m partial to expensive flowers, having worked with a florist while in college. However, with over 150 guests in attendance, we had to make some sacrifices. A nice compromise I found was to place colorful fruit punch in glass bowls on each table. We picked up the inexpensive bowls at a local department store and provided them to the caterer in advance. They provided the punch and ladles and the florist floated edible flowers creating both colorful and functional centerpieces!

In the end, everyone was happy because we were able concentrate our budget on a few very stunning floral pieces.

Planning my wedding has gotten me suddenly noticing and appreciating every floral arrangement available. When I saw these luxurious floral pieces I had to share it with you. May it inspire and help you to create beautiful arrangements for your wedding! These are from a well-known, and talented floral company in California called Asiel Designs.

Being from Hawaii everyone assumed I would get married there. With its beautiful beaches, tropical flowers and all my friends and family, it was a hard decision to make. Partly due to convenience and also because I wanted something different, we chose to get married here. It was a sacrifice and I must admit, I still fantasize about Hawaii weddings every once in awhile. The sounds of the waves crashing on the warm sand and the fragrant smell of plumerias close by. The good thing is I see a lot of people having island weddings while not necessarily in the islands. By incorporating colors like ocean blues, and sea greens or by adding tropical flowers or marine inspired favors, it’s possible to have an island wedding without having to fly to Hawaii to do so. One wedding that I went to in Monterey used purple orchids and seashell shaped chocolates to give the day a hint of island flavor.

Another way to bring the beach to your wedding is through stationery. The hibiscus is Hawaii’s state flower and makes a stunning design to showcase to guests.

Hibiscus

The Palm Beach wedding invitation also brings a warm blast of tropical color to your special day.

Palm Beach

For something more subtle, the Beach Stripes collection is contemporary and sleek. With all these options, I don’t think I’ll need to give up on my Hawaii wedding just yet!

Beach Stripes