Flowers - the ultimate test

Finally, after many months and workplace emails and discussion, Allison and I got round to testing the flower theory: whether or not we would be able to make the bouquets ourselves.

 

Taking inspiration from this photo in particular (which comes from this post), and with instruction from the wonder that is the internet (including this video and others on www.ehow.com) this is how we spent Saturday: 

1. We needed flowers. So we ventured to the Brisbane Flower Market in Rocklea (about 1hrs drive from Allison's and 20-odd minutes from mine). Now, I don't know about you, but I've seen many a television show/movie from the US particularly where they have giant warehouses of florists and flowers and all you can see for miles are petals of various colours...
   BMF is nothing like that. In fact, I think it's pretty safe to say they're crap. There were 3 vendors open, all with coldrooms the size of my lounge (which is tiny cos we live in an inner-city 2bdrm apartment) that were just 1/3 full (2/3 empty?) of half-dead flowers. And there was hardly any variety of types or colours. CRAP. Absolute crap.
   However, in the end, we spent just $50 and got a few bunches of different flowers and some floral tape and yellow ribbon. Not a complete waste, I guess... Oh, and as a comparison, one of the "wholesale florists" there had a price list - an 8" bouquet of roses would cost $150. And that's not even "proper" florists in the city prices! Ah, no thanks!
   
2. We needed food. It was now almost lunchtime and neither of us had had any breakfast, so food was needed desperately. Subway it was.
   
3. We got started. Here is where it got a bit tricky. But, suffice it to say there were no fights or even non-fights between MIL and I, in fact we worked pretty well for the afternoon especially given how different our tastes and approaches to problems can be. Allison's a lot fussier than me, but really I think it's just that I'm lazy and good enough will do ;) terrible really... but they're just flowers people!
   I won't go through all the steps because we pretty much just followed the steps in the numerous videos we found on the net.
   Instead, here are some photos...

 Our fresh flowers from the market staying hydrated in the sink while we search for food. 

The first bouquet, v 1.0. Consists of yellow roses, white/cream carnations, yellow chrysanthemums. 

It took about 1 hour to get to this point. 

You need to imagine them all as a creamy colour, I think we decided.

Bouquet 1, v 1.1. Addition of daisies around the bottom.

 

 Bouquet 1, v 1.2. Addition of yellow ribbon trailing down... Pretty yellow ribbon that was soooo cheap! :D 

Leftover chrysanthemum heads floating in a bowl, cos it seemed such a waste to just throw them out. They look really pretty though, don't you think? 

Now I just need to get more glass vases... 

Bouquet 2. Consists of cream peonies (in 2 sizes), another creamy flower we don't know that includes the buds poking up, and the super-cool weird-looking spiky thing. :D 

This one was a lot faster to make.

 

 

My attempt at a buttonhole, version 1. Consists of 1 yellow rose, 1 rose(?) leaf, and a whole lotta wire and tape. 

My attempt at a buttonhole, version 2. Consists of a cream carnation and 2 artificial leaves, and wire and tape. 

Apparently they're both too big and too heavy :|

 

 

And that's pretty much the day! 

What do you think of our attempts?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*love love love love love*
Kiwa.