Paper Flower Power

Let's face it: flowers don't come cheap or easy. Yes, you can forage wildflower fields and forest floors, and shove your spoils into bell jars, but no matter what, flowers are going to be work. Especially for those gents who didn't come pre-programmed with the flower arranging gene. 

And, as much as we love stunning arrangements, there's also something a little wasteful about spending hundreds or thousands on arrangements that will last, at best, a few days. Sure, you can use potted plants and perennials, but should your aesthetic not call for such flora, you're looking at vases of seasonal flowers that will wilt before you've even left for your honeymoon. 

So, turning away from Mother Nature and looking to the DIY gods, we are loving the idea of paper flowers for your wedding.

Before you get hung up on the DIY of it all, truth to tell, paper artists create outstanding paper floral arrangements. Origami experts on Etsy can deliver stunning boutonnieres, centerpieces and altar arrangements that will be as much of a conversation piece as the floral arrangements at the Four Seasons in Paris. And, there are some amazing paper craftspeople creating florals that read very clearly "handmade." 

Among the advantages of paper flowers, is scale. You can create over-sized versions of your favorite flowers and make yours a dramatic and theatrical wedding. Staying in that creative vein, using paper allows you a certain level of whimsy wherein you can showcase your favorite flower in an unexpected colors, or render all of your florals in one dramatic color. 

Furthermore, what paper you use can add another layer of meaning to your arrangements. Using pages from your favorite books or copies of love letters you've written to your soon-to-be-husband truly turn your flowers into a story. Along similar lines, you could ask friends and family to send in passages or drawings about you and your fella, and surprise them by how you put their artistry to use. And, for the very eco-conscious, simply reusing magazines and other paper goods that would otherwise have made their way to the blue bins at home and in office is a great story to tell. 

But, most importantly, paper flowers allow you to keep a major element of your wedding forever more. Who knows, we might come upon a day when we are providing those who follow us down the aisle not only advice and something borrowed and blue, but something paper and floral, too.