We came up with the idea for Kit and Caboodle DIY 'Ready to Wed' package when one of our clients was eloping afar with some friends and close family. They simply wanted the Bridal and Groom Party arrangements with some do-it-yourself flowers in a bucket 'Ready to Arrange' on a small wedding cake and around the venue.
Since then we have cut and arranged dozens and dozens of 'Kit & Caboodles' for DIY weddings, mostly collected on the morning of the wedding from our studio Audley End, Saffron Walden but also sent off in the Best Man / Brother / Mother / Aunties car and sped to the venue or packaged carefully in our trusted courier.
I love making these DIY wedding flower collections up, cut the day before, fully rested and conditioned in our studio, I arrange the flowers first thing in the morning in the quiet and still of the gardens (usually around 5am) for maximum freshness.
Bridal and Bridesmaid Bouquets are tied and wait patiently in vases of water (packaged in bags to carry to and from cars), Boutonnieres (the floristry name for a small posy pinned to your jacket - sometimes called Buttonhole - but that is just one flowers) in boxes, gently laid in tissue and often in cool bags for the journey. Flowers are cut and left in buckets in water to arrange at the venue. Sometimes stems are collected the night before for friends and family to arrange ahead.
Usually the Bride will provide a couple of starting points of inspiration for the styling or colours for the day. I am happy to leave out any flowers that a Bride really doesn't like but usually our clients love the style of our arrangements and leave it to us to create with the best of the plots to their colour scheme.
Flowers tend to be central to our Brides day when they book with us, regardless of the budget and the pressure never reduces as I hold my breath as they see their flowers for the first time. Often Brides cry. And I cry because it's such a privilege to be part of their day.
The 'Kit and Caboodle' includes -
Bridal Bouquet
Three Bridesmaid Bouquets
Groom's Boutonniere
Five Best man & Usher Boutonnieres
Three Buckets of Ready to Arrange Flowers
Extra arrangements can be ordered additionally in advance.
Because we make them in the morning of the wedding, we only have capacity for a limited number of 'Kit and Caboodles' so please order well in advance to ensure availability.
We now also do an DIY small 'Essential Collection' for swooning romantic elopements, Bridal Bouquet, Groom Boutonniere, 'Best Person' Boutonniere and a bucket of flowers for a table arrangement.
And more information about the flowers are here.
