Peacock feather and petals

Budget Bride Tip Number 264: If someone offers to help you with your wedding, say YES PLEASE! My family friend Correne is a former floral designer and wedding flower extraordinaire. She did all the boutonnieres, corsages, bouquets, centerpieces and even a few extra flower arrangements for our enjoyment.

And can you believe all these amazing blooms are silk? We did a combination of silks and fresh flowers for a trifecta of reasons:

1. Much of the preparation and steady work can be done weeks in advance — not rushed at the last minute.
2. Fresh flowers must be shipped to Alaska, so just like everything else here are more pricey. We're talking about a place where the $5 footlong at Subway is $6.
3. They make perfect, easy-to-preserve keepsakes for family.

And of course this is the amazing lady behind the flower magic. She made such beautiful bouquets, my photographer didn't want me to set mine down for a single picture on the big day! I can't thank her enough for her creativity, artistry and kindness. Plus she shared in our ceremony as the violist. I am so lucky to have this talented woman as a friend.