"her reaction of disdain the day he replaced the blue hydrangea with the climbing frame"

Flowers, flowers, flowers. Since the spring, I've been mulling over my flowers. Do we want to hire a florist or do them ourselves? Do I want Queen Anne's lace, black-eyed susans, hydrangea, or something else entirely?

Actually, it's been a tad easier than that makes it sound. If you had asked me when I was 18 what I wanted for my wedding flowers, I'd have said daisies, Queen Anne's lace, black-eyed susans, and thistles. Now, I've settled upon hydrangea (both blue & white), Queen Anne's lace, and ferns (with a few others to-be-determined). That suits me just fine.

Moreover, I'm going to do most of the flowers myself. I'm planning to arrange the ceremony flowers, the reception centerpieces, and the bouquets for me, three bridesmaids, and one groomswoman. I might use Ambrosia Gardens here in Portsmouth for the boutonnieres and corsages, though. Those seem a touch beyond my skill.

I've been researching wholesale flower companies for months and tracking down the best prices on bulk hydrangeas. The masses and masses of flowers we need will come in a day or two before the wedding and I'll have to get down to business. It's a big job, but I think it will be fun, interesting, and has the potential to save us hundreds of dollars. Besides, when the dust settles and I'm walking down the aisle carrying a bouquet I made, in a church that I decorated, I can be proud of my handiwork!

This is something I like for the church aisles (assuming we get
married in a church - this is still unsettled. A post for another day!)

Lovely white hydrangeas on the reception tables
of the estimable Holly of Nothing But Bonfires

My trial centerpieces, completed last winter and a cinch to make! I love how big & full hydrangeas are - you really can get away with just one or two

The model bouquet for the bridesmaids and the one groomswoman -
should look lovely against their blue and black silk dresses

What I'd like my bouquet to look like, only a touch darker blue, with Queen Anne's lace interspersed throughout, ferns around the edges, and a lovely ribbon tied around the stems (with maybe a little keepsake of some kind tied on - I know that's trendy now, but as an historian, I love the idea of a little family heirloom or something there)

So that's the plan at the moment. I know it sounds a bit crazy to try to do the flowers for an almost-200 person wedding yourself, but hey - Justin and I got engaged after three months, people. Maybe we're the right kind of crazy for this.

(P.S. The title of the post is a line from a song by mewithoutyou, pretty much Justin's favorite band ever. I like them, too, and especially that line.)