DARING TO GO DIY?

If you’re wanting to get stuck in and do it yourself, you’ll want to take note of these top tips to help perfect your blooms.

Less is more: “Go for something simple,” says Naomi Saffer of Leaf and Honey. “Perhaps all foliage, or one or two blooms en masse – you can’t go wrong with a simple design.”

Get scouting: “You can find so much cool foliage all around you and in your backyard,” says Natalie Houston of Floramay Flowers. “Go forth and forage!”

You’ll need hands, and lots of them. Grab a few people to give you some help.

Particularly if you’re having a wedding in summer, you’ll need to ensure you have a cool, dry place to store the flowers before the day so they don’t wilt.

Get the tools of the trade – kitchen scissors are not going to cut it if you’re going all-out. Grab a hardy pair of garden clippers, floral tape and lots of pretty ribbon or twine.

Buy wholesale blooms. Just like buying in bulk for virtually everything else, there is huge potential to save on your blooms by purchasing flowers from wholesalers. As a starting point, browse the list below – most will deliver nationwide: Wholesale Flowers ( wholesaleflowers.

co.nz), Auckland Hansen’s Flowers ( hansensflowers.co.nz), Auckland

Central Flowers ( centralflowers.co.nz), Wellington

Downies Flowers ( downiesflowers.co.nz), Christchurch