DIY Weddings Podcast #001: Sassy DIY Weddings Debut

Jerry Williamson Launches Wedding Podcast

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Jerry Williamson, Owner of Bishop’s Flowers and Designs By Jerry, in Huntsville, Alabama launches the first ever podcast dedicated to DIY Brides and DIY Weddings.

Jerry began his career in the wedding industry in the early 1980’s where he started working in the Banquet Department of Marriott Hotel in Nashville. Then he moved to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and spent the next 7 years focused on building his catering experience working for Marriott Hotels, Embassy Suites, Sheraton Hotels and worked as the Catering Director for the largest private catering establishment in South Florida…Signature Gardens.

Founder of Sassy DIY Weddings Podcast: Jerry Williamson

Then, Jerry moved to back home to Fayetteville, Tennessee and bought a flower shop in Huntsville, Alabama (30 miles from home) called Bishop’s Flowers. In the meantime, Jerry started teaching flower design classes and then kicked off Designs By Jerry where he has two areas of focus: 1) teaching floral classes 2) preserved Bridal Bouquets. So, Jerry has spent the last 30 plus years focused on the wedding industry.

Sassy DIY Weddings Podcast is Jerry’s newest venture in the wedding industry.

In this First Podcast Jerry talks about the difference in using fresh flowers for your DIY Wedding and using silk flowers (permanent botanicals). Each have their own pluses and minuses…especially for a DIY Bride.

Sassy Tip #1: 

This is the MOST IMPORTANT WEDDING TIP you will ever receive: It’s your wedding. There is no wrong or right…just make sure your decisions are based on what you and your groom want and have always dreamed of. Others will have opinions….everyone will. But, at the end of the day you want to look back at your wedding and know that you did what YOU wanted to do.

Sassy Tip #2:

Fresh Flowers are not always more expensive than permanent botanicals. Some people think that permanent botanicals are much cheaper than fresh flowers and this is just not true…unless you are buying very cheap/inexpensive permanent botanicals. Example: A fresh rose can be purchased from Bishop’s Flowers on a cash and carry basis for $3. If you special order a particular rose or color, it can usually be purchased for $5 per rose. However, a permanent botanical rose (that looks real….not cheap) can cost anywhere from $7 to $10 per stem…depending on where you purchase it.

Sassy Tip #3:

One of the advantages to using permanent botanical flowers in your wedding is that they can be made in advance and stored away. Just think about this for a moment. You can make your bridal bouquet, bridesmaids bouquets, corsages, boutonnieres and any other wedding flowers using permanent botanicals literally months in advance. Once you are finished with them you can box them up and store them in a safe place until your wedding day. However, if you choose to use fresh flowers for your wedding flowers, you will have to make those arrangements the day before your wedding. Now, you have a time crunch on your hands. And, not to mention, how many things can go wrong at the last minute. If you have access to a florist walk-in cooler…you can make the flowers a few days before the wedding, but no more than 3 days prior to the event. So, permanent botanicals versus fresh flowers: it can be a timing issue that you want to consider before making this important decision.

Sassy Tip #4: 

When making your flowers (fresh or silk) get a team of girlfriends to help you. You can make this a fun event. But, make sure you have several people to help you and you can then assembly the process and it will go much quicker.

Sassy Tip #5:

If you have an unusual color scheme that you are wanting to feature in your wedding, you will probably find that you can best match and blend those colors when using permanent botanicals. You can also purchase Design Master Paints in a variety of colors that is made just for painting flowers. So, if you find it difficult to find a particular flower that you are wanting to use in the particular color you want, you may want to see if you can get that flower in White or Cream and then paint it with a florist paint. Make sure you use a paint specifically designed for flowers….most other paints will destroy your flowers so I highly recommend using what we use at Bishop’s Flowers and that is Design Master Paints.

Sassy Tip #6:

Check with your local florist to ensure the fresh flowers you are wanting to use will be available on your wedding date. Some flowers may be available, but will be at a much higher price because it is not their “prime” season. For example, you can get tulips almost any time of the year, but when they are not in their prime season, they will be up to 3 times more expensive.

Sassy Tip #7:

If you use permanent botanical flowers in your wedding you can re-purpose many of those arrangements after the wedding. You can give them away as gifts to your family and/or friends. Or, you can use them in your new home…..just take them to your local florist and ask them to make you a special arrangement using the flowers from your wedding. If you choose to use fresh flowers you can send the flower arrangements home with your family/friends for them to enjoy over the next few days. Just make sure you appoint someone to ensure this happens. The worst thing you can do is to forget this and leave all of your flowers at the venue to be tossed into the garbage dumpster. Also, if you are using permanent botanicals, you can send your flowers to Jerry at Designs By Jerry and have them re-arranged in a shadowbox for you to enjoy forever. Designs By Jerry also preserves fresh flowers and displays them in one of our hand made shadowboxes for a lifetime of special wedding memories. However, we do not ship…so when using fresh flowers you will need to be in the North Alabama/Southern Tennessee area to deliver the flowers to our flower shop Bishop’s Flowers in Huntsville, Alabama.

Sassy Tip #8:

You will need many special tools and supplies to ensure that you give your flowers the best care possible and to make sure you can complete the design job properly. Tools and Supplies are not the places to skimp. Professionals use the “Right” tools for a reason…and if you want to get professional results with your DIY Wedding, then you need to make sure you have the proper tools and supplies for this special event in your life.  Some of the tools and supplies you may need are:

• 5 Gallon Buckets to store your flowers in once you have processed them.
• Cut Flower Food Floralife Crystal Clear: This feeds your flowers the nutrients they need to last longer and prevents bacteria growth.
• Household Bleach: Clean your tools and your buckets with bleach to make sure you have no bacteria build up to destroy your flowers.
• Fiskars Pruning Shears: I use these for cutting woody stemmed flowers and foliages.
• Fiskars Scissors: Make sure you have good quality scissors. Using old scissors or cheap scissors will make it difficult to cut your ribbon properly.
• Titanium Wire Cutters: This is absolutely the best quality wire cutters I have ever used. Good wire cutters will safe your hands when cutting thick wires.
• 20 Gauge Oasis® Floral Wire: For securing items and hanging items.
• Chenille Stems: I recommend White and Green. White is good for your bows and green will disappear when using with your arrangements.
• Binding Wire: Very helpful wire to have and it will disappear in your foliage.
• Floral Tape: Use this green waxed tape when making corsages, boutonnieres, halos.
• Anchor Tape: This waterproof tape is used to secure the floral foam into your container.
• Oasis® Pack of 6 Standard Floral Foam Bricks: Use this foam to design your flowers in. I highly recommend the Oasis Brand…others are cheaper, but none are better.
• Oasis® Sahara II® Dry Floral Foam: For permanent botanicals. Use this or styrofoam. This does NOT absorb water so don’t confuse the two.
• Containers For Centerpieces
• Oasis Cold Glue: Use this for gluing flowers with your corsages, boutonnieres, halos, etc.
• Hot Pan Glue: Use this when working with permanent botanicals. I do not recommend glue guns because they are dangerous and can easily burn you.
• Electric Glue Skillet, 7-Inch: This is what I use…this melts your Hot Pan Glue.
• Preserved Moss: Gives you a beautiful natural look to cover your floral foam in your arrangements.
• Spanish Moss Preserved: Also for concealing your floral foam.
• Ribbon: You will need a variety of sizes of ribbon depending on what you are using it for: corsages, bouquets, pew markers, wreaths.

Links:

Bishop’s Flowers Facebook Page: https://www.Facebook.com/BishopsFlowers

Designs By Jerry Facebook Page: https://www.Facebook.com/DesignsByJerry

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Disclaimer: All of the Highlighted Links above are affiliate links. I will be paid a small commission on any of the items that you purchase after clicking on my link….however, you will not be charged any more than you would normally be charged. Amazon just rewards me for sending you their way!!! And, of course, you can buy most of these items at your local florist if you wish.