Paper flowers above, below by Eastern Shore Bouquets. Photos from Eastern Shore Bouquets Facebook page.
The wonderful world of paper flowers: Less money, no wilting.
By Erika Lynde
One of the big things I’ve waited to check off my list is flowers. With the new house on the brain, and the uncertainty of the wedding in the past, I put off one of the most exciting pieces to avoid the possible disappointment. Now that we’re back on track, I was in a pickle. I am huge lover of flowers and all things natural, but the price? Not so much. Our wedding budget is tight, and it’s unfortunate that the pure joy of gorgeous blossoms comes at a very high cost. And let’s not forget that it’s kind of sad they will eventually dry out and die soon after they’re enjoyed. I needed something with a longer life expectancy. I wasn’t in love with the concept of having a bouquet that I couldn’t keep forever…maybe there was one I could keep?
There’s a whole Etsy universe I’d yet to discover dedicated to fighting the curse of wilting flowers: The wonderful world of paper! Yes! There are people out there with the amazing ability to create perfect blooms from simple paper. Some are not as perfect as others, but if you search hard enough, you can find some designed so well they’ll make you look twice. One page in particular struck my fancy: Eastern Shore Bouquets. Desaray’s eye for detail was just what I was looking for. She creates these large life-like roses made of crepe paper — I was amazed. I looked at more of her creations and all were absolutely incredible. I poked around her Etsy store and requested a quote for all my wedding day necessities. I knew I needed my girls’ bouquets, my bouquet, boutonnieres and, of course, my flower crown. It took no time at all for her to respond, and instantly I felt I had made a friend. Her kindness touched my heart, and I knew I was on the right path. She offered a quote the same day and — just like that — we were off to the races. The budget I had previously set aside for just my “real” flower bouquet covered all of my paper flower requirements. This was a dream come true. (And my girls get to keep their flowers — how awesome is that?)
Desaray had a lot of wedding knowledge, and made me feel so much more comfortable about our partnership. She knew all the right questions to ask, and I’m so looking forward to every picture update of each flower arrangement. It’ll be just about three weeks until I hold them in my hand, and everyday till then will seem like torture. I’m so very excited for my artistic wedding to all come together.