In an effort to save money and use those creative juices, my mom and I planned to DIY all the flowers for the wedding — bouquets, boutonnieres and centerpieces. Simple enough, we thought, to determine which flowers we liked and arrange them in a beautiful away. We were wrong.

My mom purchased about 40 stems of various flowers, mostly roses and spider mums. She discovered a variety of spray roses she purchased were covered in thorns and were pretty much unable to be worked with for a bouquet at all. Then, she realized that making that pretty, round shape a bouquet has was nearly impossible. As the stress and worry mounted, we got in contact with Becky from Lily Lane florist. 

With our budget in mind, she’s working to take the bridal and bridesmaid bouquets and all the boutonnieres off our plate (although we still plan to arrange the centerpieces ourselves with the help of a crafty family friend). Here's why we’ve decided to leave the bouquets and the bouts to the professional. 

Photo Credit: Infiniti Foto

1. Shades can vary. When you order a “purple” rose, what you actually get could vary from a light lavender to a deep eggplant. When ordering flowers, it’s tough to know what color you’ll actually get. Buying in person can alleviate that worry, but then it’s one other errand close to your wedding day.

How would you describe your latest collection? What was your inspiration behind these designs?
A new sense of contemporary luxury embodies my 2013 collection. I have been inspired by lighter textures and fabrics, along with an array of luscious embellishments. Lace, beading and dimensional details merge to create a modern feel perfect for confident and stylish brides.

Why did you opt to collaborate with Mon Cheri?
I felt that the Mon Cheri label was a quiet achiever with integrity. That is very important to me, and can be hard to find in this business. They are a well-established company and Steve Lang—the CEO of Mon Cheri—and I got along from the start with regards to our vision and philosophies. 

Guest blogger: Rosanna Casper, co-founder of Idojour.com, a new wedding website where brides, grooms, family and friends can purchase a stylish and affordable mix of beautifully curated pieces. Designed to make wedding planning all the more inspiring and enjoyable, Idojour offers accessories and apparel for your wedding weekend, complemented by both inspirational and practical content. Rosanna oversees content, among many other things, and makes sure that everything comes together beautifully on the site.

Here, Rosanna shows her favorite escort cards inspired by nature.

One of our favorite small details to notice at a wedding are the escort cards. There are a million and one ways to get creative with your name cards, so today, we wanted to inspire you with a little natural elegance. Here's a simple and visual guide on how you can use natural objects to guide your guests to your table — simplicity at its best. Need we say more?

Leaves

Photo Credit: Ali Harper/via OnceWed

Shells

Are your bridesmaids complaining about purchasing a dress they can never wear again? Consider the "little black dress" (LBD), a staple for every girl's closet. Not only will your 'maids look fab on your wedding day, they are sure to wear the dress again. You will have your girls thanking you for your thoughtful, fashionable taste.

This season, bridal designers showed a range of variations on the LBD, sure to please even the pickiest bridesmaid. Here, a few of our favorites.

To see more bridesmaid styles, check out alfredangelo.com, billlevkoff.com, morilee.com, moniquelhuillier.com, and jlmcouture.com.

—Naima DiFranco