diy flower buckets
DIY flowers from Many Graces are a great way to bring a creative, personal element to your special event when you are working within a tight budget! Whether it be a backyard wedding, family reunion, monumental birthday, or blowout dance party, our DIY bucket option provides you with beautiful, vibrant, farm fresh flowers.
the basics
Each DIY bucket contains a perfect balance of focal flowers, accent flowers, and foliage – everything you need to make great arrangements. Many Graces’ DIY Buckets will contain the most special flowers available and all will be 100% fresher, more unique, and more beautiful than you would be able to find at a typical flower wholesaler. WE PROMISE.
The specific types of flowers/foliage in each bucket will be chosen by the Many Graces’ farmers & designers to ensure that you get the best and brightest flowers from the field for your special day. Our buckets are generously filled to ensure you have plenty to work with to create a magical space!
We offer three color palettes for you to choose from:
WARM TONES
a bold mix of colors: yellows, reds, oranges, corals, purples, pinks, peaches, greensCOOL TONES
soft pinks, light purples, whites, soft yellows, light peaches, pale blues, greensSEASONAL SELECTION
no color preference— a rainbow array of flowers that are seasonally abundant
The specific types of flowers in the buckets will depend on the changing seasons and the whims of Mother Nature. Please let us know if you have a more specific color palette in mind. We are happy to consider such requests but can’t guarantee that we will be able to meet them.
availability & price
DIY buckets are only available during the height of our growing season, from mid-June through September.
Buckets start at $195 each for Seasonal Selection, Warm, or Cool Tones, and $225 and up for a color selection specific to your event. You can expect between 60 & 70 freshly-harvested stems per bucket (which will make between 8 & 10 16oz ball jar arrangements, approximately. DIY flower buckets are only available for pick-up on the farm in Hadley. We encourage you to bring your own (sparkling clean!!!) buckets to transfer the flowers into, but you may borrow ours for a $10 fee per bucket, which is refundable when you return the buckets to us.
ordering & payment
Ordering your DIY Flower Buckets can be done right here through our online shop!
Buckets must be paid for in full at the time of your order and refunds are not available once your order has been placed. We do sell out during peak wedding season, so please order as early as possible to reserve your flowers.
*Please note that for DIY flowers, communication is limited to basic ordering and pick-up scheduling. Thank you for understanding that due to time limitations, any further questions asked or advice sought will be subject to consulting fees.
wedding consulting
We hope all the information you need to purchase and create your beautiful DIY event flowers is included right here (keep scrolling for lots of DIY Bucket information!) If you’d like more advice in determining your needs, or need help or have questions about specific flowers, colors, or designs, please consider our Full-Service or A la Carte Wedding Flowers. We also offer consulting services via phone or email for $95/hour to help you plan your perfect DIY set up.
frequently asked questions
Are DIY wedding flowers right for me?
Well, that depends! There are lots of things to consider when choosing whether to do DIY, Full-Service, or A la Carte for your Wedding Flowers. Consider things such as your budget, whether you’ll have enough time, helpers, and workspace to do your own flowers, and your skill/confidence level. Also, you should consider if you’re comfortable with not knowing exactly what flowers you’ll have for your wedding, and if you can do without extra support and advice. With DIY flowers, we’ll provide you with buckets of beautiful, vibrant flowers, but everything else is up to you!
Can I buy DIY buckets for my centerpieces but have you make the personal florals?
Yes. Lots of clients are really excited about DIY flowers but are understandably nervous about making their own personals (like bouquets, boutonnieres, etc.). Get in touch for more information.
Can I buy a bucket or two to practice with before my wedding?
Certainly! Let us know that you’d like to purchase practice buckets at the time you place your wedding flower order. We recommend getting your practice bucket(s) two weeks before your event so the types of flowers will be similar to those you’ll be working with for your event.
What kinds of flowers might be in my buckets?
The flowers in your buckets are all grown right here on our farm and the types and colors available will change with the seasons. Unexpected weather, pest, and disease problems make it hard to say exactly what will be in season when. Rather than be frustrated by this, we fully embrace it and love the surprises the seasons bring. There are some flowers that we usually have all season long, like zinnias, sunflowers, and snapdragons. If you’re an early July bride, you might be lucky to land the last delphinium and poppies of spring, but if you’re getting married in September you may find long-awaited lisianthus and dahlias in your buckets.
Where can I see pictures of your flowers?
There are lots of pictures here on our website — see our Wedding Flowers as well as our Gallery — and check us out on Instagram & Facebook.
Can I choose the types of flowers I want in my buckets?
No. In order to make sure you get the best and brightest flowers from the field that week, Many Graces’ farmers and designers work together to choose the flowers and foliage for your buckets.
How many buckets of flowers should I order?
There isn’t a straightforward answer to this because it depends on how big your vases are, what size you make your bouquets, and your personal arranging style. In general, one bucket can make about 8-10 arrangements in wide-mouth quart mason jars, or 20+ small bud vase arrangements. Use this as a guide, and remember that if you over-order you can always find more room for flowers at your wedding!
When should I pick up my flowers?
We suggest a minimum of 24-hours before your wedding, ideally 36-48 hours before. We suggest asking more people to help you than you think you need, because arranging can actually take quite a bit of time! Keep in mind that it can take an hour to make one small centerpiece so multiply that by the amount of centerpieces you’d like to make. DIY-ing can be a super fun, creative bonding experience, but less so if everyone is pressed for time.
How should I transport the flowers from the farm?
This will depend on what vehicles you have available and how many buckets you’ve ordered. Flowers should never go in a trunk or in the open bed of a pick-up truck. The vehicle that you put them in should be air-conditioned if you are picking up during the summer. You can usually fit 3–5 buckets in the back seat of a sedan, and many more in a SUV. Don’t forget to bring a tarp if you’re worried about splashing water!
How and where should I store the flowers?
Any cool, shaded place will be fine. A cool, shady garage would be ideal. Refrigeration is unnecessary, and the flowers will be super fresh and in water, so will easily last 4–7 days without any special care. Remember that heat and direct light causes flowers to open quickly and wilt sooner, so keep them out of direct sunlight and/or away from heat sources before your event day!
What supplies will I need to arrange my flowers?
You’ll need a workspace (preferably cool and shaded) that has a water source and can get dirty with stems and plant debris. You’ll need sharp, clean clippers, since each stem will get at least one cut.
For centerpieces all you’ll need are your vases – make sure they’re very clean (bacteria clogs stems and causes premature wilting) and some waterproof floral tape for creating a “grid” at the top of the vase opening if your opening is on the wider side. This helps keep your stems in place as you build the arrangement. If you want extra security, you can ball up a bit of chicken wire and place it inside your vessel to really hold the stems in place. This isn’t necessary, but just helps really lock your stems in place if you’re concerned about their movement!
If you’re making bouquets, you’ll need floral tape to wrap the stems together, as well as ribbon and floral pins to hold the ribbon in place. Once you’ve made the bouquet, it’s convenient to have a sturdy vase with water at the ready to put your bouquet in until you need it for pictures or the ceremony.
For boutonnieres and corsages you’ll need some floral tape, ribbon and floral pins. All of these floral supplies can be found at your local craft store. (Michael’s is a good resource for many people!).
Do you have any tips for arranging the flowers?
It’s a good idea to read/watch some online tutorials before you get started with your arrangements. Fresh from the Field Wedding Flowers by Lynn Byczynski and Erin Benzakein is a great book to guide you through the design process. Otherwise, just have fun with it!!