Boutonnieres - Alternatives to Flowers

I found it! Inspiration!! It caught me off-guard because I was actually looking for invitation ideas, but I LOVE the lastest posting on the Style Me Pretty blog that details how to make your own starfish boutonnieres. Very rarely do I drift toward the phrase DIY (do-it-yourself) in the bridal blogs that I read - in fact, it is usually quite the opposite (run screaming away from it). I have always been somewhat of the mind that if other humans out there have creative skill sets and are willing to sell me their products, I would rather buy from them than try to make them myself and end up with a lesser product. Plus, it keeps the spirit of a free marketplace alive and well (in my head).

Backing up just a moment - I do not have anything against floral boutonnieres, but I do have something against paying $36 per boutonniere when my wedding is set in a tropical location (where native flowers SHOULD be cheaper). My own little crusade to buck the system and not pay anything extra to the resort has led me down the road to floral alternatives, both for the bridesmaids and groomsmen. I came across a photo of shell boutonnieres in a magazine, and then when I saw this one I thought, okay, perhaps these aren't as chintzy as I once thought. Plus, you could add greenery or a ribbon accent pretty easily and make them less stark.

The original inspiration came from Blooms Design Studio. And just to show the wide differential in cost, the starfish run about $.60 each (available at various online stores), and the backing pins are $5.95 for 144 (any craft store carries these). Ribbon is available in so many places, but I found one I like at RibbonsGalore. You could also do something similar with sand dollars.