When it comes to weddings, the altar flower arrangement is one of the key decorations. The flower colors and overall display can add beauty and provide an elegant centerpiece for the ceremony. Since many weddings are already expensive enough, many people wish to save money by creating their own altar flower arrangement. Following seven steps should help most people create a large and attractive arrangement without spending a fortune in the process.

Cut your florist foam so that it fits snugly into the large vase or container. Leave approximately two inches of florist foam protruding from the top of the vase. This will provide an easy means of arranging ferns and flowers later on.

Fill your vase with two gallons of water so that the florist foam soaks up much of the water. Add flower preservative if you want the flowers to stay alive for a considerable time after the wedding.

Place some large ferns around the outer circumference of the vase. Stabilize the ferns by placing the stems firmly into the florist foam and make the leaves face slightly downward. In general, you will want to use five or six ferns for the first layer.

Place three or four additional ferns into the center of the florist foam. The leaves should be facing upward at approximately a 45-degree angle. Doing so should hide most of the florist foam and provide a backdrop for the rest of your flowers.

Place 25 long stemmed flowers in random spots in the vase. In general, it's best to use two or three different types of flowers with an appropriate color contrast. For example, you could use red roses for one flower and white lilies for the other. The exact types of flowers aren't that important as long as they look pleasing to you.

Add five to seven ribbons that match the flowers' colors in random spots of the arrangement. This should provide some extra flair that balances out the look of the arrangement.

Keep the flower arrangement in a cool location until the wedding event. Add more water if necessary.