Franklin Dean
Lavender is a popular choice for wedding bouquets, offering a beautiful fragrance and a rustic, garden-style aesthetic. The flower is said to bring good luck and is a symbol of love and devotion, making it a meaningful addition to any bridal arrangement. When used in bouquets, lavender can be fresh or dried, or you can savour the best of both worlds by arranging fresh stems and letting them air dry. The key to success is harvesting the flowers at the right stage, when roughly three-quarters of the blooms in each flower head are open.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Use | Can be used fresh or dried in wedding bouquets |
| Colour | Comes in a variety of hues, from light to dark purple, and even white |
| Scent | Has a strong fragrance |
| Season | Blooms in spring and summer, but can be dried for use all year round |
| Cost | Relatively inexpensive compared to bigger flowers |
| Durability | Can be left out of water for a long time without wilting |
| Longevity | Dried flowers can keep their colour, scent, and shape for months |
| Preservation | Hang upside down to dry in a dark, warm place |
| Storage | Keep displays out of direct sunlight to preserve colour |
| Soil | Grows best in sandy soil |
| Watering | Should not be watered too often |
| Sunlight | Essential oils are at their peak when the plant has had plenty of sun |
| Harvesting | Cut flowers when three-quarters of the blooms in each flower head are open |
| DIY | Can be difficult to manipulate stems without them breaking |
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What You'll Learn
Fresh or dried lavender can be used in wedding bouquets
Fresh or dried lavender can be used to create beautiful wedding bouquets. The type of lavender you use will depend on the time of year and your wedding colours.
Fresh lavender is best cut early in the day, after the dew has dried, and when the blossoms are opening at the base of the spike. This is when the stems are thickest and the flowers are a strong, deep purple. If you cut your lavender at this stage, the flowers will also be packed with essential oils, giving off a wonderful fragrance.
If you're arranging fresh lavender in water, remove all the leaves that fall below the waterline to ensure the longest vase life. You can also use floral wire and green floral tape to wrap the stems and prevent them from drooping.
To dry lavender, cut the stems and arrange them in a vase without water. The flowers and stems will dry upright in the vase. You can also bundle the stems with rubber bands and hang them upside down to dry in a dark, warm place. Dried lavender will keep its colour, scent, and shape for months. Sunlight will fade the colour, so keep dried bouquets out of direct sunlight.
Lavender is a versatile flower that can be used in many ways at weddings. It can be used as a subtle accent in a bridal bouquet or as a single-bloom bouquet for a more dramatic effect. It can also be used in centrepieces, as decor, or as a wedding toss.
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How to harvest and dry lavender for bouquets
To harvest lavender for bouquets, you should cut the flower stalks below the first or second set of leaves at the base of the flower stalk. Be careful not to cut into the wood of the lavender plant. The best time to harvest lavender is early in the bloom cycle when the young buds are tight and barely starting to bloom. This is when the fragrance and essential oil content are at their highest. For fresh or dried bouquets, it is recommended to pick flowers when three-quarters of the blooms in each flower head are open.
When harvesting, it is better to dry several small bundles rather than one large bundle. Secure the stems together with twine or a rubber band, and hang them upside down to dry in a dry, warm place with good air circulation. It will take about a week for the lavender to fully dry. Once dried, you can remove the elastic band and tip the flowers upright, as they will now hold their dried shape.
If you are arranging bouquets in water, remove all lavender leaves that fall below the waterline. For a dried bouquet, cut the stems and arrange them in a vase without water. The flowers and stems will dry upright in the vase.
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Using floral wire and tape to prevent lavender stems from drooping
Lavender is a popular choice for wedding bouquets, bringing the beauty and fragrance of the garden indoors. Bridesmaids' bouquets made of French lavender are simple yet elegant, with their silvery-green leaves and scented flowers.
Lavender is an easy-to-grow herb and an easily handled cut flower, but dried lavender buds are quite delicate and can be challenging to manipulate into bouquets without the stems breaking. To prevent lavender stems from drooping in a bridal bouquet, floral wire and tape can be used to provide support and stability.
Floral wire is sold by gauge, and the general rule is to choose the thinnest wire possible to keep the flower light while providing enough support. For personal flower work, gauges 24, 26, and 28 are commonly used. 24-gauge wire is suitable for heavier flowers like roses and carnations.
- Position the wire one-third of the way up from the bottom of the stem, with one-third of the wire to one side of the stem.
- Bend the wire parallel to the stem, creating two legs of unequal length.
- Hold the shorter leg against the stem and wrap the longer leg around both the stem and the other wire to secure them together.
- Straighten both wire legs to make them equal in length.
- Insert one end of the wire into the calyx (the base of the flower) and wind it down the length of the stem.
- Tape the wired stem, covering the wire but leaving the section that will be placed in water untaped to hold moisture.
- Use floral tape to finish and secure the flower composition, concealing the mechanics of the wiring and providing a more aesthetic look.
By using floral wire and tape, you can get the lavender stems into the desired position and maintain their shape in the bridal bouquet.
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The best time to harvest lavender for bouquets
For fresh bouquets, cut the lavender flowers early in the day after the dew has dried, and when the plants are dry. Choose a sunny day and cut the stems to your desired length, leaving enough length to accommodate any further trimming when arranging the bouquet. For fresh bouquets, it is best to harvest when the flowers are in full bloom, with around three-quarters of the blooms in each flower head open.
For dried bouquets, harvest the lavender when the flowers are in the late budding stage, when the colour and scent are strong, but less than 25% of the flowers have fully opened. The buds hold their colour and scent for longer than open flowers, and the essential oils in each blossom are at their peak.
To dry the lavender, tie the stems in small bundles and hang them upside down in a warm, dry, and well-ventilated area, out of direct sunlight. The bundles can be secured with rubber bands or twine. It takes about a week for the flowers to fully dry. Once dried, the flowers can be stored in zip-lock bags or airtight containers to preserve their fragrance, colour, and to avoid rotting or moulding.
When arranging the bouquet, remove all lavender leaves that fall below the waterline to ensure the longest vase life. It is also recommended to selectively harvest the best-looking buds from each plant and save the underripe buds for later.
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Other ways to incorporate lavender into your wedding
Lavender is a versatile flower that can be used in many ways at weddings. Here are some ideas to incorporate lavender into your special day:
Bouquets and Centrepieces
Create beautiful bouquets with fresh or dried lavender. The strong vertical lines of the lavender flowers complement the rounded forms of other blossoms. For a simple, elegant look, use sprigs of lavender, baby's breath, and wheat for a rustic, vintage feel. You can also make floating candle centrepieces with small, lavender-scented tea candles.
Decorations and Favours
Use lavender as decorations by filling mason jars with the flowers and placing them on tables. Drape lavender fabric across your wedding arch, then add lavender, greenery, and complementary flowers like cream, white, or purple blooms. For wedding favours, give guests small bags of dried lavender tied with a sprig of freshly cut lavender, or lavender-coloured M&Ms in tiny boxes with lavender ribbon. You could also give guests bars of lavender soap or envelopes of lavender seeds.
Scents and Flavours
Add a unique scent to your wedding by using lavender essential oils at each table. Include a sprig or two of lavender in your invitation suite to scent the paper. You can also use culinary-grade lavender to adorn cocktails or decorate wedding cakes and baked goods. Infuse jars of honey or sugar with lavender for a floral flavour—they make perfect favours for your guests.
Wedding Toss
Instead of rice or confetti, guests can shower you with lavender buds as you exit the ceremony. Dried lavender buds are a great, eco-friendly alternative, and they smell wonderful!
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Frequently asked questions
To keep your lavender bouquet fresh, cut the stems to your desired length, making sure to cut on the long side as you can always trim later. Choose a sunny day to cut the flowers when the plants are dry, and hang the stems upside down to dry in a dark, warm place. You can also place the stems in a vase with no water, and the flowers will dry upright.
To prevent the stems from drooping, use floral wire and green floral tape to wrap the stems.
To keep dried lavender fresh for longer, keep displays out of direct sunlight as sunlight fades the colour.
Lavender is said to bring good luck and is a symbol of love and devotion, so it is a great flower to include in your wedding decor. You can include a sprig or two in your invitation suite, use lavender essential oils at each table, or even get married at a lavender farm. Dried lavender buds can be used as an alternative to rice for guests to throw, and you can give guests an envelope of lavender seeds as favours.
