Creating A Hand-Tied Wedding Bouquet: A Step-By-Step Guide

Making a hand-tied wedding bouquet is a simple and effective way to save money and ensure your bouquet looks exactly as you want it to. It's an easy technique to master, and you only need a few supplies. You can use a single type of flower, like roses, or choose a variety, and add foliage to round out your bouquet. You'll need flowers with long stems, such as roses, irises, carnations, and lilies, and foliage such as camellia leaves, eucalyptus, and ivy. You'll also need string or floral tape, and a ribbon to finish. First, cut the stems on a slant and remove thorns and lower foliage. Criss-cross the stems on an angle, adding flowers and foliage until you reach the desired size. Secure the stems with string or tape, cut them to size, and finish with a ribbon.

How to Make a Hand-Tied Wedding Bouquet

Selecting flowers and foliage

Choose Flowers that Complement your Wedding Theme and Colours:

Select flowers that tie into your wedding theme and colour palette. Consider whether your wedding will be a casual or formal affair and choose flowers accordingly. For example, wildflowers such as sunflowers or daisies are perfect for a casual wedding, while exotic flowers like orchids or hibiscus would be more suitable for a formal event. You can also look for inspiration in wedding and floral magazines or on websites like Pinterest to get ideas about the size and type of bouquet you prefer.

Select Seasonal Flowers:

Choosing seasonal flowers for your bouquet is not only cost-effective but also ensures you have access to the freshest blooms. For spring and summer weddings, consider flowers like cherry blossoms, orchids, peonies, chrysanthemums, dahlias, and gardenias. While for autumn and winter nuptials, Gerbera daisies, roses, sunflowers, alstroemeria, lilies, pansies, and carnations are excellent choices.

Pick Flowers with Long Stems:

Flowers with sturdy, long stems are ideal for hand-tied bouquets as they provide a good base for the arrangement. Some popular options include roses, irises, carnations, alstroemeria, peonies, tulips, and freesia. Other great choices are calla lilies, Singapore orchids, ranunculus, sweet peas, gardenias, and lisianthus.

Choose Complementary Foliage:

Adding greenery to your bouquet gives it a natural, well-rounded look. You can select one type of foliage or mix and match a few varieties to add interest. Suitable foliage options include camellia leaves, eucalyptus, box, ivy, nandina, leather fern, Queen Anne's Lace, cress, wheat, scented geraniums, Bells of Ireland, flax, and basil.

Prepare the Flowers and Foliage:

Once you've selected your flowers and foliage, prepare them by cutting the stems at an angle and removing any thorns or lower foliage from the bottom half of the stems. Allow the flowers to hydrate by placing them in water for about an hour before you start arranging your bouquet. Ensure all the flower stems are roughly the same length to create a cohesive arrangement.

By carefully selecting flowers and foliage that complement your wedding theme and colour scheme, choosing seasonal blooms, and preparing them appropriately, you'll be well on your way to creating a stunning hand-tied wedding bouquet.

Preparing the flowers

First, select your flowers and foliage. Choose flowers that tie into your wedding theme and colour scheme. You can opt for a single type of flower, or a variety. If you're going for a wild, casual look, choose wildflowers like sunflowers or daisies. For a formal event, exotic flowers like orchids or hibiscus are a good choice. You can also select flowers that are in season, like Gerbera daisies, roses, and lilies for autumn and winter, or peonies and orchids for spring and summer.

Next, cut the ends of the stems on a slant and place the flowers in a vase or bucket of water for about an hour. Remove any thorns and strip off the lower foliage from the bottom half of the stems. Make sure all the flower stems are approximately the same length.

Now, gather and organise your flowers and foliage, pulling the leaves off the flower stems. Have everything laid out so that each stem is easy to grab.

If you want to add a special touch, you can peel the leaves off tulips and remove the outermost petals from roses.

Creating the bouquet's base

Selecting the Flowers and Foliage:

Start by choosing flowers that complement your wedding theme and colour scheme. You can opt for a single type of flower or create a mixed bouquet with three to four varieties of flowers. Select flowers with long, sturdy stems such as roses, irises, carnations, or tulips. Don't forget to pick some foliage as well! Greenery like camellia leaves, eucalyptus, ivy, and fern will add texture and a natural touch to your bouquet.

Preparing the Flowers:

Before you begin arranging, cut the stems of your flowers and foliage on a slant and place them in water for about an hour. Remove any thorns and strip off the lower foliage from the bottom half of the stems. This will ensure a clean and tidy base for your bouquet.

Creating the Base:

Now, let's start building the bouquet! Hold 3-5 stems of foliage in one hand to create the base or 'frame' of your bouquet. You can use a mirror to ensure the bouquet looks balanced from all angles. Then, add 3-5 stems of your largest 'star' flowers, such as peonies or roses. Remember to keep your grip loose and adjust the stems as you go.

Building the Bouquet:

Continue adding different floral elements, 3-5 stems at a time. Thread the stems through the centre of the bouquet, creating a structure that will get sturdier with each addition. Vary the texture and size of the flowers to give your bouquet a whimsical and romantic look. Keep building the bouquet until you are happy with its size.

Securing the Stems:

Once you have achieved the desired size, it's time to secure the stems. Hold the bouquet upside down and wrap the stems snugly with waterproof floral tape. Make sure to tape at the point where you imagine the bouquet will be held. Finish off by wrapping the tape backward, with the sticky side up, to keep the ribbon in place.

Now you have a beautiful base for your hand-tied wedding bouquet! The next steps will involve trimming the stems, adding a ribbon, and perhaps a collar of leaves for a sleek finish.

Adding flowers and foliage

Now that you've chosen your flowers and foliage, it's time to start building your bouquet.

Start with a single flower, usually a rose with a good, solid, straight stem. Hold it in front of you and add another flower to the left of the first, crossing the stems as you do. Turn your bundle slightly and add another flower to the left of the second flower. Keep repeating this process until you reach the desired size. Don't worry about colour and texture at this stage, focus on mastering the basic technique.

Once you've built the base of your bouquet, you can start threading in more delicate flowers, such as daffodils, hyacinths, and ranunculus. Poke their stems into a small hole in the top of the bouquet and wiggle them gently down so that the flower head fits in with the rest of the bouquet or rests on top of the other flowers.

Continue adding flowers and foliage, holding the bouquet in the same way as before, with the thumb facing towards you. Place each layer of flowers slightly below the previous one to achieve a rounded effect. Remember to vary the texture of the flowers as you go. Finish with something light and airy, such as a clematis vine. Keep your grip loose and shake the bouquet gently to spread the flowers and keep a loose, organic feel.

When you are happy with your bouquet, cut all the stems short and even.

Finishing touches

Once you've added all the flowers and foliage to your hand-tied wedding bouquet, it's time for the finishing touches! These final steps will ensure your bouquet looks polished and elegant. Here's what you need to do:

Secure the Stems

Wind string, floral tape, or binding wire firmly around the stems several times, about 2 inches below the flowers, to keep everything in place. You can also use raffia, a type of natural ribbon made from palm leaves, for a more rustic look. Go around multiple times to ensure the stems are securely bound, then cut the string or tape and tuck the end in.

Trim the Stems

For a neat and uniform look, cut the stems so they are all the same length. Hold the bouquet in one hand and trim the stems just below your grip. The ideal length is about 6-8 inches. This will also help the bouquet stand on its own. If it doesn't stand, hold the bouquet upside down and trim the inner stems a little more, leaving the outer ones longer to provide support.

Spray with Water

To keep your flowers fresh, give the bouquet a light misting of water. This is especially important if you've made the bouquet in advance, as it will help the flowers stay perky until the wedding.

Wrap the Stems

If you plan to transport your bouquet, cut a piece of cellophane and double it up. Center the bouquet on the cellophane and gather it underneath the collar of the bouquet to prevent any water leakage. Secure the cellophane with wire or raffia, then hold it under a faucet to fill it with water. This will keep your flowers fresh until you're ready to walk down the aisle.

Tie a Ribbon

Finish off your bouquet by tying a piece of wide ribbon around the stems to cover the string or tape. You can also wrap a thin ribbon around the bouquet several times for a more delicate look. Tie the ribbon in a bow with long tails, or secure it with a pin. Choose a ribbon colour that complements your wedding theme or flower colours.

Store in a Cool, Dark Place

Keep your finished bouquet in a vase of water in a cool, dark space until it's time to walk down the aisle. Avoid placing it in a refrigerator with fruit, as fruits emit a gas that shortens the vase life of flowers.

Frequently asked questions