Creating A Brooch Bouquet For Your Wedding Day

A brooch wedding bouquet is a beautiful, unique alternative to a traditional floral bouquet. It can be made with vintage jewellery and baubles, and can include items with emotional value, such as heirlooms and pieces from loved ones. The process involves selecting and arranging the brooches and jewellery, wrapping them with wire, and attaching them to a base or handle. The result is a personalised, long-lasting bouquet that serves as a special reminder of the wedding day.

Selecting your brooches

Incorporating Sentimental Pieces: Include family heirlooms, such as your grandmother's rhinestone earrings or a relative's cufflinks, to add a touch of emotional value to your bouquet. Reach out to family members and friends to collect these special pieces, ensuring you have a variety of options to choose from.

Colour Coordination: Consider the colour scheme you want for your bouquet. You can either match the colours of the brooches to your wedding theme or opt for a specific colour palette, such as gold or silver for a monochrome look. You can also add a pop of colour with blue, pink, or purple brooches against your white wedding dress.

Size and Quantity: Aim for a collection of 50-60 brooches, depending on the size of your bouquet. Keep in mind that smaller to medium-sized brooches are easier to arrange and create a more elegant look. Large brooches can be challenging to work with and may require more effort to achieve a cohesive design.

Quality Over Quantity: Instead of focusing on the number of brooches, prioritise quality and select pieces with unique designs and vintage charm. Scour charity shops and car boot sales for antique brooches with a history behind them, adding magic and sentiment to your bouquet.

Personalisation: To make your bouquet even more personal, incorporate non-traditional items such as earrings, chains, or even Scrabble tiles with meaningful words or initials. You can also add a strand of pearls or wrap the handle with an heirloom handkerchief for an extra special touch.

Durability: Ensure the brooches you select are not too delicate or fragile. The wrapping process involves using wire to create stems, so sturdier pieces will be easier to work with and less prone to damage.

With these tips in mind, take your time selecting your brooches, enjoying the process of curating a collection that reflects your style and holds sentimental value.

Wrapping the stems

Prepare the Stems:

Before you begin wrapping, it is essential to prepare the stems of your bouquet. Cut the floral wire to the appropriate length, which should be about 2.5 times the length of your bouquet stem. Fold each wire in half to create a reference point for centering your brooches. This step ensures that your brooches will be securely attached and evenly distributed along the stem.

Wrap the Brooches:

Now, you can start wrapping the brooches onto the stems. For brooches with clasps, use the clasps to attach the wire. Cross the wire in the middle and twist it to form a solid stem. For clip-on jewellery, open the clip and wrap the wire around the base of the clip several times before crossing and twisting the wire. This technique will create a sturdy stem for each brooch, making it easier to arrange them into a bouquet.

Arrange and Secure the Brooches:

Once all the brooches have been wrapped, start inserting them into the floral arrangement in small groups of 8 to 10 at a time. Use floral tape to wrap the stems and hold the brooches in place. Ensure the brooches are tightly bound to the flowers before wrapping. Continue adding and wrapping the brooches until all are incorporated into the arrangement.

Create a Ruffle:

To conceal the wires from the brooches, cut a piece of finishing ribbon about the length of the bouquet stem. Create a ruffle by pulling the wired ends of the ribbon to gather the fabric towards the middle. If your ribbon is not wired, you can use floral wire to create the ruffle effect. Push the ruffle up under the flowers and secure it by twisting and gluing the wired ends.

Wrap the Stem:

To begin wrapping the stem, fold a small square of finishing ribbon in half to create a triangle. Glue the centre of the triangle to the tip of the stem and wrap the sides around, securing them with hot glue. Start spiralling the ribbon up the stem, gluing as you go. When you reach the top, cut the ribbon at an angle, tuck it underneath the ruffle, and secure it with a final dot of glue.

Final Touches:

As a finishing touch, you can add a strand of pearls by wrapping them around the brooches. If any brooches feel loose, secure them with hot glue. If any green wires are visible, use gold or silver paint to blend them in with the brooches. Your brooch bouquet is now complete and ready to be displayed!

Arranging the bouquet

Selecting Brooches and Other Jewellery:

Firstly, you need to collect a lot of old jewellery, approximately 50-60 pieces, depending on the size of your bouquet. You can choose brooches, earrings, chains, watches, or even add small, personal items such as Scrabble tiles. It is a great idea to include family heirlooms and pieces from both the bride's and groom's families to make it extra special.

Wiring the Brooches:

Before arranging the bouquet, you need to prepare the individual pieces. Wrap wire around each piece of jewellery to create a stem, just as you would with real flowers. For brooches, use the brooch pin to wrap the wire tightly and securely. Ensure you don't damage the brooch during this process. Cover the wire with tape to prevent slipping when you arrange the bouquet.

Preparing the Bouquet Holder:

If you are using a premade bouquet holder with floral foam, secure it to your work surface with rubber bands for ease of handling. To achieve a nice, round shape, fix a wide ribbon in loose loops all over the bouquet holder using wire. This will ensure the bouquet looks full and rounded.

Arranging the Brooches:

Now, it's time to arrange the wired brooches on the bouquet holder. The bottom of the brooches should lightly touch the top of the ribbon loops. Be careful when rearranging the brooches, as the foam can become crumbly and less effective at holding the brooches. Ensure the brooches are evenly spaced and do not compress the ribbon loops to maintain a full, stuffed look.

Finishing the Bouquet Holder:

Once you are happy with the arrangement, finish the bouquet holder by wrapping ribbon around the handle. You can add extra ribbon loops just below the brooches to create a smooth transition between the handle and the upper brooches. Secure the ribbon with hot glue, and if desired, add some pearl pins or small stitches for extra security.

Final Thoughts:

The final appearance of your brooch bouquet will depend entirely on the brooches and jewellery you choose. It is a wonderful way to get into the wedding spirit and create a unique, personalised accessory for your special day.

Finishing touches

Now that the bouquet is almost complete, it's time for the final touches. First, add a strand of pearls by wrapping them around the brooches. This will enhance the overall elegance of the bouquet and make it more bridal. If any of the brooches feel loose, secure them with hot glue.

Next, address any visible green wires. Use gold or silver paint and a small paintbrush to lightly paint over the green wires so that they blend in with the brooches and are less noticeable. This step will help create a more cohesive and polished look for the bouquet.

Finally, if desired, you can add other personal touches such as an heirloom handkerchief wrapped around the handle or incorporating tulle from a grandmother's wedding slip or veil. These additions will make the bouquet even more special and filled with sentiment.

With these small steps, your brooch wedding bouquet is now complete and ready to be admired and cherished on your wedding day!

Choosing a base

There are a few different options for the base of your brooch bouquet. You can either buy a pre-made bouquet holder, or make your own.

A pre-made bouquet holder typically includes a caged floral foam ball mounted to a handle. The benefit of this option is that it is quick and easy, and the foam will help to hold your brooches in place. However, one source notes that brooches can fall out if your wires are not long enough, and you may find yourself having to fill tiny gaps to cover the foam.

If you would prefer not to use floral foam, you could use a bouquet armature, which is a metal frame that will give your bouquet a nice, rounded shape. Alternatively, you could wire up your brooches individually so that they have "stems", and then arrange them as you would flowers. This method is more secure, but it is also more time-consuming, as you will have to work on each brooch one at a time.

If you decide to make your own base, you will need a styrofoam ball (4 to 6 inches) and a bouquet handle, such as an 8-inch dowel rod. You can then spray paint the styrofoam ball and the handle in a metallic colour of your choice. When the paint is dry, push one end of the dowel rod into the centre of the styrofoam ball to create an open space. Drizzle glue inside the space, and also onto one end of the handle. Insert the handle into the opening and let the glue set for 24 to 36 hours.

Once your base is ready, you will need to collect your brooches and other jewellery. You will need around 50-60 pieces, depending on the size of your bouquet. You can use brooches, earrings, rings, watches, and other small items. If you want to make the bouquet extra personal, you can collect old jewellery from both the bride's and groom's families. You could also add items such as scrabble tiles with the letters of your names, or a watch if the bride is not planning to wear one.

When selecting your jewellery, try to choose pieces that fit roughly in colour, and that are not too delicate, as you may have trouble wrapping them with wire.

Frequently asked questions