Creating A Cascade Wedding Bouquet: Step-By-Step Guide

Creating a cascading wedding bouquet is a great way to save money and add a dramatic, romantic touch to your wedding. This style of bouquet is designed to flow down from the bride's hands in a long, natural, free-formed waterfall shape. You can use fresh or artificial flowers, and the bouquet can be made with or without a holder. If you're using fresh flowers, you'll need to cut the stems on a diagonal and keep them in water before adding them to the bouquet. You'll also need to remove some of the leaves so you have bare stems to work with at the base of the bouquet, making it easier to arrange and creating a comfortable handhold. If you're using artificial flowers, you can bend the stems to make them look more natural.

Choosing your flowers

Choosing the right flowers for your cascade wedding bouquet is an important step in the process. The flowers you select should reflect your personal style and complement your wedding dress. Here are some tips to help you choose the perfect blooms:

Select a Main Flower

Decide on one type of flower to be the main feature of your bouquet. This could be a flower that holds a special meaning for you, such as one that your fiancé gave you, or one that complements your dress. For example, if you have a simple gown, consider choosing an ornate flower like a hydrangea to create a pretty contrast. Roses, stargazer lilies, peonies, anemones, ranunculus, dahlias, and hydrangeas are all popular options for wedding bouquets. You can use a single colour or a mix of shades to add variety to your bouquet.

Add Accent Flowers

Choose 10-12 stems of smaller accent flowers to tuck around your primary blooms. You can select one type of accent flower or mix different kinds for an even more diverse bouquet. Good options include calla lilies, lavender, spray roses, hypericum, and orchids. You can match the colour of your accent flowers to your main blooms or choose a coordinating colour to add contrast.

Include Greenery

Select 8-10 long sprays of greenery to shape the cascade effect of your bouquet. Greenery such as myrtle, ivy, silver sage, spirea, lemon leaf, and eucalyptus will add texture and volume to your arrangement. Feel free to use any greenery that is in season!

Fill in the Gaps

Use delicate fillers like baby's breath or ferns to fill in any gaps and create a cohesive look. These small sprays will ensure that the focus remains on your beautiful bouquet rather than the holder underneath. You can also use other filler flowers like snapdragons, silver ragwort, poms, delphinium, and Queen Anne's lace.

Remember to choose flowers with stems that are at least 6 inches long so that they will be easy to arrange in your bouquet holder. By carefully selecting your flowers and following these tips, you'll be well on your way to creating a stunning cascade wedding bouquet!

Creating the cascade shape

To create a cascading wedding bouquet, you'll need to start by choosing your flowers and greenery. Make sure you have enough flowers to work with, as this style of bouquet is quite large. You'll want to choose one type of flower as your focal point, and arrange the rest of your flowers and greenery around it.

Once you've chosen your flowers, it's time to start creating the cascade shape. This is best done using a bouquet holder—a long handle with a round area on top where you insert the flowers. Before you begin, submerge the top of the holder (known as the "oasis") in warm water for about a minute to absorb the water and keep your flowers fresh. Then, place the holder in a heavy vase or stand to keep it secure while you work.

To create the cascade shape, start by inserting the two longest greenery stems into the bottom of the holder. With the tips pointing down, push the stems into the gaps or foam until they feel secure. Add the rest of your greenery, cutting it if necessary so that it's shorter at the top and longer at the bottom. Imagine you're creating an upside-down teardrop shape that's rounded at the top and comes to a narrow point at the bottom.

Now, it's time to add your focal flowers. Place the largest, prettiest flowers in the centre of the arrangement, then work outwards. Arrange the top flowers so they're pointing straight up, and the longest, cascading stems so they're pointing downward. Trim the stems as you go, making the flowers on the bottom the longest, and the flowers on the top the shortest. Continue filling in the bouquet with your remaining focal flowers.

Once you're happy with the placement of your focal flowers, it's time to add your accent flowers. Fill in any gaps and continue to build out the shape of your bouquet. Finally, add any additional greenery or filler flowers to complete the look.

Adding the flowers

Now it's time to add the flowers to your bouquet. Start by arranging your primary blooms. Place your largest, prettiest flowers in the centre of your arrangement as the focal point, then work the remaining flowers all the way around the bouquet holder. Arrange the top flowers so they're pointing straight up, with the blooms around the outside of the holder horizontal, and the longest, cascading stems pointing downward.

As you're arranging the flowers, alternate between the top and the sides to create a grid pattern that will help keep the flowers in place. Space each type of flower evenly throughout the bouquet. If it isn't symmetrical, it won't create the cascading effect.

Trim your flower stems so the shortest go on top and the longest on the bottom. As you start to arrange your bouquet, use a sharp pair of floral shears to trim each stem to the length you want. The stems on the bottom of your bouquet should be the longest, with medium-length stems in the middle of the arrangement, and the shortest blooms on top. Cut thicker stems at an angle so they're easy to insert into the bouquet holder.

Now you can add your accent flowers around your primary blooms. Continue to alternate between adding flowers to the top and sides of the bouquet, criss-crossing the stems to secure them. Don't worry about making the bouquet look perfectly full yet; it's more important to space your accent flowers evenly.

Finally, fill in any remaining gaps with baby's breath or greenery. Look at the bouquet from the top, front and sides, and use your filler to completely cover up any gaps that are left. Depending on the size of the blooms you used and how closely they're arranged, you may only need a few sprigs, or you may need to tuck small sprays throughout the entire bouquet to fill it out.

Finishing touches

Once you have your flowers and greenery in place, it's time for the finishing touches.

Secure the Bouquet

Secure your bouquet with some floral tape and a sturdy rubber band or two until it feels stuck in place. This will ensure that your bouquet stays together.

Wrap the Stems

Wrap the stems with silk ribbon, lace, or burlap ribbon. If you want to add a romantic touch, leave some long streamers of your chosen ribbon. Silk ribbons with raw edges usually work best. You can also use glue to lock the stems into the foam.

Add Decorative Accents

Decorative accents such as jewelled butterflies, wire, or feathers can be added to your bouquet for a unique touch.

Storing your bouquet

If you want to keep your bouquet in its original form, there are a few steps you can take to ensure it stays as fresh as possible. Firstly, keep your bouquet in a cool place, away from direct sunlight. If possible, store it in a floral cooler, or a cool, shaded area that is out of the way. Change the water in the vase daily, and add a drop of bleach to the water to kill any bacteria. If you are unable to change the water, a simple trick is to add a drop of bleach to the water to slow down the decomposition process.

If you want to keep your bouquet for longer than a few days, you will need to preserve the flowers. There are many ways to do this, from simple DIY methods to professional services. One of the simplest ways to preserve your bouquet is to hang the flowers upside down to dry. To do this, cut away any tape or ties and hang the stems one by one in a dry, temperate area, such as a hallway closet. Leave the flowers to air-dry for at least a week, or longer if it is cool. Once dry, you can arrange the flowers in a vase or create a wreath.

Another simple DIY method is to press the flowers. To do this, select the flowers you want to preserve and spread them out on clean wax paper. Place the wax paper with the flowers inside the pages of a heavy book, and weigh it down with something heavy. Leave the flowers to dry for seven to ten days. Once they are dry, you can arrange and frame them however you like.

If you want to preserve your bouquet professionally, there are many services that will turn your bouquet into a unique keepsake. For example, your bouquet can be dried and turned into a variety of creations, such as resin art, coasters, or jewellery. You can even get a custom painting of your bouquet, or spell out your names in resin.

Frequently asked questions