Creating A Cascading Bridal Bouquet With Artificial Flowers

A cascading wedding bouquet is a statement piece that creates a waterfall effect, with flowers and greenery flowing down from the bride's hands in a long, dramatic trail. This type of bouquet was popular in the 1980s, notably with Princess Diana's bridal bouquet, and has been making a comeback in recent years with modern and bohemian twists. Creating your own cascading bouquet with artificial flowers is a great way to save money and ensure your flowers last long beyond your wedding day. To make a cascading bouquet, you'll need a mix of flowers and greenery, as well as some essential tools and materials.

Choosing your flowers

Choosing the right flowers for your cascading bouquet is a very important step. You want to select flowers that reflect your personal style and the wedding theme. The bouquet should also complement your wedding dress.

A cascading bouquet usually consists of a mixture of flowers and green foliage. You can use real or artificial flowers. Real flowers have a more natural and authentic appearance, and they give off a pleasant aroma. However, they don't last long and can be easily damaged. On the other hand, artificial flowers are sturdier and more cost-effective.

When choosing flowers, it's best to select about 15-18 stems of a long-stemmed flower, such as roses, stargazer lilies, peonies, anemones, ranunculus, dahlias, or hydrangeas. These will serve as the primary blooms in your bouquet. You can use all the same colour or an assortment of shades. If you want an even more diverse bouquet, you can add 10-12 stems of smaller accent flowers, such as calla lilies, lavender, spray roses, hypericum, and orchids.

To create a cascading effect, select 8-10 long sprays of greenery, such as myrtle, ivy, silver sage, spirea, lemon leaf, or eucalyptus. These will be used to shape the bouquet and create a trailing effect. You can also add delicate fillers like baby's breath or ferns to close any gaps and make the bouquet look fuller.

For a modern take on the cascading bouquet, consider using orchids, fritillaria, clematis, hellebore, blooming jasmine, or berries on the vine, as suggested by floral designer Shean Strong. You can also incorporate palms or pampas grass for a bohemian touch.

Remember, the most important thing is to choose flowers that you love and that reflect your style.

Prepping your flowers

Now that you've chosen your flowers and greenery, it's time to prepare them for your arrangement. If you're using fresh flowers, cut the ends of the stems at a diagonal angle and keep them in water before adding them to the bouquet. However, try to leave the stems as long as possible to create that dramatic waterfall effect. Remove some of the leaves so you have bare stems to work with at the base of the bouquet. This will create an easy handhold for your wedding day and make the flowers easier to arrange and gather together.

If you're using artificial flowers, you won't need to cut the stems or place them in water. However, you should still remove some of the leaves to create a clean, easy-to-hold base for your bouquet.

Before you begin arranging your flowers, it's important to de-thorn any stems. This step is crucial to prevent any injuries and ensure nothing snags on your wedding dress.

If you're using fresh flowers, it's also a good idea to hydrate and condition them before you start. Place the stems in a vase or jug of cool water with a floral preservative. This will help your blooms stay fresh and vibrant throughout the process. Aim to store the flowers in this way whenever they're not in use, and try to give them at least four hours to hydrate. Using multiple vases will help you organise your flowers by size, shape, and colour, making it easier to assemble the bouquet.

Start with focal flowers

Now that you've chosen your flowers and greenery, it's time to start arranging your bouquet, starting with your focal flowers. These are the flowers that you want to be the main part of your bouquet. They might be in your wedding colours or just a style that you love. Start arranging these flowers in a cascading shape, with some shorter at the top and some with longer stems towards the bottom. Add in smaller flowers with complementary colours to fill in the bouquet. Having a line of florals cascading down the front of your wedding dress will draw attention to you as the bride in a dramatic and eye-catching fashion.

If you're using real flowers, you'll want to start by de-thorning any stems. You don't want anything that will snag on your dress! If you're using fresh flowers, cut the ends of the stems on a diagonal and keep them in water before you add them to the bouquet. You'll need to remove some of the leaves so you have bare stems to work with at the base of the bouquet. This will create an easy handhold for your wedding day and make the flowers easier to arrange and gather together.

If you're using artificial flowers, you can skip this step and move straight on to arranging your focal flowers. 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 blooms around the circumference of the holder horizontal, and the longest, cascading stems pointing downward. As you're arranging the flowers, alternate putting a few on the top and then a few on the sides, creating 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. The length of the stems will depend on the size of the bouquet, but they'll likely only need to be about 2-3 inches at the top. It's best to trim your flowers one at a time as you place them in the arrangement so you can customise as you go.

Add fillers and greenery

Now that your main flowers are in place, it's time to add volume to your bouquet with floral fillers and greenery. Mix in the floral fillers with your flowers to achieve an aesthetically pleasing look. Use the greenery to frame the bouquet and emphasise the cascading shape. The longest pieces of greenery will help to create a more dramatic effect.

Baby's breath is a perfect filler as it is so delicate that it won't detract from your primary blooms. You can also use any other small flowers, ferns or additional greenery. Other filler flowers include snapdragons, silver ragwort, poms, delphinium and Queen Anne's lace.

Eucalyptus, ivy, silver sage, spirea, lemon leaf and eucalyptus are all popular choices for greenery, but you can use any greenery that's in season.

If you want to add a romantic touch to the cascading shape, leave some long streamers of ribbon. Silk ribbons with raw edges usually work best for this style.

Finishing touches

Once all your flowers, fillers, and greenery are in place, it's time to put the final touches on your bouquet. First, secure your bouquet with some floral tape and a sturdy rubber band or two until it feels stuck in place. Then, wrap the stems with silk ribbon, lace, or burlap ribbon. If you want to add a romantic touch to the cascading shape, leave some long streamers of your ribbon. Silk ribbons with raw edges usually work best for this style.

If you want to add a little extra something to your bouquet, consider tying a few strands of silk ribbon around the cascading arrangement to create an even more dramatic lengthening effect. You can also add some small accessories, like miniature pearls and leaves, to draw attention to your favourite flowers or add height to the design.

Finally, finish the bouquet with a ribbon that matches the theme of the flowers and the rest of the wedding. Use it to wrap around the stems of the flowers and foliage and hold everything securely in place with either a glue gun or pins.

Frequently asked questions