Creating A Native Flower Bouquet For Your Wedding Day

Creating a wedding bouquet using native flowers is a unique and beautiful way to celebrate your special day. With a little creativity and some simple steps, you can design a stunning bouquet that showcases the breathtaking flora and fauna of your local region. Native flowers offer interesting textures and colours, adding a whimsical touch to your wedding ensemble. Whether you're an Australian bride wanting to incorporate the iconic bottle brush or kangaroo paw into your bouquet or someone wanting to include native flowers from your region, this guide will help you create a bouquet that's perfect for your big day.

Choosing flowers and colours

When choosing flowers and colours for your native flower wedding bouquet, there are a few things to consider. Firstly, think about the style of your wedding dress and your wedding colour palette. Do you want complementary colours to create a subtle, balanced look, or do you want to use contrasting colours for added drama?

If you're going for a classic, tight bouquet, you may want to stick to one to three varieties of flowers and very little greenery. On the other hand, if you're after something more whimsical, like a cascading, garden-inspired arrangement, you can use five to seven varieties of flowers and include more greenery.

For a soft, romantic bouquet, consider using flowers with sage green and creamy yellow centres, such as flannel flowers, or pale ivory petals like Billy Buttons. These can be combined with eucalyptus leaves or soft pink or apricot proteas. For a bolder statement, Leucospermums, also known as Pincushion Protea, feature distinctive spiky petals in fiery shades of orange, yellow and red.

If you're looking for something truly unique, the Australian Banksia is a bold choice for a modern and quirky bouquet. The Acorn Banksia, with its soft apricot colours, is a particularly great option. The Bottle Brush, or Callistemon, is another well-known Australian native with unique spiked flowers that come in a variety of colours, including green, yellow, white, violet and red.

The choice of flowers and colours for your bouquet is a chance to express yourself and make a statement on your wedding day. Whether you opt for a simple or decadent arrangement, choosing native flowers can add interesting textures and colours that will make your bouquet stand out.

Sourcing flowers

Know Your Options

The first step is to familiarize yourself with the available options. You can buy flowers from various sources, including online wholesalers, local grocery stores, flower markets, or even your garden or a friend's garden. Don't be afraid to mix and match suppliers to find the best flowers within your budget.

Consider Seasonality

When sourcing flowers, it's essential to keep seasonality in mind. The availability and cost of flowers can vary depending on the time of year. For example, peonies have a sporadic growing season and can be expensive at certain times, while hydrangeas are grown in greenhouses all year round and are generally more affordable. Choosing flowers that are in season will ensure better quality and more reasonable prices.

Think About Your Style

Before you start sourcing flowers, it's a good idea to have a vision for your bouquet's style and colour palette. Do you want a classic, tight bouquet or something more whimsical like a cascading arrangement? Are you looking for complementary colours or contrasting shades? These decisions will guide your flower choices.

Explore Native Options

If you're in Australia, you have access to a wide variety of native flora that can make for stunning and unique bridal bouquets. Some options include the soft and romantic flannel flowers, the striking pincushion protea, and the aptly named blushing brides. The bottle brush and kangaroo paw are also well-known Australian natives that can add a touch of local flavour to your bouquet.

Visit Local Sources

Local farms, grocery stores, and flower markets are excellent places to source your desired floral varieties. Not only will you find fresh blooms, but you may also discover unique options that aren't available online. Don't be afraid to explore and ask for recommendations from local florists or farmers.

Order in Bulk Online

If you're looking for a specific flower in large quantities, consider ordering in bulk online. This option can be convenient if you're looking for a particular flower that may not be readily available locally. However, be sure to plan ahead, as shipping times and flower availability may vary.

Preparing flowers

Before you start constructing your bouquet, make sure the flower stems and greenery are prepped and ready. Remove all the leaves from your floral stems and the bottom halves of your greenery stems. You can use your hands or a stem stripper to do this. Make sure the stems are all roughly the same length, and cut them at a 45-degree angle. Keep the flowers in a bucket of water as you work.

Consider the style of your wedding dress and your colour palette. Think about whether you want complementary colours for a subtle, balanced look, or if you want to integrate contrasting colours for added drama. Also, consider whether you want a classic, tight bouquet or something more whimsical, like a cascading arrangement. If you're going for a modern and simple design, use fewer varieties of flowers and very little greenery. For a more garden-style bouquet, use more varieties of flowers and greenery, and choose flowers with different textural and gestural qualities.

Now you've chosen your style, it's time to source your flowers. If you have access to a garden, look at what's blooming there. If not, try local farms, grocery stores, or flower markets. You can also order flowers in bulk online.

Once you have your flowers, it's time to start creating your bouquet. Take your greenery spray and separate the branches so that the leaves radiate outwards from the centre. This will give a realistic effect.

Assembling the bouquet

To assemble a bouquet, you should start by building the shape and framework of your arrangement, keeping dimension in mind. Stand in front of a mirror while you assemble the bouquet so that you know what it looks like from the front.

Start with a base of 2-4 flowers and add in larger, focal flowers. Continue to add in smaller flowers and greenery, balancing the design as you build. When you’re happy with the bouquet, snip the stems to trim them back and secure the bouquet with a rubber band. Make sure it’s tightly wrapped before adding floral tape to hide the rubber band.

Loop a ribbon around the stems for a clean, classic look or let it cascade down the bouquet for a more relaxed, garden-style aesthetic. You can also add ornamental pieces from your floral box set to take your bouquet to the next level.

Finally, tidy up the stems. Tie a piece of wire around them to secure them, then trim the excess away with wire cutters. Trim the stems so that they are all uniform in length, making sure they are long enough to hold comfortably but not so long that they interfere with your wedding dress.

Finishing touches

Now that your bouquet is almost complete, it's time to add the final flourishes that will make it truly unique and special. Here are some ideas for finishing touches to perfect your native flower wedding bouquet:

Ribbons and Wrapping

Add a ribbon to your bouquet to give it a polished look and create a handle for comfortable holding. You can use a satin ribbon in your chosen colour and secure it with hot glue. For a more elegant and flowing effect, leave a fair amount of excess ribbon trailing down the bouquet. You can also tie a bow with a single or multiple loops, depending on the length of your ribbon. Experiment with different colours and textures of ribbon to find the perfect match for your bouquet.

Floral Tape

Floral tape is essential for securing and concealing the stems of your bouquet. Wrap the stems with floral tape, starting from the bottom of the bouquet, up to where the flowers and greenery begin to branch out. This will give your bouquet a neat and professional finish while also protecting your hands.

Ornamental Pieces

Don't forget to add any ornamental pieces you may have. These can be placed near your focal flowers to create a unique and engaging design. These pieces can be smaller flowers, greenery, or other decorative elements that complement the overall style of your bouquet.

Charms and Sentimental Items

Adding something sentimental to your bouquet can make it even more meaningful. Consider including a charm, perhaps something vintage or borrowed, or a trinket that honours a loved one. You can also incorporate your birth flower or a flower that represents a loved one's birth month.

Final Adjustments

Once you've added all your finishing touches, take a step back and examine your bouquet. Make any final adjustments to the placement of flowers or greenery to ensure it looks exactly how you want. Don't be afraid to experiment and move things around until you're completely happy with the result.

Your native flower wedding bouquet is now complete! Enjoy this special creation and the memories it will hold of your wedding day.

Frequently asked questions