Brooch Bouquets: A Creative Guide To Everlasting Wedding Flowers

A brooch bouquet is a stylish choice for a wedding bouquet. It is a great option for brides looking for a non-floral bouquet that is beautiful and can carry emotional value. You can use vintage brooches, colourful baubles, and heirloom jewellery in place of flowers. You can also add clip-on earrings, necklace pendants, hair accessories, and silk flowers to your bouquet. To make a brooch bouquet, you will need pliers, wire, tape, glue, and a bouquet holder or foam block. You can also add a personal touch by using old jewellery from both the bride's and groom's families.

Choosing the right brooches

Go for Quality Over Quantity

When creating your brooch bouquet, it's better to choose a smaller number of high-quality, carefully selected pieces than a large number of mass-produced brooches. Vintage brooches with a history behind them will add a touch of magic to your bouquet and age well over time. Scour charity shops and car boot sales for unique and elegant finds.

Consider the Size

Small to medium-sized brooches are easier to work with and will give you more flexibility when creating your bouquet. Large brooches can be harder to arrange and may not sit well together.

Think About the Shape

Choose a central brooch in the shape you want for your bouquet and build around it. This will give you a focal point and help you develop your bouquet. Leaf and feather brooches are a great option as they are varied in style but give a cohesive look. You could also try filigree brooches or enamel flowers in different colours.

Add Some Sparkle

A bit of sparkle can enhance the elegance of your bouquet, but use it sparingly. You can balance crystals with pearls and silk rose petals to soften the look. If you're using silver brooches, opt for an antique finish or slightly tarnished pieces to add to the vintage feel.

Get Creative with Colours

Don't be afraid to mix and match colours when choosing your brooches. You can create a cohesive look by sticking to a specific colour palette or go for a more eclectic mix of colours. Consider your wedding colour scheme or theme when making your selections.

Incorporate Sentimental Pieces

Your wedding bouquet is a special part of your big day, so why not make it even more meaningful by incorporating sentimental pieces? Ask your family if you can borrow brooches that have been passed down through the generations. You can also include pieces from your partner's family to create a truly unique and personal bouquet.

Creating the stems

• Long, green floral wire (enough for each brooch, with two wires for larger brooches)
• Green floral tape
• Needle-nose pliers
• Wire cutters
• Hot glue gun

First, take a brooch and close the clasp, securing it with hot glue if necessary. Thread the green floral wire through the clasp or around the front of the brooch, so that you have two even lengths of wire extending from the bottom. Then, use your pliers to twist the wires together about one inch below the point where the wire and brooch meet. Wrap floral tape around the twisted wire, overlapping as you go, and press the ends of the tape to ensure it sticks. Repeat this process for each brooch, creating a pile of brooch stems.

Arranging the bouquet

Now that you have gathered your materials and tools, it's time to start assembling your bouquet.

Firstly, decide on your bouquet base. You can use a bouquet holder, a foam block, or a foam noodle bath toy cut to the length of your vase. If you don't want to use a bouquet holder, you can add sticks or silk flower stems to make a wider vase and secure them with tape.

Next, take your large hydrangea stem and insert the brooch stems into the spaces between the petals, making sure to alternate the colours and sizes of the brooches that are next to each other. You can also place other silk flowers among the brooch stems if you wish. Continue adding brooches until you have a full bouquet shape.

Once you are happy with your arrangement, wrap the stems with several layers of masking tape. If the wire stems are too long, clip them with wire cutters.

Now, stick the gathered stems into your bouquet holder, foam noodle, or vase.

To finish, glue one end of the ribbon to the top of your stem bunch, bouquet holder, or foam noodle with a hot glue gun. Allow the glue to dry, then wrap the ribbon in a circular motion around the bouquet. When you get to the bottom, you can wrap the ribbon vertically and then rewrap it horizontally, or you can leave the stems showing for 1/2 to 1 inch.

Finally, place a strip of superglue at the end of your ribbon and tuck the end inside the other bands of ribbon at the top. You can also add embellishments such as pearls, rhinestones, or a necklace wrapped around the base.

Wrapping the handle

If you're wrapping the handle yourself, start at the top of the bouquet and criss-cross the ribbon down the handle, then criss-cross it back up. This will take a while to get smooth, so be patient! You could secure the ribbon with pearl pins, a hot glue gun, or by stitching it in place. You could also add some little crystal beads or pearls down the handle for an extra flourish.

If you're using a floral foam holder, you can add some extra ribbon petals for a smooth transition between the handle and the upper brooches. To do this, wrap wire around a piece of ribbon to form a loop and stick these just below the brooches with glue or by sticking them into the foam.

Embellishing the bouquet

Now that you have your bouquet, you can add some finishing touches to make it even more special. Here are some ideas:

• Wrap the handle with ribbon or fabric: Choose a colour that complements your brooches and wrap it neatly around the handle, securing it with a hot glue gun or some stitches. You could also use an heirloom handkerchief or tulle from a grandmother's wedding slip or veil for a more sentimental touch.
• Add some sparkle: If you want to add some extra glamour to your bouquet, consider using crystals, pearls, rhinestones or beads. Just remember to use them sparingly, as a little goes a long way!
• Incorporate other jewellery: You can include items such as earrings, necklace pendants and hair accessories in your bouquet, as they will look similar to brooches when placed together.
• Add silk flowers: Intersperse some silk flowers among the brooches to add a soft, romantic touch to your bouquet.
• Choose a colour scheme: Decide on a colour or two that you want to feature prominently in your bouquet and select your brooches accordingly. This will help to create a cohesive and stylish look.
• Go for gold: Silver brooches can sometimes look harsh, so consider opting for gold or antique-finish brooches for a softer, more vintage feel.

Frequently asked questions