Creating Wedding Garland: Fresh, Fragrant, And Festive Decor

Creating a fresh garland for a wedding is not only a fun DIY project but also a cost-effective way to add a beautiful and versatile touch to your special day. Garlands can be used in a variety of ways, from table runners to photo backdrops, and even as a wall hanging. With a few basic tools and supplies, you can easily make your own fresh garland using flowers and foliage. For a fresh-flower doorway garland, florist Jackie Reisenauer recommends starting with eucalyptus, which looks nice even as it dries. You can also add a cascade of additional flowers for a stunning photo backdrop that can double as a table runner. If you're looking for something less expensive and labour-intensive, consider laying eucalyptus sprigs on tables for a similar effect.

Use eucalyptus as a base for its longevity and appearance

Eucalyptus as a Base for Wedding Garlands

Using eucalyptus as a base for your wedding garlands is a great choice for several reasons. Firstly, eucalyptus is known for its longevity, which is an important consideration when creating fresh floral arrangements. You want your garlands to look beautiful and fresh throughout your wedding day, and eucalyptus will help you achieve that.

Secondly, the appearance of eucalyptus is simply stunning. Its silvery green leaves add a touch of elegance and natural beauty to any arrangement. The leaves are also a versatile shape and size, making them easy to work with and perfect for a variety of wedding styles, from rustic chic to modern elegance.

When creating your eucalyptus garland base, you have the option to use fresh or artificial eucalyptus. Fresh eucalyptus will fill your venue with a delightful scent and is a good choice if you're seeking an organic, natural look. However, artificial eucalyptus is a more practical option if you want to craft your garlands well in advance, as it won't wilt or fade over time.

To create a eucalyptus garland base, start by sourcing high-quality eucalyptus stems. You can purchase these from florists, craft stores, or online retailers. If using fresh eucalyptus, follow florist Jackie Reisenauer's advice and begin crafting your garlands a few days before your wedding, keeping the assembled garlands indoors to ensure they stay fresh.

For a simple and elegant look, you can create a eucalyptus-only garland, or you can use the eucalyptus as a base and add other types of greenery and flowers to create a fuller, more colourful arrangement. This versatility is part of what makes eucalyptus such an excellent choice for wedding garlands.

With its longevity, beauty, and versatility, eucalyptus is an ideal base for your wedding garlands, helping to bring your vision to life and create a memorable atmosphere on your special day.

Mist garlands with water to keep them fresh

Once you've made your garlands, you'll want to keep them fresh and vibrant for as long as possible. Here are some tips to help you do that:

Misting with Water

• Use a spray bottle filled with cool tap water to mist the garlands. Set the spray bottle to a 'misting' dispersion and pay particular attention to the stems, ensuring the fresh water reaches the cut ends.
• Mist the garlands at least twice a day or whenever possible.
• If the stems have dried out and become wooden, cut them at a 45-degree angle to expose fresh surfaces that can absorb water.

Other Tips to Keep Garlands Fresh

• Keep the garlands in a cool place, such as a refrigerator or a cool basement, before the wedding.
• Hang the garlands in cooler locations in the house, avoiding direct sunlight and heat sources like vents and radiators.
• Soak the garlands overnight in a bathtub of cold water before hanging them.
• If you're making your garlands, soak each stem before weaving the branches together, or use florist bulbs (small containers of water that fit onto the ends of the stems).
• Use an anti-desiccant or anti-wilt spray to lock in moisture and prevent drying.
• If using string lights, opt for LED lights instead of incandescent bulbs to avoid excess heat.
• If possible, assemble the garlands a few days before the wedding and store them indoors.

Use fresh flowers, foliage, fabric, paper, or silk flowers

Fresh Flowers

Florist Jackie Reisenauer of Munster Rose recommends starting with eucalyptus, which looks nice even as it dries. You can create a fresh-flower doorway garland or a tropical flower garland with a cascade of flowers that can be used as a photo backdrop.

Foliage

You can dress up a table with some lush leaves. One example is using Israeli ruscus greenery.

Fabric

For a fabric garland, you can buy felt flowers from Amazon Handmade shop A Market Collection, which come in lots of colour combinations. You can string them together in your own creative way. If you're crafty with a sewing needle, you can buy the pattern for a garland of charming, stuffed-patchwork flowers.

Paper

There are many options for paper garlands, including:

• Paper flowers in any colour of the rainbow
• Paper flowers made from a template, so you can vary the colours, shapes and lengths
• Accordion tissue paper flowers, which can be customised to fit the colour scheme of any party
• Paper flowers made from cupcake holders
• Paper flowers made from old book pages and white paper for a vintage look

Silk Flowers

You can buy silk flower garlands on Etsy.

Buy pre-made garlands or individual flowers and foliage from a florist

If you want to save time and effort, you can buy pre-made garlands or individual flowers and foliage from a florist. This option is perfect if you're short on time or don't want to deal with the hassle of assembling the garlands yourself.

Several online florists offer a variety of fresh and artificial garlands in different styles, colours, and lengths. For example, FiftyFlowers offers an array of garlands with seasonal availability throughout the year. They have both greenery garlands, such as Baby's Breath and Magnolia, and garlands with hypericum berries. You can also find garlands in various colours like wine, chartreuse, sage green, bronze, and burgundy to match any theme.

Another option is to purchase individual flowers and foliage to create your own unique garlands. Some florists, like Triangle Nursery, offer ready-to-go garlands made with soft ruscus and different types of eucalyptus. You can also buy flowers and greenery separately and assemble them yourself. For instance, Costco sells 25-foot fresh garlands through their florist department, which you could split and use on multiple tables.

If you're looking for artificial garlands, Lings Moment offers a range of options that look real and last a lifetime. Their garlands feature lush faux greenery and designer flowers, available in sizes from 2 to 9 feet.

When buying pre-made garlands or individual flowers, consider the length, colour, and style that will best suit your wedding theme and venue. Also, keep in mind that garlands can be used in multiple ways, such as on tables, columns, mantels, and fence posts, to add a touch of nature to your special day.

Use garlands as table runners, photo backdrops, or hang them

Garlands are a versatile decoration that can be used in many ways to elevate your wedding decor. Here are some ideas for using garlands as table runners, photo backdrops, or hanging decorations:

Table Runners

Garlands make beautiful table runners and can be easily DIY-ed or purchased ready-made. If you're looking to create your own, you can use fresh or artificial flowers and greenery. For a simple yet elegant look, consider using eucalyptus as your base, as recommended by florist Jackie Reisenauer. You can also add other types of flowers and greenery to match your wedding colour scheme. To save costs, you can follow the advice of some brides and use overlapping greens or eucalyptus sprigs down the length of the table, adding in fresh flowers in florist tubes. If you want a fuller garland, you can use floral wire to bind the flowers and greenery together.

If you're purchasing garlands, Costco offers 25-foot fresh garlands for $79.99, while Everleaf Greens sells fresh garlands priced by the foot. For artificial options, Etsy has a wide range of garlands, including a 6-foot faux eucalyptus garland for $9.84.

Photo Backdrops

Garlands can also be used to create stunning photo backdrops, adding a romantic and whimsical touch to your wedding photos. You can hang garlands on a wall or arch, creating a backdrop for photos. To hang garlands without damaging your walls, you can use temporary hooks like the 3M Command hooks, which can hold up to 7.5 lbs each. For a more natural look, you can hang garlands from branches or create a hanging installation with a ceiling flower set.

If you're looking for ready-made options, Etsy offers a variety of garland backdrops, including rustic wood and glitter garlands, hanging flower kits, and fresh seeded eucalyptus garlands.

Hanging Decorations

To incorporate garlands into your hanging decorations, you can hang them from the ceiling, drape them across beams or archways, or intertwine them with fairy lights. This will add a touch of elegance and charm to your wedding venue.

Whether you choose to DIY or purchase your garlands, and whether you use them as table runners, photo backdrops, or hanging decorations, garlands are a beautiful way to enhance the ambiance of your wedding and create lasting memories.

Frequently asked questions