Crafting Delicate Wedding Bouquet Picks: A Step-By-Step Guide

Wedding flowers are a significant part of a bridal look, and making your own bouquet can add a unique and meaningful touch to your special day. Creating your own bouquet can also be a great way to save money on your wedding, as you won't have to pay for a florist's labour costs. In this guide, we'll take you through the steps to make a beautiful DIY wedding bouquet, from choosing your flowers to assembling and decorating your bouquet.

Choosing your flowers

The season of your wedding will also play a role in your flower choices. For example, daffodils, peonies, lilacs, and tulips are in bloom in spring, while chrysanthemums and dahlias are best in autumn. If you're going for a modern and simple design, consider using fewer varieties of florals and very little to no greenery. For a more whimsical, garden-inspired look, you can opt for more floral and greenery varieties.

When selecting your flowers, you can choose 1-2 focal flowers, such as roses, and 1-2 fillers like wax flowers and hypericum berries, to create interest and fill in the spaces between the larger flowers. Adding a green like eucalyptus can also create a finished look.

Don't be afraid to mix and match suppliers and vendors to find the best options for your budget. You can get creative and source flowers from different places, such as online wholesalers, grocery stores, or even Costco.

Remember to keep seasonality in mind, as the growing season can impact the availability and cost of certain flowers. For example, peonies have a sporadic growing season, making them expensive at certain times, while hydrangeas are grown in greenhouses all year, making them more affordable.

By choosing your flowers wisely and keeping these tips in mind, you'll be well on your way to creating a beautiful and meaningful wedding bouquet.

Preparing your 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.

Next, snip the bottom of each stem at a 45-degree angle. Keep the flowers in a bucket of water as you assemble your bouquet. This will ensure they stay hydrated and fresh.

If you are using tropical blooms during a dry spell, or if temperatures are soaring, research the best way to keep them vibrant until your big day and through the ceremony.

Now you are ready to start building your bouquet!

Creating your bouquet

Now that you have your materials, it's time to create your bouquet.

First, you'll want to prepare your flowers and greenery. Remove the flowers from the box and straighten their stems. Take your greenery spray and separate the branches so that the leaves radiate outwards from the centre.

Next, you can begin to design your bouquet. Take your flowers one by one and insert them into the greenery spray, creating a globe-like shape. Insert larger flowers towards the centre with smaller accent flowers around the edges. You can always remove and reposition flowers if you don't like how they look.

Once you've assembled the main body of your bouquet, pull certain flowers forward to create depth and dimension. Try to emphasise your focal point flowers by bringing them forward. You can also add ornamental pieces from your floral box set near your focal flowers to take your design to the next level.

Now it's time to tidy up the stems. Tie a piece of wire around the stems to secure them, then trim away any excess with wire cutters. Trim the stems so that they are uniform in length, leaving enough room for you to comfortably hold the bouquet during your wedding, but not so long that they interfere with your dress.

To protect your hands while you walk down the aisle, encase the stems in floral tubing. This will also create a professional finish by covering up any stray wires. Insert 2-3 stems at a time into the tubing, going about 3/4 of the way up.

Next, wrap any remaining exposed stems with green floral tape to conceal any wires near the base of the bouquet. This will help your bouquet stay in place and protect your hands throughout the day.

Finally, create a handle by hot-gluing a satin ribbon in your chosen colour around the base of the bouquet. This will give your bouquet a polished finishing touch. You can also tie a bow with two ribbons around the bouquet, near the handle, to add a flowing, elegant effect.

Congratulations, you've created your own custom bridal bouquet!

Storing your bouquet

Once you have assembled your bouquet, it's important to store it correctly so that it stays fresh and beautiful for your wedding day. Here are some tips for storing your bouquet overnight and for the long term:

Short-term storage:

• Place the bouquet in deep water overnight to ensure that all the stems get a good drink.
• Store the flowers in a cool place, such as a shed or garage, and avoid drafts.
• Keep the flowers away from direct sunlight and ripening fruit, especially bananas, as this will cause them to wilt.
• Do not store the bouquet in a household fridge, as it will be too cold for the flowers. If the bouquet is for a winter wedding, keep the flowers in a frost-free place to prevent them from turning black.

Long-term storage:

If you want to preserve your bouquet as a keepsake, there are several methods you can try:

• Air-drying: Remove any browning parts, torn petals, and extra leaves. Tie a piece of string to each stem and hang the flowers upside down to dry in a dark, temperate area. Let the flowers air-dry for at least two weeks or longer, depending on the temperature. The colour of the bouquet will gradually fade, but it will still look nice in a vase or hanging on a wall.
• Silica gel: Silica gel is a porous sand that absorbs moisture from flowers, helping to preserve their shape, colour, and look. Place your flowers face-up in an airtight container filled with silica gel. Make sure the flowers are completely covered and let them dry for about a week. Once they are dry, gently brush off any remaining powder and use a sealant to protect them from moisture.
• Resin: Epoxy resin is a glass-like material that can be used to encase your flowers and preserve their original shape and colour. You can arrange your flowers in a mould and pour the resin on top, or get creative by adding glitter or using different mould shapes. This method requires patience and finesse, so it may be best to outsource this to a professional.
• Wax dipping: Melt paraffin wax in a pot and dip each flower into the container of wax. This method will preserve the flowers for up to six months and keep their original integrity and colour.
• Painting: Commission an artist to paint an interpretation of your bouquet, or create your own artwork using any medium, such as charcoal, watercolour, or acrylic. This is a permanent reminder of your flowers and can be displayed in your home.

Finishing touches

Now that your bouquet is assembled, it's time to add the finishing touches. These final steps will give your bouquet a polished and elegant look, ready for your walk down the aisle.

Decorating the Handle

The handle of your bouquet is an important detail that can add a touch of glamour and comfort. Choose a decorative ribbon, lace, or fabric to wrap around the stems. Secure it with pearl or diamante pins, or use floral adhesive or a hot glue gun. This will give your bouquet an attractive and comfortable handle while also covering any exposed wires or tape.

Trimming the Stems

Decide on the length of the bouquet handle and cut the stems accordingly. If you plan to carry the bouquet as an arm spray, longer stems will provide more comfort and balance. You may also want to wrap the stems with green floral tubing to create a professional finish and protect your hands. Leave some space at the base of the bouquet, near the flowers and greenery, to apply floral tape.

Adding a Ribbon

Adding a ribbon to your bouquet is not only aesthetically pleasing but also symbolic. It symbolises the fellowship between you and your partner. Take two ribbons and tie them in a bow near the handle, leaving a fair amount of excess for a flowing, elegant effect. You can experiment with different colours, textures, and styles of ribbon to find what suits your bouquet best.

Final Touches

At this point, your bouquet is almost complete! You can add any other finishing touches that you desire to make it truly yours. Consider adding small ornamental pieces from your floral box set or using corsage pins to create a pearl design on the ribbon. A light spritz of fresh water will also help keep your bouquet fresh and aisle-ready!

Frequently asked questions