Creating A Wedding Bouquet: A Step-By-Step Guide

how to make wedding bouquet step by step

Making your own wedding bouquet is a great way to save money and add a personal touch to your special day. It may look intimidating, but it is quite simple and easy to make. You can save thousands of dollars by ordering flowers in bulk and arranging them yourself. This also gives you creative freedom to customize your bouquet to your liking. The process involves choosing flowers and colours, assembling the bouquet, and wrapping the stems. You can add a sentimental touch by including your birth flower or a sentimental colour. The bouquet can be made a day in advance and stored in the refrigerator until the ceremony.

Characteristics	Values
Timing	Best to make the bouquet the day before the wedding
Flowers	Roses, chrysanthemums, dahlias, daffodils, peonies, lilacs, tulips, carnations, lisianthus, garden roses, seeded eucalyptus, babies breath, green trick dianthus, avalanche roses, etc.
Materials	Floral snips, ribbon, floral tape, glue gun, pearl floral pins, wire, wire cutters, stem cutter, sharp knife, straight pins, pearl-tipped corsage pins, etc.
Preparation	Remove leaves from stems, cut stems at a 45-degree angle, keep stems in water
Assembly	Choose a focal flower, add flowers at an angle, add filler flowers, tie stems together, cut stems, wrap stems with ribbon

Choosing flowers and colours

Choosing the right flowers and colours for your wedding bouquet is a very important step in the process of making your own bouquet. It is important to consider the style of your wedding dress and the colour palette of your wedding. If you have a coloured theme at your wedding, a bouquet is a great item to match to the theme to ensure that it is coherent throughout your big day.

If you are hoping for a classic, tight bouquet, you should only use one to three varieties of florals, very little to no greenery, and florals that have a lot of textural interest. For a more whimsical, garden-inspired, cascading arrangement, you should opt for five to seven varieties of florals and greenery, and flowers with different textural and gestural qualities.

When choosing the flowers, it is also important to consider the season in which your wedding will take place. For example, daffodils, peonies, lilacs, and tulips bloom in the spring, while chrysanthemums and dahlias are best in autumn.

If you are looking for a simple, classic bouquet, you can opt for a single-flower bouquet, which is not difficult to make and complements most wedding gowns. In this case, you should stick to hardier flowers like roses, which are easier to arrange and can endure a little manhandling.

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Preparing flowers

Preparing the Flowers

The first step in preparing your flowers is to remove all the leaves from the stems. Do this gently, taking care not to damage the stems. You should also remove any damaged or unattractive outer petals.

Next, fill a sink or bucket with water and cut the stems at an angle, holding them underwater and about 2 inches from the bottom. Allow the flowers to absorb the water for a few seconds, then place the stems in a bucket of cool water until you're ready to use them.

If you're using roses and the heads aren't open yet, you can place the stems in a bucket of hot water to force the blooms open. However, only do this for a couple of minutes, just before using the roses, or you might kill them.

Keep the stems long while you work with them. You can trim them to a shorter length once you've finished constructing the bouquet.

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Assembling flowers

Assembling the Flowers

Now that you have your flowers and greenery ready, it's time to start assembling your bouquet. Here are the steps to guide you through the process:

Start with a base: Begin by choosing a focal flower that will be the centre of attention within your bouquet. Hold the flower with your fingers near the blossom end. This will be the base of your bouquet.
Add flowers at an angle: Insert the next flower at an angle, facing towards the left, ensuring that the bloom is at the same height as the focal flower. Continue adding flowers in a circular direction to create a globe-like shape. Place larger flowers towards the centre of your bouquet, with smaller accent flowers around the edges.
Rotate the bouquet: Each time you add a flower, rotate the bouquet a quarter turn to the right. This will position it ready for the next flower to be added diagonally and angled leftward.
Add filler flowers: Once you have the bulk of your bouquet ready, insert some filler flowers (usually smaller, green flowers) between the larger flowers. Ensure you insert these filler flowers at the same angle to maintain symmetry.
Create depth and dimension: Pull certain flowers forward to create depth and dimension, making your bouquet look more natural and full. Emphasise your focal point flowers by bringing them closer to the front.
Secure the stems: When you're happy with your bouquet's design, it's time to tidy up the stems. Bind the stems together with a rubber band or floral tape, securing them tightly. Cut off any excess stem, leaving about 2 inches of excess to trim later.
Trim the stems: Cut the stems to the same length, ensuring they are comfortable to hold during the wedding but not too long that they interfere with the wedding dress.
Finish the handle: Cut a length of ribbon, approximately three times the length of the stems. Tuck the end of the ribbon inside the top bind and start wrapping it in a spiral down the length of the stem. When you reach the bottom, wrap it back up the stem. Secure the cut end of the ribbon by tucking it underneath and using pins to hold it in place.

Your bouquet is now ready to be shown off on the big day!

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Securing the bouquet

Now that you've assembled your bouquet, it's time to secure it.

Use a rubber band or floral tape to bind the stems at the spot where they naturally join (about 3 to 4 inches below the flower heads). If you use a rubber band, be sure to wrap floral tape over it to hide it. This will also add an extra layer of security.

Repeat the binding process toward the end of the stems, leaving about 2 inches of excess stem beneath the bind to trim later.

If you want to add ribbon, cut a length about three times as long as the length of the stems. Tuck the end of the ribbon inside the top bind and start wrapping it in a spiral down the length of the stem. When you reach the bottom, wrap it in a spiral back up the stem. Secure the cut end of the ribbon by tucking it underneath and using a couple of pins to hold it in place.

If you want to add a bow, cut a separate length of ribbon and tie it just beneath the flower heads.

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Finishing the handle

Now for the finishing touches!

Once you are happy with the shape and size of your bouquet, it's time to finish the handle. Cut the stems to the same length, somewhere between 7-8 inches long. You want to make sure the stems are long enough to be held comfortably but not so long that they interfere with the wedding dress. Use a paper towel to dry off the stems. Cut a length of ribbon, approximately three times the length of the stems. You can choose any colour ribbon you like, but it's best to opt for an opaque ribbon to hide any glue.

Tuck the end of the ribbon inside the top bind and start wrapping it in a spiral down the length of the stems. When you reach the bottom, wrap the ribbon back up the stems in a spiral. At the top, tuck the cut end of the ribbon underneath and secure it with a couple of pins pushed through the ribbon and into the stems. If you want to add a bow, cut a separate length of ribbon and tie it just beneath the flower heads. You can also experiment with multiple loops and ribbons of different colours.

Your bouquet is now ready for the big day!