Creating Fresh Rose Wedding Bouquets: A Step-By-Step Guide

Wedding bouquets are an important part of a bride's special day. Making your own bouquet is a fun and exciting task that adds a unique touch to your wedding. In this guide, we will take you through the steps of creating a beautiful bouquet with fresh roses. From choosing the right flowers and supplies to assembling and wrapping your bouquet, we will cover everything you need to know to make your dream bouquet a reality. So, get ready to roll up your sleeves and dive into the world of floral design!

Choosing your flowers

Colour

The colour of your flowers can set the tone and mood of your wedding. Traditionally, most wedding bouquets consist of white and cream flowers, symbolising purity and elegance. However, you are free to choose any colour you like. Consider the overall colour palette of your wedding, the emotions you want to convey, the time of day, the location, and even your wedding dress. You can choose sentimental colours, contrasting colours, or matching colours. If you're unsure, stick to shades of a single colour or a small range of colours.

Variety

When it comes to the variety of flowers, you'll need two types: strong primary flowers and secondary flowers. Primary flowers are those with long and sturdy stems that can support the overall bouquet. Popular choices for primary flowers include roses, orchids, calla lilies, hydrangeas, peonies, dahlias, and magnolias. For secondary flowers, consider spray roses, freesias, or filler flowers like baby's breath or wax flowers. Greenery can also add a nice touch to your bouquet.

Seasonality

It's important to consider the seasonality of the flowers you choose. If you opt for out-of-season flowers or those that grow sporadically during the year, they may be difficult to find and more expensive. Choose flowers that are in season for your wedding date to ensure they are fresh, vibrant, and cost-effective. For example, if you're getting married in the spring, consider tulips, peonies, or lilacs, while summer weddings might call for roses, sunflowers, or daisies.

Size and Shape

The size and shape of your bouquet will depend on the style of your wedding dress, your body type, and the theme of your wedding. A simple dress might pair well with a more elaborate bouquet, while a heavily embellished dress may be better suited to a simpler bouquet. Consider your body type as well—a petite bride might be overwhelmed by a large bouquet, while a taller bride can carry a more dramatic, oversized bouquet.

Sentiment

Adding sentimental flowers to your bouquet can make it even more meaningful. Incorporate your favourite flower, your birth flower, or a flower that has special significance to you and your partner. For example, you could include your grandmother's favourite flower or the flowers from your first date.

Gathering your supplies

Flowers

The most important supply you will need is, of course, fresh flowers. For a classic and romantic look, roses are a perfect choice for wedding bouquets. You can choose from various colours and sizes to fit your wedding theme. Consider selecting 1-3 types of roses with strong and long stems to serve as your primary flowers. Some options include classic red roses, elegant white roses, or soft pastel hues. Complement your chosen roses with secondary flowers, such as spray roses, freesias, or filler flowers like baby's breath or wax flowers. Greenery can also add a nice touch to your bouquet.

Floral Tools and Supplies

To create your DIY wedding bouquet, you will need a variety of floral design tools and supplies. Here is a list of materials recommended:

• Flower shears or a stem stripper: Use this to remove any foliage, thorns, and damaged or discoloured outer petals from the stems.
• Bucket or sink of water: Before arranging your flowers, trim the stems at an angle about 2 inches from the bottom while holding them underwater.
• Stem cutter or sharp knife: Cut the stems to the desired length.
• Ribbon: Choose a ribbon that complements your colour palette or matches your wedding colour scheme. You can also opt for a luxurious silk ribbon for an elegant touch. Cut a length of ribbon about three times the length of the stems for wrapping.
• Floral tape: Use this to secure your bouquet and cover the stems.
• Straight pins or pearl-tipped corsage pins: Secure the ribbon to the stems with these pins.
• Vase or container: After creating your bouquet, place it in a vase or container of water to keep the flowers fresh.

Additional Supplies

There are a few other supplies that can be useful when creating your wedding bouquet:

• Paper towels: Dry off the stems after trimming them and before wrapping with ribbon.
• Tissue paper: Wrap your finished bouquet in tissue to protect it.
• Hairspray: Spraying the flower heads with hairspray can help preserve the bouquet.

Preparing your flowers

Using flower shears or a stem stripper, remove any foliage and thorns from the stems of the flowers. Discard any damaged or discoloured outer petals. If you want to keep some of the top leaves on your bouquet, you can keep some of the foliage at the top of the stems. Then, trim the stems to an even length, leaving them long enough to be easy to work with (around 10 inches). If you want them shorter, you can always trim them again later.

Fill a sink or bucket with water and, holding the stems underwater, use a stem cutter or a very sharp knife to cut the stems at an angle, about 2 inches from the bottom. Allow the flowers to drink for a few seconds, then place the stems in a bucket filled halfway with cool water until you are ready to use them.

If you are working with roses and the heads are not yet open, you can force the blooms open by placing the stems in a bucket of hot water. However, only do this for a couple of minutes just before you are going to use the roses, or you might kill them.

Keep the stems long while you work with them, and trim them to a shorter length once you have finished constructing the bouquet.

Assembling your bouquet

Now that you have chosen your flowers and prepared them by removing excess foliage and thorns, it's time to start assembling your bouquet.

Take three or four of your primary flowers with the largest blossoms for the centre of the bouquet. Place them together, crossing the stems, and hold them just beneath the blossoms. Then, start building the bouquet by adding more of your primary flowers, one at a time. Rotate your hand as you add the flowers to create a spiral shape.

Once you have added all your primary flowers, follow the same process with your secondary flowers, placing two to three at a time. Use these to fill any gaps or empty spaces between your main flowers. Adjust the flowers as you go to ensure they seem to radiate out from the centre, and none are extending too far or too close to the others. Your bouquet should be balanced and rounded, with an even volume and shape.

Finally, trim the stems to your desired length. A good length for a bouquet is around 6 to 8 inches.

Now that your bouquet is assembled, it's time to wrap it. This step includes two layers of wrapping.

For the first layer, use floral tape to secure your bouquet. Start wrapping just below the blossoms and continue down the stems in a spiral shape for 3 to 4 inches.

For the second layer, use a long piece of ribbon that matches the colour palette of your bouquet. Start wrapping from the same point as the floral tape and continue down the stems, then back up again, until all the tape is covered. Secure the ribbon with a knot, a bow, or some pearl-headed pins for a glamorous touch.

Wrapping your bouquet

Now that you've gathered your flowers and supplies, it's time to wrap your bouquet. This step includes two wrapping layers.

For the first layer, use floral tape to secure your bouquet. Start wrapping from a point below the blossoms – about 1 to 1.5 inches – but try to keep the stems as close together as possible. Wrap the tape around the stems several times, then continue wrapping down in a spiral shape for about 3 to 4 more inches.

For the second layer, use around 180 inches of ribbon that matches the colour palette of your bouquet. Start wrapping from the same point below the stems where you applied the floral tape, and continue down the stems until you reach about half an inch from the bottom. Then, wrap the ribbon back up the stems until all the floral tape is covered. Secure the ribbon by tying it in a knot or a bow, or use pearl-headed pins to add a touch of glamour.

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

Frequently asked questions