Creating Your Dream Floral Wedding Bouquet

Making your own wedding bouquet can be a fun and creative way to save money and add a personal touch to your big day. It may sound intimidating, but with the right tools, techniques, and timing, you can create a stunning arrangement that complements your wedding dress and colour palette. Whether you're using fresh or artificial flowers, buying in bulk or picking from a garden, and assembling a classic or whimsical bouquet, there are endless ways to make your bouquet unique.

Choosing your flowers

The flowers you choose for your DIY wedding bouquet will depend on your colour scheme and the season. If you have a colour theme for your wedding, you can match your bouquet to it.

Traditionally, most flowers in a bridal bouquet are white, with some pink or other pastel colours. However, you can choose any colours and flowers you like to match your preferences.

Think about the style of your wedding dress and whether you want complementary or contrasting colours in your bouquet. If you're going for a modern and simple design, consider using fewer varieties of flowers and very little greenery. For a more whimsical, garden-inspired look, you can use several varieties of flowers and greenery.

If you're on a tight budget, pick flowers that are in season. For example, daffodils, peonies, lilacs, and tulips bloom in the spring, while chrysanthemums and dahlias are best in autumn.

You can order flowers online, or buy them from a local grocery store or flower market. If you have access to someone's garden, you can also use flowers from there.

Once you've chosen your flowers, you'll need to prepare them by removing all the leaves from the stems. This will make your bouquet look neater and prevent damage to the stems.

Picking a focal flower

Choose a flower that you want to be the centre of attention within your bouquet. This will be the main flower that you build the rest of the bouquet around. Hold the flower near the blossom end, and add the next flower at an angle facing towards the left, keeping the bloom at the same height as the focal flower.

Adding more flowers

Continue adding flowers, rotating the bouquet a quarter turn to the right each time you add a new flower. This will position the bouquet so that you can add the next flower diagonally and angled to the left. Add some filler flowers, which are usually smaller, green flowers, to give a natural look to the bouquet. Ensure that you insert all the filler flowers at the same angle to keep your bouquet symmetrical.

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. This will make your bouquet neater and more comfortable to hold.

If you are using roses, remove all guard petals from your roses. These are the dull or brown petals on the outer rim that florists will ship flowers with to keep them from being damaged during travel.

Next, snip the bottom of each stem at a 45-degree angle. This will help the flowers absorb water. Keep them in a bucket of water as you assemble your bouquet.

Be sure to consider your current climate and the flowers' natural habitats. If temperatures are soaring or you're using tropical blooms during a dry spell, research the best way to keep them vibrant until (and through!) your big day.

If you are using flowers that are cut when they’re in a tight bud, such as freesias or lilies, buy them up to a week before your wedding so they have time to open.

Sourcing your flowers

If you have access to someone's garden, look at what’s blooming there. If you don’t have a friend's budding garden to peruse, look at local farms, grocery stores or flower markets to source the floral varieties you’re hoping for. You can also check online to order flowers in bulk.

Timing

Making your bouquet the day before the wedding is ideal. If your wedding is on a Saturday, source your flowers on Thursday, create the bouquet on Friday, and then add the ribbon on the day of the nuptials.

Picking a focal flower

Focal flowers can be any type of flower but they often tend to be large and showy. Popular focal flowers include peonies, roses, lilies, football mums, carnations, or dahlias. You can also use multiple focal flowers per arrangement to add different colours or textures. For example, you could mix roses with gerbera daisies for a whimsical vibe, or add sweet peonies for a lush, romantic feel.

If you are designing an entire bouquet using one flower or colour, adding several reflexed flowers can create an eye-catching focal point. You can also create a focal point with smaller flowers in bright, contrasting colours.

When choosing your focal flower, it is important to consider the colour of your dress and the overall style of the bouquet. For example, if you are wearing a traditional white or ivory bridal gown, a stronger-coloured flower will stand out. If you want to create a romantic, vintage-style bouquet, garden roses or peonies are a good choice. For a modern, minimalist design, a small cluster of gerberas, Callas, anemones, or ranunculus flowers might be better.

Adding flowers and foliage

If you're going for a modern and simple design, it's best to use one to three varieties of florals, very little to no greenery, and flowers with lots of textural interest. For a more whimsical, garden-inspired, cascading bouquet, you can use five to seven varieties of florals and greenery, and flowers with different textural and gestural qualities.

When you've decided on the style and chosen your flowers, it's time to start creating your bouquet. Take your flowers one by one and insert them into the greenery. Insert your flowers in a circular direction to create a globe-like shape, placing larger flowers towards the centre of your bouquet with smaller accent flowers around the edges. This will help draw the eye towards certain sections of your bouquet.

If you don't like the placement of a particular flower, simply remove it and try it in a different spot. Keep going until you've added all your flowers to the bouquet. Pull certain flowers forward to create depth and dimension, and emphasise your focal point flowers.

Once you're happy with your bouquet, it's time to tidy up the stems. Tie a piece of wire around your stems to secure them, then trim the excess away with wire cutters. Make sure you leave the stems long enough to hold your bouquet comfortably during your wedding, but not too long so that they interfere with your dress.

Storing the bouquet

Timing:

It is recommended to make the bouquet the day before the wedding. This gives the flowers time to open and bloom, and also ensures they are fresh and vibrant for your wedding day. If you are sourcing the flowers yourself, it is best to get them a few days before the wedding. Cut the stems and put them in water overnight to help them stay hydrated and fresh.

Storage Location:

When storing your bouquet, it is important to choose the right location. Avoid placing the bouquet in direct sunlight as this will cause the flowers to wilt. Instead, find a cool place, such as a shed or garage, to keep them overnight. Make sure the area is free from drafts. If you are storing the bouquet in a refrigerator, be cautious as some fruits and vegetables emit ethylene gas which can cause flowers to wilt.

Storing in Water:

To keep your flowers hydrated, place the stems in deep water overnight. This will ensure they have a good drink and stay fresh.

Last-Minute Touches:

On the morning of your wedding, finish off the bouquet by drying the stems that will form the handle with a clean cloth. You can then decorate the handle by wrapping ribbon, lace, or fabric around it. Secure the ribbon with pearl or diamante pins, and give the bouquet a light spritz of fresh water. Cover it with a sheet of damp tissue paper to keep it fresh until you are ready to walk down the aisle!

Spare Flowers:

It is a good idea to keep a few spare flowers on hand in case you need to switch out any in the bouquet. This will ensure that your bouquet looks perfect and any flowers that may not have opened fully can be replaced.

By following these steps, you will be able to store and care for your DIY wedding bouquet, ensuring it looks beautiful and fresh for your special day.

Frequently asked questions