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

Making your own wedding bouquet is a great way to save money and add a personal touch to your special day. It can be a fun activity to do with family and friends in the lead-up to your wedding, and it gives you creative freedom over your bouquet's design. You can choose the flowers, colours, and style to match your wedding theme and personal aesthetic. The process is simple and easy, requiring only a few tools and materials, and it can be achieved on a tight budget. Whether you opt for fresh or artificial flowers, creating your own bouquet is a unique way to express yourself and make your wedding journey even more meaningful.

Choosing your flowers

If you're working with a tight budget, consider buying your flowers in bulk from a wholesale store, or even a local grocery store. You can also save money by choosing flowers that are in season. For example, daffodils, peonies, lilacs, and tulips bloom in the spring, while chrysanthemums and dahlias are best in fall.

If you have a coloured theme for your wedding, you may want to choose flowers that match this colour scheme to ensure your bouquet is coherent with the rest of your wedding. Traditionally, most flowers in a bridal bouquet are white, with some splashes of pink or other pastel colours. However, you should ultimately choose flowers that you want and that will make you happy!

When choosing your flowers, it's also important to consider the style of your wedding dress and whether you want a complementary or contrasting colour palette. If you're going for a modern and simple design, you may only need one to three varieties of florals and very little to no greenery. For a more whimsical, garden-inspired look, you can choose five to seven varieties of florals and greenery, and play with different textures and gestures.

Once you've decided on the type of flowers you want, you can start sourcing them. If you have access to a garden, you can pick flowers from there. You can also check local farms, grocery stores, or order flowers in bulk online.

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. If you're using roses, remove all guard petals from your roses. These will be the dull/brown petals on the outer rim that florists will ship flowers with to prevent damage during travel.

Now, snip the bottom of each stem at a 45-degree angle and 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're using flowers from your own garden or a friend's, or from local farms or grocery stores, it's a good idea to buy more flowers than you need. That way, you can pick the best from each bouquet.

Timing

One of the key considerations of making your own wedding bouquet is timing. Ideally, make the bouquet the day before the wedding. 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. That way, your blooms will be at their best for the big day.

Picking a focal flower

When choosing your focal flower, consider the colour scheme of your wedding and the style of your wedding dress. If you want a complementary colour palette, opt for a focal flower that is a similar shade to your dress, or go for a contrasting colour if you want to add a dramatic touch.

The type of flower you choose will also depend on the season of your wedding. For example, if you're getting married in the spring, you might choose tulips or peonies, while chrysanthemums and dahlias are better suited to a fall wedding.

Once you've chosen your focal flower, hold it with your fingers near the blossom end. Then, add another flower at an angle to the left, making sure the bloom is at the same height. Continue adding flowers, rotating the bouquet a quarter turn to the right each time. This will create a rounded, well-filled-out bouquet.

If you're unsure about which flower to choose, it's a good idea to buy a few different options and practice arranging them before your wedding day. This will help you get a sense of which flower works best and ensure that your bouquet looks beautiful and cohesive.

Adding flowers and foliage

If you don't like the way you placed a certain flower, you can always 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. This will help your bouquet look even more natural and full. Try to pull your focal-point flowers forward to emphasise them more.

When you're happy with your bouquet, it's time to tidy up the stems. Tie a piece of wire around them 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 so long that they interfere with your dress.

Storing the flowers

Timing:

The timing of when you store your flowers is important. Ideally, you should make your bouquet the day before the wedding. This gives the flowers time to open and bloom, while still looking fresh. If your wedding is on a Saturday, consider sourcing the flowers on Thursday, creating the bouquet on Friday, and adding any final touches like ribbons on Saturday.

Storing Overnight:

To store your flowers overnight, use a clean vase filled about 3/4 full with water. Place the flowers in the vase and set your refrigerator temperature to 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below. Make sure to remove all fruits from the refrigerator, as they emit ethylene gas, which causes flowers to wilt and die faster. Leave the flowers in the refrigerator for about six hours or overnight.

Water and Trimming:

When you first receive your flowers, trim the stems at a 45-degree angle using a sharp pair of scissors or floral snips. This will help the flowers absorb water more effectively. Change the water in the vase every other day, and clean the vase regularly to prevent bacteria and fungi from growing. You can also add flower food to the water, which typically contains citric acid, sugar, and bleach, to help nourish and protect your flowers. Alternatively, you can add a teaspoon of vinegar, a teaspoon of sugar, and a few drops of bleach to the water to achieve a similar effect.

Temperature and Lighting:

Keep your flowers away from direct sunlight, heaters, and warm drafts. Cut flowers are different from growing flowers and can be damaged by direct sunlight, causing them to dry out faster. Display your bouquet in a place with bright but not harsh lighting. Avoid drying air, fans, and drafts, as these can dehydrate your flowers even if they are in water.

Misting:

In addition to keeping the stems in water, mist the petals with a fine mist of water a few times a day to keep them hydrated. This will help preserve the freshness of your bouquet.

Transporting:

If you need to transport your bouquet, keep the flowers upright and snug. Use the delivery box and cut a square hole just big enough for the vase to fit snugly, preventing it from toppling over. If you are travelling a short distance, you can forgo the vase and wrap the stems in a damp paper towel, but be sure to place the flowers in water once you reach your destination.

By following these steps, you can ensure that your DIY wedding bouquet stays fresh and beautiful, making a perfect accessory for your special day.

Frequently asked questions