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 and creative project to take on, and you can even enlist the help of your wedding party, family, and friends. The process is relatively simple and only requires a few tools and materials. You'll need to decide on the style and colour palette of your bouquet, source the flowers and other materials, and then assemble and secure the bouquet. With a bit of time and effort, you can create a beautiful arrangement that will be the perfect accessory as you walk down the aisle.

Choosing your flowers

The flowers you choose for your DIY wedding bouquet are key to making it unique and special. Whether you opt for a classic, tight bouquet or a whimsical, cascading arrangement, the style you choose will dictate how you approach your flowers. 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 garden-style bouquet, you can use more floral and greenery varieties.

Consider Your Wedding Theme and Colour Palette

If you have a coloured theme for your wedding, choose flowers that match this theme to ensure coherence throughout your big day. Traditionally, bridal bouquets stick to white flowers with some pastel colours like pink. However, you can choose any colour combination that suits your taste and style.

Think About the Style of Your Wedding Dress

The style of your wedding dress can also help guide your flower choices. Consider whether you want complementary colours to bring subtle balance or contrasting colours to add drama to your bouquet.

Pick Flowers That Are in Season

To save money, pick flowers that are in season when you're getting married. For example, daffodils, peonies, lilacs, and tulips bloom in the spring, while chrysanthemums and dahlias are best for fall weddings.

Decide on a Focal Flower

Choose a flower that you want to be the centre of attention within your bouquet. This could be a light pink peony, a rose, or any other flower that catches your eye and suits your style.

Add Filler Flowers

Once you have your focal flower, add some filler flowers to give your bouquet a natural look. These are usually smaller, green flowers.

Experiment and Be Creative

Don't be afraid to experiment with different flower combinations and get creative. It's your special day, so choose flowers that reflect your personality and taste.

With these tips in mind, you can now start choosing the perfect flowers for your DIY wedding bouquet. Remember to have fun with the process and enjoy creating something beautiful and unique for your wedding day.

Assemble the bouquet

Now that you've gathered your flowers and prepared them by removing leaves and cutting the stems at a 45-degree angle, you're ready to assemble your bouquet.

Start by building the shape and framework of your arrangement, keeping dimension in mind. It's a good idea to stand in front of a mirror as you work so that you can see exactly what the bouquet will look like from the front.

Begin with a base of greenery, holding the stems about halfway down the desired length of your bouquet. This will help set the flow and shape of your bouquet. Popular types of greenery include ruscus, eucalyptus, and leather leaf.

Next, add your focal flowers. These are the stars of your arrangement and tend to have one large bloom per stem. You will likely have one to three types of focal flowers in your arrangement. Some common focal flowers are roses, peonies, proteas, anemones, sunflowers, ranunculus, and mums.

Continue to build your bouquet by adding filler flowers, line flowers, and more greenery at a diagonal angle. These stems add volume, height, and dimension to your arrangement. As your bouquet grows, you may need to rearrange your greenery and focal flowers. Filler flowers are typically smaller blooms that complete the overall look and style of a wedding bouquet. Examples include baby's breath, poms, spray roses, and mini carnations. Line flowers, on the other hand, are tall flowers that add height and a "wow" factor to your bouquet. Examples include bells of Ireland, snapdragons, and delphiniums.

Keep adding flowers and greenery until you've achieved your desired look, remembering to balance the design as you build. If you're happy with your bouquet, it's time to secure it. Cut the stems to the desired length, leaving enough room for a comfortable grip. Then, use floral tape to bind the stems together, followed by a ribbon of your choice. You can either loop the ribbon for a clean, classic look or let it cascade down the side of the bouquet for a more relaxed, garden-style feel.

Don't be afraid to get creative and experiment with different flowers and arrangements. Remember, it's your special day, and your bouquet should reflect your unique style and personality.

Add depth and dimension

Adding depth and dimension to your wedding bouquet is all about creating visual interest and contrast. Here are some tips to achieve that:

Mix Flower Varieties

Combine flowers with different shapes, sizes and petal structures. For instance, pair fluffy blooms like peonies or hydrangeas with spiky flowers like delphiniums or snapdragons. This contrast will create a dynamic and eye-catching effect. You can also incorporate textural elements such as berries, pods or succulents for added depth.

Foliage

Don't underestimate the power of foliage! Incorporating various types of foliage, such as eucalyptus, ferns or dusty miller, adds texture and depth to your bouquet. Experiment with different leaf shapes, sizes and textures to create a lush and dynamic backdrop for your flowers.

Layer and Stack Flowers

Create depth by playing with heights and angles. Place taller blooms towards the back or centre of the arrangement, with shorter blooms towards the front or edges. This technique will give the bouquet a sense of perspective and make it visually engaging.

Incorporate Natural Elements

Bring the outdoors into your bouquet by adding natural elements like branches, twigs or moss. These organic accents will add texture and a sense of authenticity to your bouquet, connecting it to the natural world. Use these elements to frame your floral compositions and enhance their overall impact.

Experiment with Floral Mechanics

Get creative with different floral techniques, such as braiding, weaving or looping flowers and foliage, to create unique textures and shapes. Use floral foam, chicken wire or floral tape to anchor and support your arrangements, allowing you to experiment with different depths and structures.

Secure the bouquet

Once you've assembled your bouquet, you'll need to secure it so that it holds together. Here are some steps to do this:

Finalise your bouquet and secure with wire, tape, and ribbon

Check your bouquet for any gaps or holes and place filler flowers or greenery where they are needed. To hide the stems, you can place a layer of greenery around the outside of your bouquet.

To secure your bouquet, tie the stems with floral wire and then cover about 2 to 4 inches in floral tape, depending on the desired length of your bouquet. Finish up by covering the floral tape in a ribbon of your choice and securing it with pins.

Trim the stems

Trim the stems of your bouquet, leaving a few inches below the ribbon. This step is important to ensure that your flowers look great and are comfortable to hold.

Bundle the stems with green tubing

After trimming your stems, some pieces of wire might be exposed. To protect your hands while you walk down the aisle, encase your stems with floral tubing. This will create a professional finish. Take a piece of floral tubing and insert 2-3 of your stems inside. Keep going until you’ve encased all the stems in your bouquet.

Secure the stems with floral tape

Now, let’s conceal any remaining exposed stems with a layer of green floral tape. Start near where your floral tubing ends, then wrap the stems up to the base of your bouquet, where the flowers and greenery begin to branch out.

Hot glue the ribbon to create a handle

Take a satin ribbon in your choice of colour and hot glue it around the base of your bouquet. This will create a “handle” and give your bouquet a polished finishing touch.

Tie a ribbon around your bouquet

Take 2 ribbons and tie a bow around your bouquet, near the handle. Leave a fair amount of excess to create a flowing, elegant effect. You can experiment with ribbons of different colours, or hot glue accents onto the middle of your bow.

Finishing touches

Now that your bouquet is assembled, it's time to add the finishing touches. This is where you can get creative and make your bouquet truly unique. Here are some ideas to inspire you:

Ribbons and Tape

Add a beautiful ribbon or some floral tape to your bouquet. You can wrap the ribbon around the stems or let it cascade down the side of the bouquet for a more relaxed look. If you're using a shiny ribbon, place the shiny side facing the stems so that the matte side is visible. Leave enough ribbon at the end to tie a knot and create a bow. You can also experiment with different colours and textures of ribbon to add interest and elegance to your bouquet.

Floral Tubing

To protect your hands and create a professional finish, use floral tubing to encase any exposed wires or stray stems. This will also help to keep your bouquet neat and organised. Insert 2-3 stems at a time into the tubing, covering up to about three-quarters of the way up.

Charms and Trinkets

Add a unique element to your bouquet by including a charm or trinket. This could be something vintage or new, and it's a great way to honour a loved one.

Sentimental Colours

Incorporate a sentimental colour into your bouquet, such as your favourite colour or that of your partner's. This is a wonderful way to add a personal touch and make your bouquet even more meaningful.

Birth Flowers

Make your bouquet unique by integrating the bloom associated with your birth month or that of a loved one. This is a lovely way to represent yourself or someone special in your life.

Remember, these are just suggestions, and you can customise your bouquet however you like. Get creative and enjoy the process of making your dream wedding bouquet!

Frequently asked questions