The Essentials For Creating A Wedding Bouquet

Making your own wedding bouquet can be a fun and creative way to express yourself on your big day. It can also be a great way to save money, as the cost of a professionally crafted bouquet often includes a significant amount for labour. While making your own bouquet may sound intimidating, it is not as challenging as it seems and can be done with simple materials and a few steps. Here are the basic things you will need to make a wedding bouquet:

- Flowers: Pick 1-2 focal flowers, 1-2 fillers, and some greens. Choose flowers that complement your wedding dress and colour palette.

- Tools: You will need a sharp pair of floral snips or scissors for trimming, floral tape or stem wrap to secure the flowers together, and a ribbon for the bouquet wrap. You can also use corsage pins or a hot glue gun for extra security.

- Time and Team: Making a bouquet takes time and practice, so be sure to do a trial run beforehand. You may also want to enlist the help of loved ones to gather and arrange the flowers.

What Do I Need to Make a Wedding Bouquet?

Tools and materials: Floral scissors, stem wrap, ribbon, and a bucket of water

Floral scissors are an essential tool when making a wedding bouquet. They are designed with ridges that will cut through flower stems without crushing them. Using ordinary kitchen scissors can damage the stems, shortening the life of the flowers and their ability to draw up water.

Stem wrap is another crucial material. It is used to secure the flowers together in your bouquet. You can use floral tape or floral wire for this purpose. The wire is wrapped around the stems and then covered with tape.

Ribbon is used to cover the floral tape and add a finishing touch to your bouquet. You can use an opaque ribbon to hide any glue that may be used to secure the ribbon in place. Sheer ribbons can be reserved for tying a bow.

Finally, a bucket of water is needed to keep the flowers hydrated as you work. Before you begin constructing your bouquet, remove all the leaves from the floral stems and the bottom halves of the greenery stems. Cut the stems at a 45-degree angle and place them in the water.

Choosing flowers: Pick 1-2 focal flowers, 1-2 fillers, and some greenery

Choosing flowers for your wedding bouquet is an important part of the planning process. It can be a complex task, but here are some tips to help you get started:

Picking the Right Flowers

• Select 1-2 focal flowers: These are the main flowers in your bouquet and will be the most prominent. Traditional options include cream Vendela roses and white spray roses.
• Choose 1-2 fillers: Fillers create interest and fill the spaces between the larger focal flowers. Examples include wax flowers and hypericum berries.
• Add some greenery: Greenery adds a finished look to your bouquet. Baby blue eucalyptus is a good choice.

Other Considerations

When choosing your flowers, it's also important to keep in mind the following:

• Seasonality: Opting for in-season flowers can save you money. For example, peonies are perfect for a summer wedding but will be more expensive at other times of the year.
• Venue and theme: Choose flowers that complement your venue and wedding theme. For instance, a wildflower bouquet would suit a rustic outdoor wedding, while a white orchid centerpiece would be better suited to a hotel or ballroom setting.
• Colour scheme: Your flowers don't have to match your colour scheme exactly, but they should complement it. You can also use flowers to add a pop of colour or create a particular mood.
• Budget: Flowers can be expensive, so it's important to set a budget and choose flowers that fit within it.
• Dress: Pick a bouquet that complements your wedding dress. Consider the size and style of the dress, as well as any floral patterns or designs.

Timing: Make the bouquet the day before the wedding

Timing is crucial when making your own wedding bouquet. It's best to make the bouquet the day before the wedding to ensure the blooms are at their best on your big day. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you plan and create your bouquet:

Sourcing Flowers and Materials: 2 Days Before the Wedding

Before you start crafting your bouquet, you need to source your flowers and gather the necessary materials. If your wedding is on a Saturday, consider sourcing your flowers on Thursday. This gives you time to select the freshest blooms and ensure they are in good condition.

Creating the Bouquet: 1 Day Before the Wedding

On Friday, you'll be assembling your bouquet. Start by preparing the flowers and greenery. Remove any leaves from the floral stems and snip the bottom of each stem at a 45-degree angle. Keep the stems in a bucket of water as you work to keep them hydrated.

When you're ready, begin building the shape of your bouquet. Start with a base of focal flowers and fillers, and then add larger flowers before moving on to smaller blooms and greenery. Stand in front of a mirror as you work, so you can see exactly what your bouquet will look like from the front.

Once you're happy with your arrangement, secure the stems with a rubber band and then floral tape. Finish it off with a beautiful ribbon, looping it around the stems for a classic look or letting it cascade down for a more relaxed, garden-style feel.

Final Touches: The Day of the Wedding

On the day of the wedding, add any final touches to your bouquet, such as a ribbon or any sentimental charms or accents you may want to include. Keep the bouquet fresh and hydrated, and store it in a cool place until it's time to walk down the aisle!

Making your own wedding bouquet can be a fun and creative experience, and it's a wonderful way to express your style and personality. Enjoy the process, and don't stress too much over the small details—flowers are very resilient!

Assembly: Build the shape and framework, adding in larger flowers first

To make a wedding bouquet, you'll need to assemble the bouquet by building its shape and framework, adding in the larger flowers first.

Start by creating a base for your bouquet by combining focal flowers and fillers in a round shape. You can use floral tape to secure each layer of your bouquet. Then, add in your focal flowers, fillers, and greens in an even rotation around the base. Continue to build on the bouquet in sections, securing each section with floral tape.

When adding in your focal flowers, it's important to choose flowers that will be the centre of attention within your bouquet. You can use a light pink peony or an avalanche rose as your focal flower, holding it with your fingers near the blossom end. Add the next flower at an angle to the left, but at the same height as the focal flower.

As you continue to add flowers, rotate the bouquet a quarter-turn to the right each time, positioning it for the next flower to be added diagonally and angled to the left. You can add some lisianthus to bring a hint of colour to the bouquet.

Once you have the bulk of your bouquet ready, you can insert some filler flowers between the larger flowers. Filler flowers are usually smaller, green flowers that give a natural look to the bouquet. Ensure that you insert all the filler flowers at the same angle to maintain symmetry.

Finishing touches: Secure the bouquet with tape and ribbon, adding any charms or sentimental colours

Finishing Touches

You've sourced your flowers, prepped and arranged them, and now you're ready for the final step: securing your bouquet with tape and ribbon and adding any charms or sentimental colours.

Secure the Bouquet

Use floral tape to secure the stems of your bouquet. You can find this tape in most gardening stores or online. Wrap the tape from the top of the stems downwards, being careful to not wrap all the way to the bottom. This will ensure the flowers are held firmly in place while maintaining their natural look.

Add Ribbon

Add a ribbon of your choice in your desired colour. You can use a satin ribbon or a sheer ribbon, depending on your preference. If your ribbon has different sides, place the shiny side facing the stems so that the matte side is visible. Wrap the ribbon around the stems, leaving some spare at the end. You can then tie a bow to finish it off.

Charms and Sentimental Colours

You can add any number of charms, trinkets, or other sentimental items to your bouquet. This could be something vintage or new, or a way to honour a loved one. You can also incorporate a sentimental colour, such as your favourite colour or that of your partner's, to add a meaningful touch to your bouquet.

Frequently asked questions