Have you decided to make your wedding bouquet and are wondering how to do it? Or did you offer to make a bride’s bouquet and now realize it’s harder than you thought? Perhaps you are toying with the idea of making bouquets and don’t know where to start? Whatever the reason that brought you here is, we have the solution for you!
For many of us, weddings are expensive, and we try to cut down on costs wherever possible. And flowers are an excellent place to make the cuts. They are an expensive part of any wedding and if you can, making your bouquet is a fantastic place to save money! But how do you make a wedding bouquet?
It’s a question that keeps many of us awake at night, racked with fear that our big day will be brought down by a mess of flowers in the bride’s hands. We worry that the bouquets will fall apart, look lifeless, and be the first mark on the wall for divorce.
Well, no more! Today we are here with an easy step-by-step guide for you to follow to help you make the perfect wedding bouquet! Just keep reading for all the answers that you need.
How To Make A Wedding Bouquet?
Let’s get straight into it! To make your wedding bouquet, you will need the following items. Once you have these, you can continue with our seven steps to make a wedding bouquet!
You will need
- Scissors or secateurs
- String or raffia
- An old spray top bottle with water
- 12-24 flower and foliage stems of choice
- Decorative lace, fabric, or ribbon for the handle
- A mirror to work in front of
- A clean tea towel
- Tissue paper to work on
Once you have these items, you can begin making your wedding bouquet! Below are seven steps you can follow to create the bouquet with ease. If you do run into difficulty, be sure to check out the wealth of tutorials online or see if you can find some free floral arrangement classes in your area.
Choose your Flowers
No bouquet is complete without flowers! If it’s your bouquet, consider the flowers you would like at your wedding, and if they fit the color scheme, you have already decided on. If you are making the bouquet for someone else, ask the kind of colors and flowers that they would like in their bouquet.
Consider the season the wedding is in and choose flowers that will complement the season, for example, oranges and yellows in the autumn. Purchase the flowers a couple of days before the wedding to ensure they bloom and look beautiful on the big day! For those that take longer to bloom, like freesias or lilies, purchase these in bud up to a week before the big day.
The temperature will also determine how quickly the flowers open, so be sure to keep them in a colder area until the time comes to assemble them! Also, give them a good drink before working with them for best results. You can always speak to a florist for further advice if you are unsure.
Prepare the flowers
Once you have your flowers, it’s time to begin! Place your materials on a table or worktop for each access. Pop the stems directly onto tissue paper to protect the blooms from any bruising.
Strip all leaves, shoots, and buds that will be below the point you tie the stems together. This gives you a clean handle to hold that will be comfortable too! Remember you are working one-handed, as your bouquet will be held constantly in the other hand. Keep your writing hand free to make the work easier for yourself.
It’s also a good idea to have a mirror set up in front of you. You can see the front of the bouquet easily then as you work, seeing what others will view on the big day!
Select your focal flower
Begin with the main flower you want and use it at the center. Tie string or raffia to the stem at the point it becomes the base of the bouquet and the top of the handle. You can then add foliage stems around this center, bloom and bind with the string or raffia.
Add more flowers
Once you have the center flowers, work around them and start building your bouquet! It can be helpful to have a picture in front of you for inspiration if you are after a specific look.
Add flowers and foliage sprigs to the bouquet, placing each new stem into the bouquet at a diagonal angle. Be sure to bind as you go to secure the stems into position. You will want to add these stems in the same direction to create a spiral effect.
Keep a tight grip on the bouquet and twist it round in your hand to make it easier to add more flowers. Continue doing so until you have used all your materials and are happy with the bouquet!
Store them overnight
Once the flowers are added, and the bouquet is tied, it’s time to store them overnight! You can make the handle look pretty in the morning if you wish as it isn’t a time-consuming task.
To store your flowers, place them in deep water overnight so that they can drink plenty. You will want them in a cool place like a garage without any draughts. You will want to keep them out of direct sunlight too, and away from ripening fruit!
Avoid placing them in a refrigerator as it can be too cold and cause them to wilt! Ensure that the area is frost-free, too, for best results.
Decorate the handle
The next morning, finish off your bouquet. Before changing into your wedding dress or outfit, we recommend doing this to avoid colors rubbing off on the fabric! To start, dry the stems that will form the handle using a clean cloth.
Next, attach and wind ribbon, lace, or spare dress fabric around the stem. It will form a comfortable and stylish handle to the bouquet and cover the string used to bind the flowers. Secure the ribbon or fabric with pearl or diamante pins (you can get these at a reasonable price in most craft stores).
Spritz it with some freshwater to finish your bouquet, and place a sheet of damp tissue paper over it. This will protect the bouquet and keep it fresh until it’s time to walk down the aisle!
Cut the ends of the stems.
To finish your bouquet, cut the ends of the stems. This will neaten up and finish the base of your bouquet. Ideally, you want them all to be the same length, but you can opt for differing lengths if you want a rustic feel.
Cut the length of the bouquet handle and stems to reveal as much or as little stem as you wish. If you carry the bouquet as an arm spray, keep the stems a little longer to offer comfort and better balance.
Final word
And just like that, we have come to the end of our bouquet journey today! As you can see, making a wedding bouquet isn’t as stressful as you first thought! Taking the time to prepare your flowers and materials and following the steps closely is the best way to ensure perfect results.
Don’t be afraid to speak to a florist if you have any questions or want further advice; after all, these are the professionals and are often happy to help! There are also plenty of tutorials for you to make use of online, and before you know it, your wedding bouquet will be stealing the show at the wedding!
