When you’re buying a wedding bouquet, you can turn to experts for help, but be prepared to spend quite a bit for their services. Alternatively, with some time and effort, making a DIY wedding bouquet is pretty straightforward. By doing it yourself, you can create a custom design and save a lot of money.
If you’re unsure about where to start, we’ve got some easy bridal bouquet ideas and tips to guide you. But before diving into the designs, there are a few important things to know about caring and arranging flowers to keep them fresh.
First, let’s talk about keeping flowers looking fresh and beautiful. You’ll want top-quality flowers, and seasonal blooms are usually the freshest and most affordable. It’s wise to order your flowers from a florist at least two months in advance and get a bit more than you need—about 15-20% more—to account for any damaged ones.
When you receive your flowers, re-cut the stems with a sharp tool and place them in a bucket of room temperature water. Store them in a cool, dark place for a day or two before you start arranging them. Check each flower for quality and only pick the best for your DIY bouquet.
Now, let’s choose the type of bouquet. A romantic bouquet is a lovely option for weddings. Red roses make a stunning centerpiece, and you can add hydrangeas and ranunculus to enhance its beauty. If you want something unique, a wildflower bouquet with sunflowers, veronicas, zinnias, and thistles can add an outdoor touch. For an organic look, consider a garden flower bouquet with a mix of peonies, carnations, lisianthus, and some greenery like eucalyptus leaves. You can always add extra flair with decorative items like colorful ribbons, buttons, or satin bows.
Before you begin making your bouquet, do some research and get a basic idea of different bouquet styles. Gather your materials: the flowers you chose, a bucket for them, good scissors or shears, floral tape, floral pins, and decorative items like ribbons.
Find a spacious workspace, like a kitchen counter or a shaded outdoor area. Then, follow these steps to create your bouquet:
1. Remove the foliage from the flowers and thorns from the roses. Cut all the stems to the same length.
2. Visualize your bouquet and pick a focus flower color. Use 3-4 flowers to form the base and wrap them with floral tape, leaving about 3-4 inches of stem at the bottom.
3. Based on your vision, add flowers around the base evenly. There’s no strict rule on the number of flowers, but avoid making it too large or overwhelming. Mix colors and types of flowers for a fresh look, and secure them with tape.
4. Wrap the base with ribbons to cover the tape, pinning them securely and leaving some stem exposed as you prefer. Add any extra decorations you like.
And there you have it—your DIY wedding bouquet is ready to add a pop of color to your special day!
