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How to Make Your Own Wedding Bouquet
Shocked by the prices some florists will charge for a bunch of flowers? Don't be a pansy - give floristry a go yourself and save yourself a heap of money in the process. Here's 4Beauty's guide to making your own wedding bouquet.
1. Do Your Homework
Ask around at florists or search on the internet for the type of flower you would like. Lisianthus, roses and hydrangeas are all easy to work with because of their head shape and structure. The best bouquet flowers will have strong stems and be longlasting - some, like gypsophilia, may be very pretty but too fragile.
2. Choose Seasonal Flowers
Seasonal flowers will cost a lot less than any flowers out of season. Foliage like ivy and holly can often be found growing wild - but if you decide to pick wild flowers, be aware that many are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981 so do your research first.
3. Find a Good Wholesalers
You might have to get up at 4am the day before the wedding to go to the nearest wholesale flower market but you'll be thankful when you're dancing away to the band you wanted at your beautiful reception.
4. Be Realistic
Stick to simple hand-tied bouquets rather than aiming for more structured 'sprays' or cascading bouquets. They're really pretty - especially for English garden or country weddings - and a lot less heavy to carry around all day. Even city or more formal weddings can benefit from cheap chic - try dark red calla lillies tied together in a long stem bouquet with satin ribbon.
5. Tie
When it comes to binding the bouquet, hold the stem of the first flowers in the palm of your hand at about 45 degrees and rotate each time as you add a new stem. Spiralling the flowers will give a domed effect to your bouquet. Visit Videojug for a demonstration of how to tie a bouquet.
6. Prepare the Flowers
Strip any leaves from the bottom half of the bouquet and soak the stems in water overnight to prepare them, somewhere cool and away from direct sunlight. Remove any sagging petals and thorns before you add to the bouquet.
7. Use String
Use garden string and sticky floristry tape to bind your bouquet and then wrap a hosta leaf (hosta is a lily-like plant with big thick green leaves) around the string and stem and hold in place with a pretty pearl-headed pin.
8. Buttonholes
If you're also making buttonholes, be aware that those flowers will need to be wired and taped up - try this video on how to make a floral buttonhole. Buttonholes should be kept in the fridge, but make sure there is no fruit in the fridge because the flowers will perish.
The UK School of Floristry offers floristry courses and workshops at all levels.
Photography by Sarah and Simon
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