Want to make your own bridal bouquet? No problem. You don’t have to be a florist to achieve a beautiful result. We explain step by step how you can make a beautiful bouquet for your wedding. With our instructions you will definitely succeed!
How can you make your own bridal bouquet?
Tying a bridal bouquet yourself is not that difficult. All you need is:
- A selection of flowers
- Binding greenery
- A sharp pair of garden shears or a knife
- Binding wire
- Bows or tulle for decoration
- Possibly decorations
It is important that you use garden shears or a sharp knife to cut the flowers later. The wide cutting surface of kitchen scissors crushes the stems of the flowers, making it harder for them to absorb water and causing them to wilt sooner.
Tip: We also recommend you do at least one test run in advance. Tying flowers is not difficult, but it may take a while before you are satisfied with the result. It’s a good idea to take photos of your test masterpiece so you’ll definitely remember what you liked next time.
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How to tie the bouquet yourself
Before you can start tying the bouquet, you need to make some decisions. Which flowers to use? What style of bouquet will be used? How should the bouquet be decorated? You can find inspiration, for example, on Pinterest or in your favorite flower store.
Step 1: Choose style
Bridal bouquets come in different shapes:
The most classic form of bridal bouquet is the Biedermeier bouquet. Just like the eponymous artistic period in the first half of the 19th century, it is elegant and well decorated, but handy and small. Thanks to its round shape, it fits any dress and can be elegantly decorated. The stems provide plenty of space for decoration. Ribbons, beads, small stones or long ribbons can be used here.
Waterfall: An alternative is the drop or waterfall bouquet. Instead of being spherical like the Biedermeier bouquet, it is more reminiscent of a waterfall. Flowers and greenery form a flowing progression, and vines or grasses are often used to create a dripping effect. The waterfall bridal bouquet’s flowing look makes it ideal for pairing with flowing, long wedding dresses.
Scepter: The scepter bouquet is a simple but elegant alternative and ideal if you are looking for a fancy bouquet. Here, a few large-headed flowers are usually tied together to create a long style with a rounded head, just like a scepter. Callas, large roses or orchids work well for this bouquet style.
Step 2: Determine the size of the bouquet
Next, you need to determine the size of the bouquet. It is advisable to leave the stems as long as possible to give as much room as possible for decoration and for carrying the bouquet. It is also important how lush the head of the bouquet should be. Overly lush bouquets can easily look cluttered on small, petite brides, so for that reason alone it’s a good idea to give the bouquet a try.
Step 3: Flower selection
In any case, you should find out early on whether your desired flowers will be available at the appropriate time of year. Some types of flowers are only available at certain times of the year or become insanely expensive out of season. For your bouquet, you should decide on a good mix of blooming flowers and greenery. For example, ivy, eucalyptus, or delicate grasses work well to fill out the bouquet.
Spring: tulips, daffodils, peonies, anemones, ranunculus, hyacinths.
Summer: lily, gardiola, dalia, lavender, wood anemone
Autumn: marigold, rosehip, foxtail millet, autumn aster
Winter: Christmas rose, winter snowball, poinsettia, eucalyptus.
Read more: Bridal bouquet suitable for the season
Step 4: The cutting
To prepare the flowers for tying, you should cut them. The cutting area will allow your flowers to absorb water later and keep them fresh. So you want to cut them as diagonally as possible to create as large a receptive area as possible. All flowers should get a fresh bleed before they are tied and put back in the water. But be careful: the cut area can dry out quickly. If you take too long, when in doubt, better cut again or leave the waiting flowers in the water.
Step 5: Tying
Once you have arranged your bouquet the way you want it to look later, it’s time to tie it. No matter what shape you choose, always aim for a round head shape of the bouquet. Longer flowers should be in the center, shorter, bushier flowers on the outside. Remember to tie the bouquet tightly enough so that you can toss it later without breaking it.
With the binding wire, you should tie off the stems several times to keep them secure and to keep the bouquet from moving around. Because the wire doesn’t look so nice, you can wrap the place with a nice ribbon or tulle afterwards and add more decorations.
Care of your bridal bouquet
You should place the finished bridal bouquet in water. Since the bouquet can only absorb water through the interface anyway, you do not need to fill the vase completely. The bouquet should be kept in a cool place and in any case away from fruit bowls. Bananas, apples or kiwis produce ethylene gas when ripening, which makes the flowers wilt faster.