Steph’s Cheers and Jeers received an editorial fee for posting this article.
Are you trying to have beautiful wedding flowers without breaking the bank? Wedding bouquets can easily cost hundreds of dollars. Then, when you factor in all the other flower arrangements you need for your bridal party and venue decorations, it can be very easy to go over budget. Luckily, you can save a lot of money on your wedding flowers by DIYing your own bouquet. You don’t need to have any floral design experience, you just need to have a specific vision for your wedding flowers. Here are six simple steps to help you DIY your wedding own bouquet!
DIY Wedding Bouquet:
1. Choose Your Bouquet Style
First, to have a successful DIY process, you’ll need to nail down your specific bouquet style. There are many different bouquet styles you can choose from, so make sure you take some time to research the options available to you. If you have more of a traditional taste, you might love the look of a round bouquet or posy bouquet. These bouquets are very structured in their shape and created in a tidy, orderly manner. If you have more of a romantic, bohemian style, you might love the look of a cascade bouquet or hand-tied bouquet. These bouquets are generally larger and free-flowing in their shape. They often have a large variety of colors, shapes, and styles of flowers, and aren’t always strictly geometric or symmetrical. If you love a minimalistic look, a nosegay bouquet will be perfect for you. These small bouquets are stunning yet simple and will look beautiful in your wedding photos. Once you’ve decided on your specific bouquet style, you’ll know how many flowers and supplies you need to gather for your DIY process.
Pro tip: If you don’t want to worry about wilting flowers or arranging your fresh flower bouquet last minute, try using affordable wood wedding flowers instead! Wood flowers are affordable, eco-friendly, and highly realistic. These flowers can be personalized to match any color or bouquet style.
2. Find Focal Flowers
When you’re starting your DIY wedding bouquet, make sure you begin by gathering together your focal flowers. These flowers will be the main feature and big stars of your wedding bouquet. Generally, your focal flowers are a bit larger than the other flowers in your bouquet. Some popular examples of focal flowers are roses, peonies, orchids, and hydrangeas. They also often reflect the color that you want to be showcased the most in your wedding flowers. For example, if the main shade of your wedding color scheme is a dusty blush, you could include some large garden roses in this color as your focal flowers. Once you have all your focal flowers gathered together, you’ll be ready to start adding other flowers around them.
3. Add Complimentary Flowers
Next, you’ll add your complimentary flowers to your bouquet. These flowers are generally small to medium-sized and showcase some of the complementary colors of your wedding color scheme. This can add a lovely variety to your bouquet that makes it look more professional. A few popular types of flowers that are usually used as complimentary flowers include ranunculus, rosebuds, anemones, dahlias, tulips, lilac, and more. Once you’ve chosen your complimentary flowers, mix them throughout your bouquet. Make sure that the different colors are spread apart, but in a way that looks natural without being too forced.
4. Fill in With Floral Filler
After you’ve finished adding your flowers, it will be time to fill in the gaps with floral filler. Floral fillers are used to fill in any blank space in your arrangement and add small, delicate details that are pretty and romantic. Depending on the floral filler you use, you can also gain a nice variation of height and color which will help your bouquet to look more natural and free-flowing. There are lots of types of floral filler that can make your bouquet look voluminous and full. A few of the most popular types of floral filler are baby’s breath, sweet pea, stock flowers, wax flowers, heather, bouvardia, delphinium, lily of the valley, snapdragons, and more. You can even use leyland cedar for a natural green look that would be beautiful for a Christmas wedding.
5. Finish with Greenery
With your floral filler in place, you’re almost done with your DIY wedding bouquet, but you can’t forget to add greenery! Greenery adds an elegant, finished look to your bouquet. When you’re working greenery into your arrangement, you generally add a few smaller pieces scattered throughout the bouquet. Then, you frame the bouquet with larger pieces that either define the structured shape of your arrangement or drape down to emphasize its size. If you don’t want the color green to overtake your bouquet, try adding greenery pieces with more muted shades, such as eucalyptus or dusty miller. You can also keep your greenery additions to a minimum. There are many popular types of greenery including ruscus, ivy, dusty miller, eucalyptus, silver dollar eucalyptus, willow leaf, leather leaf fern, and more. No matter what your particular floral style is, you’ll be able to find greenery to match!
6. Don’t Forget the Finishing Touches!
Now your bouquet is nearly finished. First, make sure you keep all your flowers and greenery in place by securing the bouquet with floral tape, wire, and/or sturdy rubber bands. You can give your bouquet a shake to ensure that all floral pieces are secure and none are at risk of falling out. Then it is time to add the pretty finishing touches to your bouquet. If you are making a more traditional bouquet, you might want to wrap the bouquet stems with ribbon and secure them with some pretty pearl pins. If you’re making a rustic bouquet, try wrapping the stems with some burlap and tying it off with a length of lace. If your bouquet is more bohemian and natural, simply tie some long, raw-edged silk ribbons to the bouquet for the perfect romantic look. Now your beautiful bouquet is finished and ready for your wedding day!
So, if you’re trying to save some money and still want beautiful wedding flowers, remember these easy steps to make a DIY wedding bouquet! One of the additional perks of arranging your own wedding bouquet is that you can make environmentally-friendly choices. You can shop from local flower farms to purchase your flowers that are currently in season, which is eco-friendly and budget-friendly! This will save you from paying for overpriced, out-of-season flowers that are shipped from different parts of the country (or world). Remember, when you DIY your own wedding bouquet, you’ll end up with flowers that are perfect for you and your wallet.
Good luck and happy crafting!