If you are planning to make a bridal bouquet and are searching for some helpful hints these 4 quick steps will be very useful. Be sure to stick to hardier flowers with big heads such as roses and carnations. Follow the same steps to make smaller versions for your bridesmaids; simply scale back the number of flowers. When the bouquet is complete, wrap the handle in ribbon in a coordinating color. Plan to use 30 to 60 stems to make a bridal bouquet about 8 inches in diameter. The bouquet takes about 30 to 60 minutes to construct. It is best make the bouquet the morning of the wedding. Once the bouquet is constructed, keep the bare stems in water as long as you can and mist the heads well; then wrap the stems when you are ready.
First, process the flowers. Use your hands or a stem stripper to remove excess foliage and thorns, and pull off damaged or unattractive outer petals. Fill a sink or a bucket with water, and holding the stems underwater use the stem cutter or knife to cut the stems at an angle about 2 inches from the bottom. Allow the flowers to drink for a few seconds with the stem ends underwater, then place the stems in a bucket filled halfway with cool water until you are ready to use them. If you are working with roses and the heads aren’t open yet, you can force the blooms open by placing the stems in a bucket of hot water; only do this for a couple of minutes just before you are going to use the roses, otherwise you might kill them. Keep the stems long while you work with them; you’ll trim them to a shorter length when you have finish constructing the bouquet.
Step One
Assemble the flowers. Take one stem at a time with one hand, and use your other hand to hold the flowers in place. Assemble four flowers at an even height in a square shape; these will be the ones at the center of the dome. Then arrange the other flowers one by one around the center flowers to create a dome shape. To better see what the bouquet will look like in your hand, stand in front of a
Step Two
Secure the bouquet. Use a rubber band or floral tape to bind the stems at the spot where they naturally join (about 3 to 4 inches below the flower heads). Then repeat the binding toward the end of the stems, leaving about 2 inches of excess stem beneath the bind to trim later. At this point, you can either place the stems in water and wrap them later or continue to step 3.
Step Three
Finish the handle. Cut the stem ends so they are all the same length, about 7 to 8 inches long. Dry off the stems with a paper towel. Cut a length of ribbon about three times as long as the length of the stems. Tuck the end of the ribbons inside the top bind and start wrapping in a spiral down the length of the stem. At the top, tuck the cut end of the ribbon underneath and secure with a couple of pins pushed through the ribbon and into the stems. If you’d like a bow, cut a separate length of ribbon and tie it just beneath the flower heads.
Step Four
The bouquet is finished. Wrap it in tissue and store it in the refrigerator until you are ready to leave for the ceremony.
Bouquets can be simple to make, just a little bit of time and a few accessories and you have your bouquet. Whole Blossoms Wholesale Flowers would love to assist you with any of your floral needs. Go to their website at www.wholeblossoms.com and check out their wide variety of flowers, bouquets, centerpieces, boutonnieres, greens, and much more. There is FREE SHIIPPING on every order, not to mention low prices and flowers that have a vase life of three times longer compared to flowers from you local florist.