A romantic bridal bouquet - Part 1 - Designing and preparing the bouquet

Designing & Preparing the Bouquet

The bridal bouquet is such a special element of a wedding floral scheme - it's carried by the bride for most of the day and sets the tone for all the other floral displays. There can be a lot of pressure for it to be perfect, so it's well worth spending time planning and getting the design absolutely right.

Requirements of a Bouquet

• It should feel really special and personal to the bride. They will often have lots of inspirational images of how they want it to look, and these are a great starting point.
• The bride will carry the bouquet for a large portion of the day, so it's really important that it lasts well and you select flowers for their longevity out of water.
• It should coordinate with the other floral displays around the venue.

Designing and Preparing the Bouquet

Step 1

Establish what size and shape the bride would like her bouquet to be.

Step 2

Work out which colours you will use; this will help you to whittle down your choice of flowers.

Step 3

Ascertain what flowers are in season at the time of the wedding, as these will last much better than flowers that aren't in season.

Step 4

Decide on your chosen flowers based on your colour palette and the seasonality, and order double the quantity you require - this ensures that you have enough to be able to pick the perfect example of each flower to include and accounts for any damages in transit.

Step 5

Condition and prepare each stem.

• Remove any unwanted leaves and thorns, as well as buds or flower heads that aren't looking their best or will hinder the overall look of the hand-tied bouquet.
• You ideally want long and straight stems, and flowers that are on the smaller side, as large flowers can dominate too much.
• I think odd numbers of stems look best, so prepare the right amount.
• Save any lovely cuttings from your stems for corsages or bud vase arrangements.

Spring Recipe:

• Narcissus
• Hellebores
• Tulips Solomon Seal
• Muscari
• Blossom branches (e.g. Cherry or Apple)
• Spirea
• Ranunculus

Autumn Recipe:

• Dahlia
• Japanese Anemone
• Zinnia
• Scented pelargonium leaf
• Hydrangeas
• Phlox
• Roses
• Ammi Majus
• Cosmos
• Seeded eucalyptus

Flowers That Last Well

• Peony
• Scabiousa
• Lisianthus
• Ranunculus
• Dahlias
• Cosmos

Flowers to Avoid

• Astrantia
• Lilies (their pollen can stain bridal outfits)
• Flowers prone to wilting quickly without water, such as delicate poppies or bluebells.