How to DIY the Ultimate Bridal Bouquet in 5 Simple Steps

It's fair to say that weddings are expensive. Whether you decide to buy or rent all the different attributes that make your wedding day and venue everything you ever wanted, there’s no way to avoid the costs that come with it. However, there are some ways to cut down the costs that are simply unnecessary – such as the cost of your bridal bouquets. Although many rely on a professional to put together their bouquets, the financial perks of DIY are often overlooked.
Yes, DIY isn’t for everyone. However, it could be something you never knew you had a talent for! It’s found that the average cost of a wedding florist in the UK ranges between £150 to £600 – a rather hefty amount to spend on flowers. By opting to create and design your own bridal bouquets, it could see you save substantial amounts on the little things that add the extra finishing touch to your big day.
With this in mind, here with Lake District Country Hotels, who provide wedding venues in Cumbria, we put together a step-by-step guide on how to DIY the ultimate bridal bouquet that could see you save greatly on your budget.
A checklist of what you will need
To help stay organised, it’s best to buy all the products and materials you need first before putting together your bouquets. With this said, you will need:
• String or raffia
• Water
• Scissors
• Tissue paper
• Ribbons, lace, or floral tape
• As many flowers as you desire (recommended amount: 12 to 24)
Let’s begin!
Step 1: shop and prepare your flowers
It’s often thought that when choosing where to supply your flowers from, your loyalties can only lie in one florist. But this isn’t true. Be bold with your options, and don’t be afraid to mix and match blooms from an array of suppliers.
With this said, the first step in the DIY bouquet process is to buy your flowers – usually a few days before the wedding so they are fresh. Although depending on what season it is and how tight the buds are, buying them a week in advance and making sure they are given enough water before you start making your bouquet will ensure that they have blossomed in time for your big day.
Now, let the DIY work begin! After buying your flowers, lay them all flat onto the tissue paper so that the blooms are protected from being damaged by hard surfaces.
Next, remove all buds, leaves, or anything else from the flowers that are below where the stems will be tied together. If you have included roses as part of your bouquet, make sure to de-thorn them so they’re comfortable to carry.
Now, your flowers should be ready to go.
Step 2: begin forming your bouquet base
Decide out of all the flowers you have picked for the bouquets which four are your favourite. Then bunch all the stems together and tie with string. It’s important to leave around four to five inches of the stems exposed at the bottom.
Step 3: add more flowers to your base
By now, your bouquet is beginning to form. The next step is to add more flowers of your choosing to around the four main central flowers. Remember – less is more, so try not to go overboard!
Many choose to use sprigs for their bouquets, to add a splash of green to their bunch. If you’re feeling extra creative, when placing your flowers together, position them at a diagonal so that you form a crafty spiral effect for the finishing piece.
As you add more flowers to the bunch, make sure to wrap them continuously with ribbon or floral tape (whichever you have chosen to use), so that the bouquet holds together strongly.
Step 4: leave your bouquet overnight
Once you’re happy with your bouquet and all the flowers are nicely presented and tied together, you need to store them overnight in preparation for the big day.
Firstly, place the bouquet in water overnight, ensuring the water level covers most of the stem length. It’s important you consider the temperature of the room too. So, by leaving them in the likes of a garage during the night, away from sunlight, will keep them in a cool environment.
Step 5: add the finishing touches
As your big day commences, it’s time to add the final finishing touches to your bouquet!
Firstly, dry the stems that will be used as the handle of the bouquet. Then using a ribbon, fabric, lace, or whatever material you think will make a beautifully presented bouquet with, tightly wrap it around the handle of the bouquet. Remember to cover all string or tape you don’t want on display using the wrapping.
Once the ribbon is secured nicely, touch up on the stems by cutting them to be the same length at the bottom of the bouquet.

And there you have it – a home-made, beautifully-presented bouquet that has saved you a huge sum of your budget. These five simple steps are not only easy to follow, even for those that aren’t DIY geniuses, but they aren’t significantly time-consuming either. Get creative with your bouquet and save money while doing it!

Sources
https://www.hitched.co.uk/wedding-planning/flowers/how-to-make-a-wedding... https://apracticalwedding.com/how-to-make-a-wedding-bouquet/
https://www.lakedistrictcountryhotels.co.uk/