So, you're planning your wedding and it's time to design your bouquet. There is no reason you can't create your own. Making that bouquet out of fake flowers will make it even better. Don't be dopey on your wedding day from antihistamines and don't make your bridegroom say "achoo", when he's supposed to say "I do". Have a bouquet that will be beautiful forever. Make your bridal bouquet out of fake flowers.
Instructions
1. First of all, you need to know what you want your bouquet to look like. Look at professional bouquets and see which ones you like. Do you prefer the ones that only have one type of flower, or the ones that have a variety? Which colors do you like the best? Do you want flowers that are all the same color and look unified or do you want something looser like having a bunch of colors? These preferences should have an influence on your bouquet.
2. What type of wedding you are going to have is important too. If the style is formal, you'll want elegant and dressy flowers. If casual, you'll want a more wildflower look. A single flower looks lovely and sweet. A mixed bouquet looks pretty. A bouquet of all the same kind of flower really stands out.
3. The flowers you have in the bouquet should be thought about carefully. Think about what flowers are your favorites. Do you prefer a single Calla Lily or a bunch of Tiger Lilies? Dahlias, Carnations, Forsythia, Sunflowers, Peonies, Freesias, Chrysanthemums, and of course roses normally look more elegant but can be casual in a mixed bouquet. Daisies, Bluebells, Buttercups, Snowdrops, or Bachelor's Buttons make a nice country wildflower look. You don't even have to wait for spring to have Tulips, Daffodils or Hibiscus since you can easily get fake flowers any time of year. Whatever flowers you pick should match you and the theme of your wedding and be something you love.
4. Some flowers come in only one color (although since they're fake, you could just dye them-purple snowdrops anyone?) but many flowers come in several colors. If you have wedding colors already you may want to match them. Or pick a color that really looks good on you. The flowers should accent your beauty after all. A bouquet of different flowers all in shades of one color may look nice and set off your eyes.
5. Next, decide if you want greenery in your bouquet and what type. One common yet nice touch is to put a couple of pieces of Trailing Ivy along the bottom edge so that it drapes down. Leaves of all shapes and sizes can set off your bouquet. I've even seen fake orange leaves used effectively.
6. Then decide if you need any filler. Any small, delicate flowers such as Baby's Breath can work. Remember that the purpose of filler is to set off the shape and color of the main flowers and don't overwhelm the bouquet with it.
7. After you decide what you want your bouquet to look like you need to visit a few crafts shops. See if the stores have what you're looking for. There are some really good fake flowers out there, don't settle for fakey-looking ones. It may take going through the flowers at several stores before you some flowers that look "right" but this is something where you shouldn't settle. No matter if you design the bouquet to look great, it won't matter if you don't get good fake flowers.
8. Instead of craft stores, another source of fake flowers can be an artificial flower wholesaler. If you want to do all the bouquets, or even the entire church in fake flowers, this can be a good choice. You can get a bulk discount that way and often they will have a big variety to choose from. Some locations won't have this option but often large cities have at least a couple of wholesalers. Look them up in the yellow pages or ask around until you find them.
9. Since the flowers are fake you can get them whenever you're ready. Just think, you're bouquet will be one thing that doesn't have to be done at the last minute. Purchase the flowers you need as well as either florist tape or wire. Tape may be easier to use on the fake flower stems, but wire will be less visible. Since the stems on fake flowers are often ugly, you may want to just cover the stems with ribbon or a swatch of fabric. If you're covering up the stems anyway, you might as well use the tape.
10. Set the flowers out on a table in front of you. Separate each type into a different pile and make sure they aren't tangled together. Pull off a few lengths of florist tape/wire and set it aside so that it's ready when you need it.
11. If making a bouquet of all the same type of flowers, your bouquet is fairly simple to make. Lay the flowers one by one into a single pile, making sure each of the flowers are even and level with the others. When all of them are in the pile quickly scoop them up and into a bouquet shape. Pull up or push down any flowers until they are all even. Then wrap a piece of tape or wire around the bouquet until it is secured.
12. If using multiple kinds of flowers to make your bouquet, you'll need to create your bouquet a little differently. Start with your filler material if any. Gather your baby's breath or whatever you're using into a bouquet shape. Add secondary flowers one by one, trying to space them evenly throughout the filler. If not using any filler, gather all the secondary flowers into one bunch and then add the primary or staring flowers. Try to space everything evenly throughout the bouquet as well as making sure they all stay at the same level. If any flowers are sticking up, push them down. If any are pushed down too far, pull them up. When all the flowers have been added and the bouquet is even add the greenery a piece at a time. Then wrap the stems with pieces of tape or wire until secured.
13. Wrap the bouquet stems really well with the wire/tape, probably more than you think is necessary. You want the flowers to stay together and not move away from their position and when you throw the bouquet you don't want it to come apart.
14. Criss cross the ribbons back and forth over the fabric to make a nice firm place to hold, to a length of at least three inches. Wrap the ribbons further down if that doesn't look like enough. If you run out of ribbon you can make a small knot in it to another length and cover that up with the next loop around the stems. Even if you don't use the fabric, you will probably want to wrap the stems in pretty dangling ribbons. After you wrap the stems with the ribbon you might want to add a couple of ribbons of the same color but different thickness. Criss cross them around the wrapped stems and then when you get to the base you can make a bow with all of the ribbons or just tie them off so that they don't undo. Leave several dangling ribbons hanging from the end or snip them off for a cleaner look.
15. If wanted trim off any too long stems with a pair of good sharp scissors after the bouquet is put together to avoid having it mess up the shape of the bouquet. You may not want to trim the ends at all though since it will make them sharp. Sanding the rough edges off if you do cut can help but will take a bit of work. If you have a length of fabric covering the ends the long stems won't be visible and won't need to be cut.
16. To make the bouquet more special, you can also add scent to it. A couple of drops of essential oil extract in a scent of your choosing placed on the flowers can really make the bouquet smell great. Start cautiously though, a little goes a long way and make sure you aren't allergic to whichever scent you choose. Choose the scent based on how the smell makes you feel-the smell of lavender will be relaxing and mint will be exciting, or match the flowers you have in your bouquet. It's a good idea to match the scent to the smell of the perfume you'll be wearing to avoid clashing smells or just put some essential oil in your unscented bath products to make your own special scent mix. There are a huge amount of oil extracts out there, definitely a scent for every possible taste. Find one you like.
17.A way to make the bouquet even more special, is to add scent to it. A couple of drops of essential oil extract placed on the flowers can really make the bouquet smell great. Start cautiously though, a little goes a long way and make sure you aren't allergic to whichever scent you choose.
18. Choose the scent based on how the smell makes you feel-the smell of lavender will be relaxing and mint will be exciting, or match the flowers you have in your bouquet. It's a good idea to match the scent to the smell of the perfume you'll be wearing to avoid clashing smells or just put some essential oil in your unscented bath products to make your own special scent mix. There are a huge amount of oil extracts out there, definitely a scent for every possible taste. Find one you like.
Tags: your bouquet, fake flowers, flowers have, make bouquet, stems with, tape wire, bouquet even