How to Make a DIY Wedding Bouquet (2024)

Adding a bouquet to your wedding day ensemble is one of the best ways to make a statement. After all, everyone present will be able to see the beautiful arrangement as you make your way down the aisle. And your bouquet truly can be as unique as you are. But what’s a budget-friendly couple to do if they’re looking for a super affordable bouquet option? If you’re crafty, or even if you’re not terribly hands-on, there’s still a great option for you. Enter: a DIY wedding bouquet.

Meet the Expert

Caroline Eells is the founder and lead designer of Passiflora Studio, a floral design studio based in Marietta, Ohio focused on creating designs using flowers sourced from local farms and the studio’s cutting garden.

While it may sound intimidating to make your own wedding bouquet, it certainly is possible. With simple materials and a few steps, you’ll be able to put together a stunning, custom arrangement to serve as the perfect accessory for your big day.Just follow along below.

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The Benefits of a DIY Bouquet

If it fits your wedding budget, opting to have a floral designer create a gorgeous bouquet is a great option. However, much of the cost from a professionally crafted bouquet comes from the labor involved. Certainly, there’s cost associated with sourcing fresh blooms, but the cost goes up depending on the amount of time spent and the complexity of the design. If you’re able to skip it and do the labor yourself, you’ll definitely be able to shave quite a bit off of the floral budget.

How to Source Flowers for a DIY Bouquet

First thing’s first, decide the type of blooms you want to incorporate into your bouquet. According to Eells, it’s important to start by considering the style of your wedding dress as it will reflect the tone of the entire wedding. Then, think of your color palette. Eells suggests weighing whether you’d prefer complementary colors or if you’d love to integrate contrasting colors to add a bit of drama.

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Determine Your Style

Be sure to also decide if you’re hoping for a classic, tight bouquet or something a bit more whimsical, such as a garden or cascading bouquet. “If you're going for a more modern and simple design, I suggest only using one to three varieties of florals, very little to no greenery, and florals that have a lot of textural interest,” she says.“For more of a garden-style, I suggest five to seven varieties of florals and greenery and flowers with a lot of differenttextural and gestural qualities.”

Source Fresh Blooms

Once you’ve made a game plan to create a gorgeous bouquet, you’ll need to source your flowers. If you have access to a garden, whether your own or a friend or family member’s, Eells suggests first looking at what’s blooming there.If you don’t have access to a budding garden, look at local farms or grocery stores to source the floral varieties you’re hoping for. As a last resort, you can check online to order flowers in bulk.

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How to Prep a DIY Wedding Bouquet

One of the key considerations of making your own wedding bouquet is timing. “I like to make the bouquet the day before the wedding,” says Eells. If a wedding is on Saturday, she typically sources her flowers on Thursday, creates the bouquet on Friday, and then adds the ribbon on the wedding day to finish it off. “For yourweddingday, you want the blooms to be at their best,” she adds.

Materials for a DIY Wedding Bouquet

Once you have your blooms selected, you’ll need a few other tools for a stunning bouquet. Be sure you have the following on hand to be set up for success:

  • A bucket with water
  • A sharp pair of floral snips for trimming
  • Rubber bands
  • A beautiful ribbon or floral tape

Flower Preparation

Before you dive in on constructing a bouquet, you’ll want to make sure the flower stems and greenery are prepped and ready. First, strip all of the leaves off of the floral stems. Then, for each stem of greenery, remove the leaves from the bottom halves. Snip each individual stem at a 45-degree angle and keep the stems in a bucket of water while assembling.

Be sure to consider your current climate and the flower's natural habitat. If temperatures are soaring or you're using tropical blooms during a dry spell, research the best way to keep them vibrant until and through the big day.

How to Assemble a Bouquet

How to Make a DIY Wedding Bouquet (1)

Once all stems and greenery are prepped, you’re ready to assemble the bouquet. Start by building the shape and framework of your bouquet first, thinking about dimension along the way. Eells suggests standing in front of a mirror while you assemble the bouquet so you’ll be able to know exactly what it looks like in the front.

As you put together stems in your hands, start with a base and then add in larger, focal flowers. Then, continue to add smaller flowers and greenery, balancing the design as you build. Once you’ve constructed a bouquet you love, snip the stems to trim them back and wrap the entire bouquet with a rubber band. Be sure it’s wrapped tight before adding floral tape to hide the rubber band or tying a beautiful ribbon around it. Tightly wrap a ribbon around the stems for a clean, classic look or allow the ribbon to cascade down for a more relaxed, garden-style aesthetic.

Along the way, don’t be afraid to get creative with your bouquet. Typically, a bouquet follows an odd-number rule of design, meaning three or five of a certain bloom are intentionally added. But you can certainly break that rule if it feels right. “Sometimes it's that one stem of something from the garden that sets it all apart!” says Eells.

As you build the bouquet, keep in mind that it’s not worth stressing over. “I can't tell you the number of times in 10-plus years of designing with flowers that I've ripped apart abouquetand started over,” Eells adds. “Just take a deep breath and enjoy the moment in time that you get to create something beautiful with your hands.And remember, flowers are very resilient.”

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How to Make a DIY Wedding Bouquet (2024)

FAQs

How to Make a DIY Wedding Bouquet? ›

To calculate the number of flowers needed for a wedding, consider your wedding party size and desired type. A good rule of thumb is to count the number of stems you want in an arrangement, then multiply that by the number of arrangements. Make sure to think about a flower's size and availability.

How do you make a wedding bouquet step by step? ›

DIY Bridal Bouquet
  1. Step 1: What Do You Need? ...
  2. Step 2: Get Rid of the Leaves. ...
  3. Step 3: Pick Your First Flower. ...
  4. Step 4: Add Another Flower. ...
  5. Step 5: Continue Adding Flowers. ...
  6. Step 6: Add Filler Flowers. ...
  7. Step 7: Tie the Flowers Together. ...
  8. Step 8: Cut the Stems.

What do I need for DIY bouquet? ›

What You'll Need
  1. 30 to 60 stems of a hardy flower like the rose (20 to 40 for each bridesmaid bouquet).
  2. Bucket.
  3. Paper towels.
  4. Ribbon (in a complementary color), 1 to 2 inches wide.
  5. Rubber bands or green waxed floral tape.
  6. Stem cutter or very sharp knife.
  7. Stem stripper.
  8. Straight pins or pearl-tipped corsage pins.

How do you figure out how many flowers to get for a wedding? ›

To calculate the number of flowers needed for a wedding, consider your wedding party size and desired type. A good rule of thumb is to count the number of stems you want in an arrangement, then multiply that by the number of arrangements. Make sure to think about a flower's size and availability.

Is it easy to make your own wedding bouquets? ›

While it may sound intimidating to make your own wedding bouquet, it certainly is possible. With simple materials and a few steps, you'll be able to put together a stunning, custom arrangement to serve as the perfect accessory for your big day.

How many stems are in a bridal bouquet? ›

For flowers that are between 2.5”- 3.5” in diameter, like roses, dahlias, or peonies, we recommend using at least 25 stems for a 9” bouquet and at least 35 stems for an 11” bouquet and add some greenery leaves. However, that's just the minimum. You can create elaborate arrangements with upwards of 45 stems.

How much does a DIY bridal bouquet cost? ›

Real-Life Example:
DIY FlowersSimpleLush
Bridal Bouquet$35$75
6 Bridesmaids Bouquets$90$120
8 Boutonnieres$15$15
4 Corsages$10$10
5 more rows

How long should stems be on a bridal bouquet? ›

6–7 inches (15–17.5cm) is generally a good length. Pat the ends dry with a paper towel before handing to the bride. Keep the bouquet fresh.

How do you make a budget bouquet? ›

Explore your local farmers' market, grocery stores, or even your backyard for the freshest blooms available. Seasonal flowers are more budget-friendly and abundant, making them the perfect starting point for your bouquet. We love using Daisies, Cornflowers, Peonies, Lavender, and Solidago.

What is the 3 5 8 rule in floristry? ›

One of the European designs that we create in floristry is called the Form Linear, in which we apply flowers by using the 3:5:8 rule, with 3 main focal groups: 3 = Sub-dominate Group/Placement. 5 = Contrasting Group/Placement. 8 = Dominate Group/Placement.

How do you make a bouquet of flowers look expensive? ›

The best way to make a bouquet look expensive is to mix different kinds of flowers together. Try arranging it so you have a consistent mix of smaller buds, larger focal blooms, and plenty of greenery to frame them.

What makes a beautiful bouquet? ›

First, a bouquet should have a set color palette. Florists may choose a monochromatic palette, or they may opt for a standard such as triadic or analogous. The chosen palette not only makes the bouquet cohesive, it also helps set the mood. Second, florists decide how to disperse the colors.

Is $1000 enough for wedding flowers? ›

If your wedding party is larger, 8+ then expect to spend on the higher end of $1,500. Let's say your wedding party is only 3 or less, you can expect to spend closer to the $1,000 side.

Is it cheaper to do your own wedding flowers? ›

But a DIY bouquet comes at a cheaper cost than a florist's mostly because you're putting in the work. A florist can spend up to two hours making a bridal bouquet. When you total up the cost of labor and the other components of a bouquet, you get the higher price tags from earlier.

What is a reasonable amount to spend on wedding flowers? ›

Depending on your style and needs, your wedding flowers cost will vary, but the average cost of wedding flowers in the U.S. is around $1,500 with most couples spending between $700 and $2,500.

Is it cheaper to make your own wedding bouquets? ›

DIY Wedding Flowers Versus a Florist: Why Should You Be a DIY Bride. Save money: Based on the comparisons above, this one is pretty much a no-brainer. The flowers are cheaper, and the arrangements will be, too, since you aren't paying anyone to do them — unless you slip the flower girl $20 to lend a hand.

How do you structure a bouquet of flowers? ›

Start by adding the largest flowers first, working in a circle and turning the vase as you go to make sure the arrangement is symmetrical. Layer in the next variety of flower and repeat until all flowers have been added. Finish the arrangement by adding greenery, grasses, or berries.

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