Personalize Your Wedding Bouquet by Making it Yourself

Looking to save money on your wedding? Making your own wedding bouquet will help to reduce the cost of the wedding as well as giving you the chance to add your own personal touches. If you like making floral arrangements, this should be an easy adventure. If you've never made a floral arrangement, this will not be too difficult. If I can do it, just about anybody can.

After deciding the colors you will be using in your wedding, look through magazines at the different arrangements and choose one that appeals to you as well as complements your wedding theme. Shop around at craft stores and local stores that have craft sections, to see what flowers are available and to compare prices.

In addition to the flowers, there are some other materials you will need to complete your project. These include, but are not limited to, a bouquet holder, glue, silk or satin ribbon, at least two inches wide, floral scissors or wire cutters, baby's breath and other filler items such as pearl sprays. Some stores have bouquet holders with white roses already in them. You could personalize one of these with colored flowers, ribbons, fillers and greenery, if you are looking for something really simple.

Before you begin, have a mental picture of exactly how you want your project to look. To put your arrangement together, you will work from the bottom of the holder to the top. If you purchased stalks of flowers from the craft store, separate these into stems. I left some of the leaves on the stems as some of the greenery for my project. Before placing each item in the arrangement, decide how much of the stem you would like to have above the foam, then cut one and a half to two inches below that. Put a little glue on the end of the stem and place the stem into the foam of the bouquet holder. Continue filling with flowers and fillers until you have the desired look. You can create a cascade effect by inserting various lengths of greenery, such as ivy or fern at the bottom of the bouquet holder. Trim to achieve the desired symmetrical look. Finish your project by making a bow of the wide ribbon and placing it at the point where the handle joins the cone of the bouquet holder.

After the ceremony, you can display your arrangement in a vase or a decorated globe from a hurricane lamp.

If you decide to make an arrangement using live flowers, some things will need to be done a little differently. First you will need to consult with a florist on what flowers will be available, and order them as well as fillers and greenery well in advance of the wedding.

To begin, place the bouquet holder in a large bowl of water, hold the handle and let the holder sink to the bottom of the bowl. Remove the bouquet holder and dry the exterior. As before, decide how much of the stem you would like to have above the foam, then cut one and a half to two inches below that. Cut each stem at a very sharp angle. Working from bottom to top, place the flowers, fillers, and greenery in the foam of the holder. If you decide to move a flower after it has been placed in the holder, you will have to re-cut it, making sure to have a sharp point. Continue as before, until the desired effect is achieved. Finish with the bow made from the wide ribbon.