How to Make a DIY Wedding Bouquet | A Practical Wedding (2024)

There is a misconception that learning how tomake a DIY weddingbouquet is an arduous feat, which it’sabsolutelynot.But, hey, a foolproof step-by-step How-to never hurt anyone, right?

how to make a diy wedding bouquet

DIY doesn’t save the world, and it isn’t always cheaper. But when it comes to wedding flowers I personally feel thatthe latter of the two should be true. When you hire a florist you are not only price quoted for the flowers, but also the labor put into making your floral arrangements. So, if you can take the labor out of the cost by making your own bouquet, you’ll be spending a lot less money.

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tip 1: DON’T BE AFRAID TO MIX AND MATCH SUPPLIERS AND/OR VENDORS

We live in a world of many, many options; and no one said that you had to go one place and one place only to get your flowers. With other aspects of your wedding, yes, you may have to be loyal to one particular supplier or vendor. But with your flowers, do what works for you and your budget. If you want to get your roses from Costco, but your greenery from the flower market, then go for it! There is no flower-buying etiquette to be followed here. Trust me: the flowers will understand.

tip 2: KEEP SEASONALITY IN MIND

I’m sure lots of you didn’t know that “seasonality” is a proper word, but it’s a common phrase in the flower industry. We use it to describe flower varieties that have very seasonal growing patterns, which you definitely need to think about when choosing certain flowers. For instance, peonies have a very sporadic growing season, which is why they are insanely expensive at certain times of the year and not available in hot summer months. On the other hand, hydrangea are grown in green houses all year-round which makes them less costly because they are more readily available. Basically, when seasonal flowers are in season they are the best quality and most affordable!

making your diy wedding bouquet:

what you need:

  • Flower shears
  • Floral tape
  • Bouquet pins
  • Bouquet wrapping (We used white ribbon)
  • Flowers of your choice (We used pink lisianthus, white spray roses, green pompon button mums, painted lady wax flower, purple statice, and green hypericum)
  • A bucket
  • Water

Step 1: find the flowers

You can buy your flowers from:

  • A flower market
  • An online wholesaler (Like Blooms By The Box)
  • A grocery store,Trader Joe’s, ,Costco, Sam’s Club, wherever you can find the best quality flowers on the cheap

Figure out what your budget is, what kind of flowers you want, and how many flowers you’ll need; then do some research. If your local grocery store is stocked with awesome quality blooms for a great price, then go that route. And if an online wholesaler is your best bet, click away! Just figure out what’s best for you and what you feel most comfortable with.

step 2: set up your workspace

Kitchens are ideal for making a flower prep because clean up is easy, and if you have a lot of counter space, even better! An outdoor space would also work. Keep all flowers in big buckets too!

How to Make a DIY Wedding Bouquet | A Practical Wedding (5)

step 3: prep your flowers

  • Use your hands or a stem stripper to make sure all foliage has been removed from the stems
  • De-thorn your roses
  • Make sure all stem lengths are approximately the same (you can alsotrim as you go)

How to Make a DIY Wedding Bouquet | A Practical Wedding (6)

step 4:start putting together your flowers

  • Choose 2-4 flowers to be the “base” of your bouquet
  • Bunch the stems together and wrap with floral tape
  • Make sure there is 1 to 1 1/2 inches of exposed stem visible where you wrap the stems
  • Leave 4-5 inches of exposed stem at the bottom

step 5: build up your diy wedding bouquet

  • Add flowers around your anchored flowers to create a bunch
  • Envision your bouquet and its focal point (hint: don’t go too big!)
  • Mix textures and colors to create an interesting composition
  • Continuously wrap your bouquet with floral tape as you add flowers (TIP: This adds support and creates consistent, yet attractive, composition to your design)

How to Make a DIY Wedding Bouquet | A Practical Wedding (7)

step 6: wrap your bouquet with floral tape

  • Begin wrapping the stems 1 to 1 1/2 inches from the flower head
  • Leave between 0-4 inches of stem exposed (TIP: use your personal preference!)
  • Use floral tape as your guide and pin the ribbon horizontally (TIP: you want the ribbon to be parallel with the floral tape)
  • Wrap until the floral tape is covered and pin to secure the ribbon
  • Ta-da! You’re finished!

How to Make a DIY Wedding Bouquet | A Practical Wedding (8)

Lastly, if you decide to go the DIY your weddingbouquet, we offer a fabulous resource (written by yours truly) available for free on our website called The Do-It-Yourself Guide to Wedding Flowers.In it you’ll learn everything from flower prep basics to how to coordinate flower colors.

Did any of you have a DIY wedding bouquet? What did you learn? What would you have done differently?

How to Make a DIY Wedding Bouquet | A Practical Wedding (9)

Meg Keene

Founder & Editor-In-Chief

Meg is the Founder of APW, and has been the sites EIC for the past twelve years. She has written two best selling wedding books:A Practical WeddingandA Practical Wedding Planner.Meg’s work has been referenced in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, NPR, Jezebel, and Refinery29. She’s also written hugely viral wedding articles for Buzzfeed.Shelives in Oakland, CAwith her husband and two children.For more than you ever wanted to know about Meg, you can visit MegKeene.com.

How to Make a DIY Wedding Bouquet | A Practical Wedding (2024)

FAQs

How to Make a DIY Wedding Bouquet | A Practical Wedding? ›

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.

Is it cheaper to make your own wedding bouquets? ›

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.

Is it worth it to DIY wedding flowers? ›

DIY wedding flowers are an effective way to save money when creating a pleasing and beautiful wedding aesthetic. But it's a big job. Furthermore, people don't understand the cost of flowers and often have unrealistic visions for their budget.

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.

How far in advance should you make a bridal bouquet? ›

If you're planning to make the bouquet a few days in advance, don't do it earlier than 1-2 days before the big day. You want your flowers to be as fresh as possible, and not all of them can last long.

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

Is it OK to use artificial flowers for wedding bouquet? ›

There are so many benefits to using artificial flowers for your artificial wedding floral arrangements. You'll be able to save money, reuse your flowers, and get the perfect floral aesthetic that you have always dreamed of having at your wedding.

Is it hard to make your own wedding bouquet? ›

This bouquet may look intimidating, but it is actually quite simple and easy to make! You will probably already have almost all of the equipment needed, but you may need to get hold of some white ribbon or floral tape.

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.

What does a bride carry down the aisle? ›

Carrying a bridal bouquet dates back to ancient times when brides would carry bouquets of herbs and spices to ward off evil spirits and any bad luck. Later, in the Victorian era, these traditions developed to reflect flower color meanings.

Why does a bride wear something blue? ›

Something blue reflects the color of purity and love, meant to ward away any unwanted attention from evil. Traditionally worn under the dress, there are so many options now from jewelry to clothing, to decor, to nail color.

How to make cheap wedding flowers? ›

Buy Flowers in Bulk and DIY

If you are up for a creative challenge, you can buy your wedding flowers in bulk and DIY them to save a lot of money. This will eliminate any extra costs that a florist would charge you. If you want to go the DIY route, you should really consider using artificial flowers.

Do fake flowers look tacky for wedding? ›

Using fake flowers or plants for a wedding is not tacky at all as long as you select high-quality artificial plants that look just as natural as the real ones. In fact, high-quality faux plants or flowers can even make your wedding appear more elegant while stretching the dollar.

Is a DIY wedding actually cheaper? ›

Planning a DIY wedding can be a great way to save money, but if you don't do your research, it can quickly break your budget. From the cost of materials to the time you'll spend planning, it all adds up! That's why it's important to plan and budget well ahead of the wedding to ensure you don't overspend.

How much does it cost to make a wedding bouquet? ›

How Much Do Wedding Flowers Cost?
Average Wedding FlowersSomething Borrowed Blooms
Bridal Bouquet$195 - $275$65
Bridesmaid Bouquet$65 - $70$35
Posy$40 - $55$15
Hair Accessories$35 - $40$6
3 more rows
Feb 21, 2023

How much does it cost to make your own bouquets? ›

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

Is it cheaper to decorate your own wedding? ›

Generally, handling your own wedding decor will be a much more affordable way to get the look you're after. By sourcing and styling your own wedding decor pieces, you can avoid the extra costs that can come with a wedding planner or venue stylist.

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