DIY Tutorial ~ Bridesmaids bouquet

We're kicking off Monday with a heap of creativity and getting our DIY on with Connie Dai Photography, A Vintage Affair and Bella Lu Floral. We love seeing how brides ask their bridesmaids and Maid of Honour to join their wedding party and this idea from A Vintage Affair and Bella Lu Floral is the perfect way. Get creative and make your own DIY bouquet with personalised ribbon to ask "Will you be my bridesmaid?"...

From Jessica of A Vintage Affair: "A lot of my brides ask me for cute ideas on how to ask their friends to be a bridesmaid in their weddings. Most brides realize that asking someone to be in your wedding is a huge commitment, so they want to make sure the invite is special. Here we have a tutorial for you on creating your own bouquet to give to your potential bridesmaid, complete with a personalized ribbon."

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Remember to enjoy the process of creating! Here’s how to make your very own “be my bridesmaid” bouquet:

Materials

floral tape

floral shears

personalized ribbon from The Lonely Heart

Connie Dai Photography

Flowers used and quantity

7 purple scabiosa

4 white scabiosa

4 stems of willow eucalyptus

2 white dahlias

2 pink thistle

4 stems of white solidago

1 stem of burgundy amaranthus

30 stems or 1 handful of seeded oregano

5 peonies

1 stem agonis

Connie Dai Photography

1. To process the flowers, remove leaves and unwanted petals. Do not trim the stems at this point.  Lay your flowers out on the table.

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2. Cut 12-18 inch piece of floral tape and set aside. Cut another piece which is 36 inches long and set aside.

3. Start with a single stem that you would want to be your focus bloom and build from there (in this arrangement it is the large pink peony). Turn the arrangement as you add flowers so you can fill it all the way around. Creating in front of a mirror helps to see the shape as you are creating.  It’s best to try and hold the arrangement in one hand and add flowers with the other hand to maintain the shape. The goal of this bouquet is for it to look natural and whimsical, so don’t worry about it being perfectly symmetrical.  Add flowers all around and at different heights.  Build from the front to the back.  Add greens around the base of your finished bouquet before taping the stems to create a more completed look.

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4. Grab your 12-18 inch pre-cut floral tape and place it close to the base of the blooms and start to wrap around it. Take your 2nd longer piece of floral tape and starting wrapping at the end of the other tape. Wrap downwards to gather the stems more tightly. The tape should equal 1 ½- 2 inches wide at the end. Add more tape if necessary to hold stems in place.

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5. Once your bouquet is complete, cut all the stems evenly and place in a clean vase of water to rehydrate.

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6. Wrap with desired ribbon.

Connie Dai Photography

7. Give to your bridesmaid!

Connie Dai Photography

Extra tips from Bella Lu Floral - "When choosing flowers pick different size blooms for variety, texture and interest. By adding flowers that have a pop of color, it makes the bouquet unique and different. To make a bright color impact, add smaller blooms in larger quantities. Layering in greens keeps it feeling natural and adds texture."

Vendor details

Photographer: Connie Dai Photography | Film Lab: Richard Photo Lab | Florals: Bella Lu Floral | Styling: A Vintage Affair | Makeup & Hair Stylist: Kim J. Beauty