How To Create Your Own Wedding Bouquet ~ A Video Tutorial…

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Last month, I spent a day with the By Appointment Only Design Team.  The intention of the day was to get to know more about what this talented duo of designers {Tony and Javier} and their team do, and to try my hand for the very first time at creating a bouquet fit for a wedding :)  Today I'd like to share my experience with you via this little video.

Now, first things first, I have to say, and this totally isn't in a self-conscious 'I think I look rubbish on video!' kind of thing, however I did feel like rubbish that day.  My lovely Grandma Edna had passed away only 3 days prior and I was struggling a little. I almost cancelled my appointment but didn't want to let people down.  I was fairly emotional and so it wasn't the best start to the day you understand, but from the moment I stepped into the boutique at 38 Chiltern Street in London, it felt like I'd stepped into this huge big comfort blanket.  Tony and Javier went out of their way to make me, and my friend Cat Hepple feel so completely welcome.  We giggled through most of the day in fact :) 

I just love the boys of By Appointment Only Design and can't recommend them enough; they are gentlemanly, kind, professional and fun to be around, let alone bursting with wonderful creative ideas {a dress displayed in their shop front window, styled entirely out of financial times newspapers kind of creative – amazing!}.  Contact the 'BAOD' team without deialy if you are looking to fill your venue with the most beautifully designed statement wedding-day florals.

I hope this little video of my very first ever attempt at creating a bouquet makes you smile – and giggle a little also (check out my huffing and puffing around 2 mins 30 seconds in! hehehe!!}.  Details of what you will need to re-create this type of bouquet are provided further down the page.

Love My Dress Wedding Blog – Video Copyright (c) 2011, The Dreamcatchers

The image below is of Tony, one half of By Appointment Only Design, showing us through his illustrations book.  All commissions are illustrated before they are created so to give the client a feel for what the finished result will look like.  Everything is planned to perfection, from small scale to grand.

I would like to thank my lovely friend Cat Hepple for the following photographs and to Adrian Stone of The Dreamcatchers for recording the film above.

Love My Dress Wedding Blog – Photography Copyright (c) 2011, Cat Hepple

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How To Create Your Own Rose and Peony Wedding Bouquet

What You will Need:-

1. A mix of flowers {obtain from your local market – any type you like}.  We used roses in hues of purple, pink and lilac.  We also used peonies, lilac and some foliage

2. A pair of secateurs

3. Some Twine

4. A relaxed attitude.  It doesn't matter if it's not 'perfect' – the idea is that through the process of trying, you have fun 🙂

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1.  Pick a single flower {go for a nice bold rose to start with} and hold upwards in the palm  of your hand.  Pick another flower and place the stem close to the stem of the first flower.  Repeat process so that each flower you add, the stems are being placed around the previous stem and building up in a clockwork direction until you have a small volume of flowers in your hand.

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….be sure to mix the type of flower you pick each time to add variation and balance to the bouquet that you are slowly building up.

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…and be careful not to apply too much pressure to your grip on the stems.  Gently does it…

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2. Observe your beautiful bouquet slowly taking shape and building on volume…

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4.  As the volume builds, twist and turn the bouquet to add additional stems to help achieve balance in both the style and colour of the flowers.  Place flowers in between other flowers…

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5.  When you are happy with the volume of flowers you are holding, grab some twine and begin to tie around towards the neck of the stems.  This is easier than it sounds and I struggled. If you have a friend with you, get them to help by passing you the twine.

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…or place the stems between your legs to free up both hands so you can secure the twine.  But NOT TOO TIGHT.  You don't want to suffocate the flowers.

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6.  Then as illustrated on the video at around 1 min 55 and 3 minutes 20, use a pair of secateurs to cut, carefully, a few inches below the twine.

This is the bouquet that Tony made…

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SMELL those beautiful flowers…… 🙂

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And this is the bouquet that I made!  🙂

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Trust me, if I can do this, anyone can. And it was a whole lot of fun and giggles in the process 🙂

I hope this feature inspires you just a little bit 🙂

♥  What about working with your Bridesmaids to make thei bouquets together – even if you got a professional to do yours/the Brides?  It would make a fun 'night before the wedding' and take your mind of worrying about everything else!

♥  What about trying your hand at creating a bouquet to hand to your Mum or the people you want to thank for helping you plan your wedding? Wouldn't the bouquet be so much more meaning full and special if you had created it with your own bare hands? 🙂

To see more from By Appointment Only Design click here.  Also see the 'BAOD Blog' – it is packed full of images of recent commissions and ideas – a real visual treat!

To see more flower related items on Love My Dress, click here.

Much love all,

Annabel xXx

Annabel

Annabel View all Annabel's articles

Founder of Love My Dress. Passionate Podcaster and Editor. Annabel lives in rural North Yorkshire with her husband and business partner Philip, their two daughters and menagerie of furry hounds. She loves photography, meditation, walking, being outdoors and star gazing. She is fierce when it comes to championing talent within the wedding industry and when she's not working on Love My Dress, she supports her husband Philip in the running of the family's sustainable flower farm and floral design business, Moonwind Flowers. In 2013, she became a published author.

23 thoughts on “How To Create Your Own Wedding Bouquet ~ A Video Tutorial…

  1. Love this! I was thinking of doing some flower DIY for our wedding in Sept and you have convinced me to give it a go, it looks a lot of fun. Sorry to hear about your Grandma, I lost mine last year and it will be a year since she sent next month x

  2. Fabulous! Once again Annabel you have proved you are a natural on camera and now you’ve added floristry to your skills…is there no end???? LOL! Loved the photography too Cat, the flowers look stunning x

  3. You did SO well Annabel. Not just with coping with a sad time in your life, but with getting stuck in and giving it a go, to show your readers.
    Your bouquet was so much better than my feeble attempt too 😉
    The chaps really looked after us, and are totally wonderful.
    Thank you for featuring my work and love to Karen for being so supportive.
    Cat
    xx

  4. My word, forget the flowers check out that cake! Only kidding superb as always I will definitely be trying this one out. Such beautiful flowers to work with and you did a fab job. And check out those illustrations, wowzers they are impressive. Michelle x

  5. Great video. You obviously had a lovely time with the BAOD guys and now know how to make a bouquet – and so do we. x

  6. Love those flowers, exactly what I want!!! Can you tell me what type of roses they are? I just love the dusky tones x

  7. Oh such a lovely post 🙂
    I have a freind who has just trained in floristry doing our flowers, but if I didn’t I would def refer to this tutorial for guidance, not least because you are such fun to watch Annabel!
    Loveaudrey xxx

  8. I really really enjoyed this feature, the video and all the images! Some very good tips on bouquet arrangement, and needless to say your bouquet is very pretty))

  9. That’s really beautiful. I just want to say though, be careful what flowers and foliage are picked. A friend of mine made her own bouquet and it looked stunning, but the next day her hands and face started to swell and she ended up spending most of the weekend in the hospital. She’d taken a pretty extreme allergic reaction to something in the bouquet. Fortunately they weren’t planning on going away immediately after the wedding. So please do some research as to what plants are irritants first.

  10. Alison – oh no! Presumably your friend would have had the same reaction if she had had the bouquet made for her though – handling it on the day etc? I guess reactions like this are rare also!
    Thanks for your comment though :))
    Kind regards,
    Annabel xXx

  11. My sister (the bridesmaid) and I did our own bouquets and all of the buttonholes the night before my wedding. It made for a lovely relaxing bonding evening with my sister. When I made my bouquet I was a little tearful because I had no idea that I could create something so beautiful.
    It also saved loads of money, I had lily of the valley, rannuculus and deep blue dephiniums, I don’t think I would have been able to aford the lily of the valley if a florist had made them.
    I had loads of compliments on the day (including one from an ex-florist)and the bouquets lasted really well.
    I would definitely recomend it, along with making your own cake, favours, table decorations!
    xxx

  12. Fabulous video Annabel, thank you. i’m glad you have had a taster of what us florists actually do, and given an insight to all our brides out there how much fun we get up to whilst creating the most stunning designs. BAOD and Cat Hepple are all true professionals and i’m completley inspired at what you all do in pushing boundries in the wedding sector, but still managing to excel yourselves and meet the clients needs. I consider myself to be the luckiest girl in the world as i have a job i truly truly love and you have helped share that love to numerous others, so thank you.
    Chrissie xxx

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