How to Make a Wedding Bouquet With Lilies
In the language of flowers, calla lilies are said to represent great beauty. The endearing meaning of these flowers is ideal to incorporate into a wedding bouquet. Make your own bridal bouquet using lilies with a few items from a floral or craft supply store. By making a hand-tied bouquet with calla lilies, you do not have to have prior floral design experience. The process is relatively easy and produces beautiful results. The calla lily can stand alone or you can add other flowers to create a fuller bouquet. Either way, the bouquet is bound to look amazing against a white bridal gown.
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Things You'll Need
- Calla lilies
- Bucket of water
- Green floral tape, waterproof
- Ivy or other greenery (optional)
- Hydrangeas, baby roses or other flowers (optional)
- Satin ribbon
- Pearl-headed boutonniere pins
Instructions
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Place the calla lilies in the bucket of water overnight. Stand them up to where the stems are sitting in 3 to 4 inches of water. The heads of the flowers can lay up against the edge of the bucket for support. The lilies need to be well hydrated before the wedding.
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Take the flowers out of the water and lay on your work surface. Pick up a lily and hold it with the opening of the flower facing you. Run your hand down the stem, curving the stem towards you as you go. This will help shape the flowers. Do this for each lily stem.
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Pick up two lilies. Place the flowers so the openings of the flowers are facing in opposite directions. Take a piece of green floral tape and place it around the flowers about mid-way down the stems. Pull and stretch the tape as you put it around the stems.
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Add three to four more lilies and secure with more tape. Continue to add flowers until the calla lilies are in a pleasing shape. Tape the flowers as you add them. You can manipulate them to be a rounded bouquet or a more organic shape. Choose a style that fits the feel of your wedding.
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Add greenery such as ivy, ginger leaves or a wild, green grass if you would like greenery with your lilies. Place the greenery underneath the base of the flowers. Or add additional flowers for accents if you would like to have a multi-colored bouquet. Gather the stems of the greenery or flowers and place up against the stems of the calla lilies. Use floral tape to secure.
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Finish your bouquet with a satin ribbon. Hold the bouquet in one hand. With the other hand, take the ribbon and place one end against the stems at three inches below the bottom of the heads of the flowers and/or greenery. Hold the end of the ribbon with your thumb. Begin to wrap the ribbon down the stems of the bouquet. Overlap the ribbon about a quarter-inch so no stem is showing between the rows of ribbon. Leave approximately 5 inches of stem sticking out below the ribbon. Secure the ribbon with pearl-headed boutonniere pins. You will need to put them every 2 inches down the stem. Stick them into the stems at a 20-degree angle. Snip the ends off the stems if you want them to be even in length.
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Tips & Warnings
Paint the ends of the stems with clear fingernail polish right before the ceremony. This will seal the ends of the stems. The sap in the lilies can stain your dress as well as irritate your skin.
The amount of calla lily stems you will need depends on how full you would like your bouquet and the style of your wedding. Some brides prefer to use 6 to 12 stems for a minimalistic look while others can use up to 30 lilies in one bouquet.
References
- Photo Credit George Marks/Retrofile/Getty Images
