How to Decorate a Wedding With Pomanders

Pomanders are used to decorate wedding aisles.

Pomanders make beautiful decorations for various formal occasions. Their flowery detail and delicate look provide an elegant accent to different wedding venues. Pomanders can be easily handcrafted using fresh cut flowers or colorful tissue paper and fancy ribbon embellishments. Fresh flower pomanders create a naturally graceful feel while paper pomanders offer a practical, budget-friendly option. Aromatic and fruit pomanders put a modern twist on traditional flower pomander balls by adding a fragrant dimension to the look.

Things You'll Need

• Fresh flowers
• Flower scissors
• Floral foam ball
• Water
• Ribbon
• Pins
• Gold glitter powder
• Flower garlands
• Clear glass vase or cup
• Votive candles
• Matches or lighter
• Large bowl
• Wedding bell ornament
• Artificial flowers
• Perfume

Instructions

Making the Pomander

1. Cut the stem of each flower, leaving about a quarter of the stem uncut to be pushed into the floral foam ball.

2. Soak the floral foam ball in water to keep it moist and help to maintain the freshness of the flowers that will be pinned to it.

3. Push the shortened stem of each flower firmly into the foam ball. Pin as many flowers as needed to cover the ball. Leave some spaces between each flower for other types, if you want to use more than one kind of flower for your ball.

4. Cut out a piece of ribbon and overlap its ends together to form a loop handle. Use a ribbon length according to how low you want the pomander to hang from the spot where you will be hanging it.

5. Pin the overlapping ends into the foam ball. Use multiple pins to secure the handle onto the ball.

6. Tie additional ribbons to the bottom of the handle on each pomander ball for embellishment. Sprinkle each ball with a dust of gold glitter powder for a sparkling effect.

7. Repeat steps 1 through 6 for as many pomander balls as you want to use for decorating your wedding venue.

Hanging Decorations

1. Hang a pomander ball from the top corner of each aisle seat. Tie the pomander ball handle to the foot or arm of the seat, for chairs with rounded tops.

2. Adorn the top of the wedding arch with a few pomander balls. Alternatively, hang a single pomander ball down the center of the arch.

3. Secure the placement of the ball handles onto the arch using multiple pins. Wrap smaller flower garlands around the arch to contrast the pomanders.

4. Hang pomander balls on tree branches for outdoor, garden-themed weddings and over doorway entrances for indoor weddings such as in church buildings.

5. Give your flower girl her own pomander to carry down the aisle during the ceremony. Tie a small wedding bell ornament to it to give it a special touch, setting it apart from the other matching pomanders along the aisle.

Centerpiece and Other Ideas

1. Sit a pomander ball on top of a clear glass vase or cup with a diameter that is smaller than the pomander. Use this as a centerpiece for each reception table.

2. Surround the pomander centerpieces with lighted votive candles for an added romantic flair.

3. Fill a large bowl with multiple pomander balls to create an abundant and fuller feel for your pomander table centerpieces.

4. Spray artificial flower pomanders with a dash of your favorite perfume to simulate the smell of fragrant fresh flowers.

Tips & Warnings

• Use shiny ribbon fabric such as satin or silk for your pomander decorations for a classic, elegant feel.

• Pin artificial flowers to citrus fruits like oranges, lemons and limes instead of floral foam balls to create naturally fragrant pomanders.

References

• Marth Stewart Weddings: Ribbon Pomander
• Planning Elegance; DIY Pomander Aisle Decor; June 2009
• Holiday Crafts: Wedding Pomander Balls - Peony Design
• The Knot: DIY Wedding Flowers - Carnation Pomander
• Aromatherapy at Home: Pomander Balls