Instructions to Make a Bridal Bouquet With Wildflowers

Wildflowers can be a beautiful and simple alternative for your bridal bouquet

Wildflowers are a simple, elegant alternative to a professional florist bouquet. If you just want to save money for other important wedding elements, this could be the bouquet idea for you. The range of colors will certainly fit your wedding theme, and this bouquet can be almost free if you are crafty about the process. A wildflower bouquet fits into any type of wedding, but will especially complement a country wedding due to its simplicity and natural look.

Things You'll Need

• Wildflowers (clover, dandelion, buttercup)
• Twine
• 3-inch wide ribbon

Instructions

1. Gather the wildflowers of your choice as early as possible on the day of the wedding. Pick flowers that visually appeal to you and are in good shape for your bouquet, as you will not want it to fall apart right away. Place them in a container with cool water for several hours.

2. Gather the wildflowers in one hand, beginning with the most delicate flowers or herbs. This will protect the more fragile flowers by keeping them in the center of your bouquet. Work your way outward by the hardiness of the blooms, grouping the flowers tightly around the middle. Pick the largest, hardiest blooms last to form the outermost layer of the bouquet.

3. Snip off any leaves or parts of herbs that have wilted to keep the bouquet looking fresh. Make sure you keep some leaves on to keep the wild, carefree look of the bouquet.

4. Hold the bouquet tightly in one hand and wrap the twine just below the base of the blooms. Wrap the twine several times to keep the flowers from drooping.

5. Wrap the ribbon several times around the bouquet. Tie a bow at the front of the bouquet. The ribbon can be as simple or embellished as you desire.

Tips & Warnings

• Consider making two identical bouquets. Keep one in the refrigerator in case your first bouquet begins to wilt halfway through the wedding, as wildflowers as rather fragile. Wildflowers are not professionally chilled for preservation like a florist's flowers, so some may be difficult to work with due to their fragility.

• You can find wildflowers in meadows, mountain areas, natural habitats and gardens.

• Be careful when searching for the flowers, as you may run into harmful plants like poison ivy. Take along a friend with knowledge on the subject, or a guide book to wildflowers.

References

• Project Wedding: DIY: How to Make a Wildflower Bouquet

Resources

• 100 Layer Cake: Unruly Things, DIY Flowers