How to Make Wedding Bouquets With Sunflowers

Incorporate sunflowers into your wedding bouquet.

Sunflowers provide a pop of color to any wedding bouquet and work well with summer, spring or autumn weddings. They are also an affordable flower, and their size lets you use fewer flowers to create a lush bouquet for even more savings. Whether you are looking for a whimsical hand-held bouquet or an elegant cascading arrangement, sunflowers are an ideal flower choice. Start with a simple bouquet and add embellishments to make a more dramatic arrangement.

Things You'll Need

• Knife
• Rubber bands
• Twine

Instructions

Hand-held Bouquet

1. Remove the leaves from each sunflower. Use a knife to cut 2 inches from the stems. Hold one sunflower in your hand. Add more flowers until you have the desired fullness.

2. Add filler flowers if desired. Use the flowers that best fit the desired style of your bouquet. Add mint and lavender sprigs for a nature-inspired bouquet. Add large green leaves to balance out the large sunflowers. Carnations, roses, mini calla lilies, daisies, gaillardia, hydrangeas or geraniums provide a color and textural contrast next to the more substantial sunflowers. Baby's breath and sunflower buds add a romantic touch to the bouquet. Mix in brown or burgundy sunflowers next to your yellow ones for a fall bouquet. Purple and orange accents also work well in the fall. Use floral tape to attach small flowers or fillers to the sunflowers.

3. Wrap a rubber band around the sunflowers and any filler flowers near the flower heads. Wrap another band around the flowers about 4 inches below your other rubber band. Place the stems underwater and use your knife to trim them to your desired height.

4. Wrap your bouquet. Wrap in green floral tape to hide the stems. An alternative is to use ribbon that matches the wedding colors. Twine provides a rustic or country look. Striped ribbon contrasts nicely with the bouquet.

Cascading Bouquet

1. Soak a slanted bouquet holder in a solution of water and flower food. Insert the stems of greenery through the sides of the bouquet holder until the sides are full of greenery. You can use a variety of greenery, such as myrtle, foxtails, ivy or craspedias, depending on the desired look.

2. Place sunflowers in the middle and sides of the holder. Rearrange the greenery so that it frames the sunflowers. Face the sunflowers in different directions.

3. Add any filler flowers or additional greenery. Money plant creeper, calla lilies and roses work well with a cascading bouquet.

4. Spray a finishing spray over all the flowers and greenery. This prevents your flowers from wilting.

5. Wrap ribbon around the bouquet holder. This will make a softer surface for the bride to carry the bouquet. Secure the ribbon in place with a pearl pin.

Tips & Warnings

• Save money by placing the bride and bridesmaids' bouquets in baskets or tins at the reception site for the head table decorations. Place sunflowers around the base of the container to finish the centerpiece.

• Avoid purchasing sunflowers with pollen when selecting your sunflowers. Opt for the pollen-less flowers so the flowers do not stain the bride's hands or the table.

References

• The Knot: Real Weddings: Helen and Chris
• Marriage Bouquets; Sunflower Wedding Theme; February 4, 2011
• Flower Arrangement Advisor: Sunflower Wedding Bouquets
• My Wedding Reception Planning: How to Make Your Own Bridal Bouquets - Round Hand-tied
• Bronze Budget Bride; Sarah & Zach: An Eco-Friendly Wedding in Sun Valley, ID; Carlise Shepperd;
• Martha Stewart Weddings: Bouquets Inpired by Art

Resources

• Wedding Flowers and Reception Ideas: How to Make a Cascading Bouquet
• The Wedding Information Site: Ideas for Sunflower Bridal Bouquets
• Do It Yourself Weddings: Fall Wedding Centerpiece Photos from a DIY Wedding
• Martha Stewart Weddings: Real Wedding with Yellow Ideas
• Typo Writers: The Best Cutting Flowers