Wilted DIY Wedding Flowers
For a bride (or groom) who likes to do-it-herself, building a wedding's floral arrangements might be a challenge she's ready for. The DIY bride, however, needs to be prepared for problems that may arise when creating her own bouquets, including that the flowers could wilt once the wedding begins. If you're building your own wedding flower displays, follow a few steps to help keep the blossoms in full bloom and looking beautiful throughout the festivities.
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Things You'll Need
- Bucket
- Sink
- Vases
- Soap
- Water
- Scrubber
- Sharp knife
- Twine or stones
- Flower preservatives
- Cool, dark space
Instructions
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Keep the cut stems of the flowers saturated in water as soon as they're snipped. When a stem is exposed to the air, tiny air bubbles can enter the plant and clog the tissues, causing premature wilting. Set the flowers in a bucket or sink full of water, even before you begin building the arrangement.
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2
Thoroughly clean all the vases you plan to display the wedding flowers in. Any bacteria left over from the last bouquet can cause the fresh flowers to wilt before their time. Clean the vases with hot, soapy water and a scrub brush. Also, clean the cutting knife.
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3
Hold the flower stems under running water to prevent air from entering the plants when they're cut. Use a sharp knife to cut each stem about 1/2 inch from its bottom, creating a 45-degree angle. Do not use scissors, which could crush the vascular system of the plant and block its ability to take in water.
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Create the flower arrangements. Use one hand to stack the bouquet in the vase, and the other to hold it all in place. Arrange the flowers so that the highest are in the center, followed by shorter stems creating a dome-shape around them. To ensure the bouquet stays in place, use colored stones at the bottom of the vase or secure some twine around the center of the stems.
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Fill the vase with warm water. This will help the flowers absorb as much water as they can, and thus prevent wilting once they're displayed. Also, add a flower preservative to the water, following the manufacturer's directions.
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Store the bouquet in a cool, dark space for as long as possible. When it's time to display them at the wedding, arrange the flowers out of direct sunlight and away from cold or hot air drafts to prevent wilting.
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If the flowers begin to wilt before the party begins, take out the plants, run the stems under water and cut the stems again at a 45-degree angle. Fill the vase with warm water and place the arrangement back inside. This should help the flowers re-absorb water and stop them from wilting.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Comstock/Comstock/Getty Images
