Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Hand tied Bridal Bouquet


As I mentioned in one of my first posts, the Bridal Bouquet is one of the most important floral items that I create. Normally I suggest the traditional bridal bouquet because I can use many flowers, foliage and accessories while creating a light and easy to carry bouquet. Personally I do not like hand tied bouquets since they leave the stems exposed which can damage the bridal gown. Recently many bridal magazines feature hand tied bouquets so I feel the need to show how this bouquet is constructed. The price of this type of bouquet starts at 80 euro. The price will go up based on the type of flowers, time of year and the “Bling” that is added to the bouquet. Many ladies ask why this bouquet costs more than a normal bouquet that you can buy in any florist shop. There is far more care taken for this bouquet that will be photographed all day than an everyday hand tied bouquet you purchase to give away or decorate your home.
Note I always start with double the amount of flowers that I expect to use for my bouquet. I carefully select each flower by examining the condition of each bud. Knowing that each flower will be photographed close up and needs to last all day I want to make sure that I start with the best possible. I then condition all my flower s in a solution of floral preservative and water for a few hours. This will further ensure that the bouquet will look it’s best all through the day.

Materials
For this type of bouquet you will need wide floral tape and decorating ribbon or fabric from the bridal gown.
To assemble use a wide floral tape to hold all the stems together as you assemble the bouquet. The bouquet is assembled as you would a normal bouquet using the spiral technique and taping as you go so the flowers do not move around.
Although floral tape is very useful it is not pretty to look at. Many people who have not learned to create a bridal bouquet will deliver the bouquet to the bride with this floral tape in view. Do not accept a bouquet in this manner. During the day this tape will become sticky from the heat of your hand and that’s just not fun. I always ask the bride for a piece of the bridal gown to cover the handle but any beautiful ribbon will be fine. It’s the finishing touch that separates the designer from the novice.

My personal secret; I often construct my bouquets in the traditional way and then add dry stems around the handle in order that the bouquet looks hand tied yet is really traditional.
If you have any questions at all about your wedding flowers, please send me an email and I'll be happy to respond.
Enjoy your wedding day.
Debra