How to Make a Wedding Bouquet With Maurice Harris

A wedding bouquet, also known as a bridal bouquet, is the floral arrangement brides hold on their wedding day. You may purchase the bouquet and other wedding flowers such as boutonnieres, corsages, bridesmaid bouquets, and table arrangements from a professional, or you can create your own wedding bouquet using store-bought flowers, fresh flowers from your garden, or wildflowers.

The benefits of building your own wedding flower bouquet include:

1. 1. Cost: Hiring a floral designer to provide a bouquet for your big day might not fit your budget. Though it will still cost some money to buy flowers, you’ll save by providing the labor yourself.
2. 2. Creative fun: Building your bridal bouquet provides an enjoyable wedding planning project you can share with loved ones before your wedding, with the added benefit of seeing your creative choices on display.
3. 3. Design control: A DIY bridal bouquet means doing all the selection and flower arranging yourself. You get to decide what your flowers will look like with no surprises on your special day.

“There are so many flowers that can suit all of your needs. It’s just about you going out and exploring [and] seeing what tickles your fancy.”— Floral artist Maurice Harris

Once you’ve decided to go with DIY wedding flowers, you’ll need to buy or find some blooms. Try one of these sources:

1. 1. Flower market: When you buy flowers from a flower market, you get to hand-select every stem. “When I’m shopping for flowers, I go to the flower market,” Maurice says. “And I am such a visual person that I just can go there and look and pick and say, ‘Ooh, I want this. Ooh, these colors look good together.’”
2. 2. Garden: If you have one, consider sourcing your wedding bouquet flower stems from your garden or the flower garden of someone willing to donate flowers to you.
3. 3. Grocery store: Many grocery stores have floral sections, but the flowers often aren’t as fresh as what you’ll find at the flower market. “If I’m buying [flowers] in the grocery store, I like to do a nice shake test,” Maurice says. “Sometimes you’ll do the shake test, and everything will come off. You clearly know that that’s an old stem.”
4. 4. Farmers’ market: Visit your local farmers’ market and talk to the flower farmers there. You may be able to preorder flowers directly from a local farmer, who will have the best sense of what’s in season on your wedding day.
5. 5. Florist: Professional florists not only supply designed bouquets; you can also purchase individual or bulk flowers to build with on your own.
6. 6. Nature: Depending on your needs and where you live, you may be able to pick wildflowers and greenery straight from a nearby field. Be sure you pick from areas that legally allow flower picking and avoid choosing protected or endangered plants.
7. 7. Online wholesalers: In recent years, online bulk floral wholesalers have become a common source of flowers. “If you’re ordering online, just start to do your research a little bit,” Maurice says. “See, like, what colors you like together,” since you won’t be able to view the blooms in person. You’ll need to buy in bulk, but generally, wholesalers cost less than traditional flower shops.

Now that you’ve chosen your flowers, you’ll need the following items before you begin to build your wedding bouquet:

1. 1. A bucket filled with an inch or two of water: Place your finished bouquet in the bucket to stay hydrated until your wedding day.
2. 2. Floral shears or scissors: You’ll need a sharp pair of shears to trim the stems from your flowers to equal lengths.
3. 3. Floral tape or ribbon: Choose a ribbon or floral tape in a color that complements your wedding dress or a neutral tone, such as ivory.
4. 4. Fresh flowers: Gather all the flowers and greenery you’d like to use and arrange them in separate groups for your floral arrangement.
5. 5. Gardening gloves: Gardening gloves will protect your hands from thorns or sharp stems.
6. 6. Rubber bands or floral wire: You’ll use the rubber bands or floral wire to hold your bouquet together once you’ve arranged it.

Build your wedding bouquet as close to your wedding ceremony time as possible. Many people build their bouquets the day or two before the wedding. According to Harris, your flower choices may determine the best time to create your bouquet: “If you are doing … a bridal bouquet where it has to be out of water for hours at a time, you really wanna do a little research on the flowers that are going to last.”

Follow these steps to create a beautiful wedding bouquet:

1. 1. Gather your flowers. Whether you buy them or pick them yourself, gather all the flowers and greenery you’d like to use in your arrangement. Consider the size, texture, and wedding color palette when making your choices.
2. 2. Set up your tools. Have your bucket of water, floral shears, garden gloves, floral tape or ribbon, and rubber bands or floral wire ready to go nearby.
3. 3. Choose a bouquet style. Use the style of your wedding dress as a gauge. Determine if you want a classic tight bouquet, a cascading bouquet, or any other custom shape.
4. 4. Prepare your flowers. Clean your flower stems of any excess leaves, offshoots, or thorns, then cut the ends of each stem at a forty-five-degree angle. “Take the time to really manicure your flowers,” Maurice says. “Find the special part in each stem at the top so that then as you’re placing a stem, you know, it’ll rest in there nicely.”
5. 5. Build the base. If you include a non-floral base such as eucalyptus or fern, start by holding your greenery in your dominant hand midway down the stems in a loose but firm grip. “This is creating the foundation for how you add your other blooms,” Maurice says. “It’s the dominant hand you wanna use to control the arrangement and where you wanna hold it.”
6. 6. Add in focal flowers. Your focal flowers attract the most attention in your bouquet and usually have one large bloom on a single stem. Popular focal flowers include roses, hydrangeas, ranunculus, sunflowers, and peonies. “The basic principle is, you’re gonna be holding in one hand at a little bit of an angle,” Maurice says. “You’re then gonna place another flower next to it. And then you turn. You place, and you turn. You place, and you turn. Place, and you turn.”
7. 7. Add filler flowers and additional greenery. Filler flowers, such as spray roses, baby’s breath, and lisianthus, add volume and texture to your arrangement. Add filler flowers and additional greenery at an angle, rearranging as you go to maximize the look. “Allow yourself to discover what’s in front of you... as you’re following along,” Maurice says.
8. 8. Secure with a rubber band or floral wire. Once you find the design, secure the arrangement by wrapping the stems with a rubber band or floral wire. Look for any holes or gaps in your bouquet before tying it.
9. 9. Wrap with floral tape or ribbon. To give your bouquet a finished look, disguise the rubber band or floral wire by wrapping the stems with floral tape or a ribbon (or both). “I do about a foot and a half,” Maurice says. “But it’s better to have a little bit extra than not enough.” Since you’ll be carrying your bouquet around rather than leaving it in a vase, ensure the flowers are secure. “I wrap the tape around at least two to three times to make sure it’s nice and secured,” Maurice says.
10. 10. Trim the stems. Trim the stems of your bouquet. Leave a few inches of bare stem and place your finished bouquet in a bucket with a few inches of water to keep it hydrated.
11. 11. Feel free to start over. You may not get your perfect look on the first try. Be patient and start again if you need to. “This is definitely a meditative process,” Maurice says. “Take your time. Don’t be in a hurry. It actually kinda takes forever. So you’re not slow. It just literally takes time to do it right.” Find an online bouquet tutorial for ideas and support if you need extra direction.

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