Step 1: Find a space to use! This can get messy so you want floors that are easy to sweep and ideally a table, a counter, or island of some sort you can set up on. (Making bouquets while standing is typically easier!)

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Step 2: Gather all of the materials you are going to need and place them on your table. Prefill your vase/ buckets/ containers with water and add some flower food if you have it.

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Step 3: Once everything is within reaching distance, you can start creating! Hold your non-dominant hand in a circular shape. (We typically put our index finger to our thumb to start). You want to hold your hand somewhat loosely.

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Step 4: Start with your greens to create a base. If you have branchy stems, sometime you can get away with a single stem as your base,  but we like to use at least a stem of each of our greens.

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Step 5: Start adding flowers! We like to start with one of our larger or more focal flowers and then build from there. Using your dominant hand, hold your first flower toward the end of the stem and sort of weave it  gently into the green stems. (Some stems are more fragile than others, be careful not to hold too tightly and break them.)

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Step 6: Keep adding flowers and greens until you are happy with the results. Try to work with the natural shapes of the flowers and give your design some depth by putting them at varying heights. Keep your stems long! Remember, it’s a bouquet and the back side will be against you , so you don’t need to worry about it being perfectly round (unless that’s the look you are going for!)

-Usually, somewhere in this process we get frustrated, pull everything apart and start over, this is totally okay and part of the process!

 

Step 7. Put the finishing touches on your bouquet. We like to finish with some greens, especially at the back. You can also do a sort collar of greens if you have the flowy, dangly type and like that look.

(This is a good time to add your dangly flowers if you have them too! Your hand is probably a bit cramped right now but you are almost there!

 

Step 8: Hold your bouquet with both hands at your belly button with the top tilted out a touch and look in a mirror. Does it look fabulous? Or does it need a few tweaks? (Having someone take a photo of you holding it is also helpful!)

Once you’ve got it to the fabulous stage, grab a pipe cleaner and twist it tightly around all of your stems so your bouquet keeps its shape. Then, cut all your stems to a uniform length and place it in water! (Keep in mind, you can always trim your stems shorter but you can never make them longer again)

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Step 9: Wrap your stems.  Even if you don't want a big showy bow or streamers, we recommend at least adding a bit of ribbon so it's softer to hold. (We typically like to do this the day of the ceremony so the ribbon isn't sitting in water for long.) Wrapping is fairly straightforward; we like to start at the top and work our way down in overlapping wraps and then secure at the bottom back with a bout pin or similar. 

-Now is a good time to do your final stem cut,  then, add your bow and streamers if desired and you are all set! 

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