So you're having a winter wedding and you've chosen to create a DIY wedding bouquet. You might think this limits your options because far fewer flowers bloom in the winter, naturally narrowing your selection. However, thanks to the magic of greenhouses and modern floral techniques, you can get a hold of just about anything you want at any time of year if you're willing to pay for it.
Here are some tips for making your very own winter wedding bouquet.
Choosing the Right Flowers For Your DIY Wedding Bouquet
Seasonal Arrangements and Accents
Whether you just love the snow or the season holds special meaning for you and your future spouse or you're obsessed with the holidays, you've chosen a winter wedding for a reason. So, naturally, you'll want your arrangement to echo the love you have for winter.
Color is key in the process. If you want to echo the colder, crisper temperatures of the winter in your bouquet, aim for an arrangement that features shades of emerald green, snowy white, icy blue, and deep burgundy. Jewel tones are always a great choice for winter arrangements, as well as deep, rich colors and icy blues/whites. Unless you're specifically aiming for a holiday-themed wedding, try to select colors that convey your winter inspiration without specifically reading as holiday (so, for instance, don't pair a lot of red and green together).
White is often the most common color palette during winter, but you don't have to go with stark colors—select blooms that have an “antique†white hue or branch out into creams, ivories, and pale blush shades. Silver and white can be an elegant way to combine the icy tones of winter in a bouquet. Silver leaves and ribbon can make the perfect accent for a collection of white blues if you want something that is the ultimate in wintry tones.
If you want to add some wintry touches without going full winter wonderland, considering opting for winter themed accents that enhance whatever blooms you've selected. These could include evergreen sprigs, berries, acorns, dried cotton, and more. Pussy willow branches are another great wintry options, as well as white tipped pinecones, mistletoe, marabou feathers, blue-gray juniper boughs, and sage green lamb's ear. There are so many ways to transform a generic bouquet into a winter wonderland with just a few well-placed accents.
Whether you're having a formal affair that calls for red and white roses or a more rustic gathering that is the perfect environment for some icy blue blooms and evergreen sprigs, there's a winter bouquet perfect for your affair.
In Season Blooms
Of course, you may prefer to stick with wedding flowers that are in season around the time of your wedding. Generally, it's a cheaper option as they will be easier to get and not require transportation over long distances. Amaryllis, anemone, camellias, casablanca lilies, forget-me-nots, french tulips, gardenias, holly, jasmine, orchids, mini gerberas, narcissus paper whites, poinsettias, and roses are all seasonal flowers that are lovely choices for a winter wedding.
Some, like poinsettias and red roses, are more indicative of the holiday season, while others come in a wide range of colors that allow you to match your design scheme no matter what you've selected. Many of these blooms naturally occur in shades of red and white, which are some of the most popular colors for winter weddings due to their evoking the frosty temperatures and the deep warmth of the holiday season.
You may also want to add stems for accents and there are numerous filler stems that grow year-round and are perfect for your winter bouquet. Queen Anne's Lace, waxflower, montecasino aster, statis, and hypericum are just a few of the options available to you. They come in everything from white to purple to yellow to pink, so there are a lot of choices, whether you're opting for more traditional wintry shades or something off the beaten path.
Prepping For Your DIY Wedding Bouquet For Winter
Cost
Most likely you've chosen to DIY your bouquet to save yourself some money. But you still should have a budget in mind for the types of flowers you're selecting. Generally, the average cost of a bride's bouquet from a florist is around $150. So, try to make sure you're spending around that much or less if the purpose of doing a DIY bouquet is to save money.
Prices will certainly vary depending on the particular blooms you select. For instance, carnations are significantly cheaper than roses or peonies. Keep the price range in mind when you're designing your bouquet and deciding what type of flowers you might want. Additionally, you can help keep prices down by using a lot of cheaper accent pieces and reducing the total number of flowers in the overall bouquet.
Tips for DIY Wedding Bouquets
If you're going to DIY your wedding bouquet, there's a lot of things you can do to prevent yourself major stress down the line. First off, plan your designs in extensive detail before you ever begin—know exactly what you want, what types of flowers you'll be using, etc. so you can determine how to arrange it. Ideally, you would find a tutorial for the bouquet you're most interested in making, but if nothing else you should watch a bunch of tutorials and make some practice bouquets to be sure you're ready to make the centerpiece for your big day.
If this is the first time you've ever arranged a bouquet for a special occasion, keep your expectations don't realistic. Don't choose a heavily ornate design off of Pinterest and expect to be able to recreate it. Keep it simple—use only one or two types of flowers in the design and pick something you feel confident you can construct after viewing tutorials. You will also want to pick sturdy, hardy flowers, that way you won't have to worry about damaging fragile blooms while assembling the arrangement. Lastly, be sure you have all the floral tools you need on hand before you begin, this includes ribbon, floral tape, floral scissors, floral foam, and floral wire. It's better to have something you don't end up using than to panic when your bouquet isn't coming together the way you want it to.
When it comes to building your bouquet, you should plan to do it the day before the wedding and allow a minimum of an hour to complete the project. Keep the flowers in water in a cool, shady place. Under no circumstances should you refrigerate the bouquet—your personal fridge is a different temperature from floral fridges and could dry out/kill the flowers. On the day of your wedding, put a trusted friend in charge of transporting the bouquet and making sure it gets there in one piece. You have enough to worry about already!
