Let’s start with the backstory:

My wedding was split into two different events. The actual ceremony, which was very small and only included family. And the reception which was large and for all of our friends.

Both events included DIY & for the most part, I remembered to take photos of everything!

For this post, I will be showing you how I made my bouquet & my husband’s boutonniere.

First, I went to Michael’s to pick out my flowers. I chose faux over real for two reasons:

1. With faux I was able to choose any flower I wanted for a much cheaper price and

2. Faux flowers last forever.

 

I went with Peony as my base flower because I love them – I think they are such ‘romantic’ flowers and they are large, so with fewer of them I was still able to have a ‘WOW’ with my bouquet.

The accent flowers were baby’s breath and a small rose that I chose just because of it’s coloring.

In the photo above, the left side shows the flowers in their original state. The right shows them trimmed in length.

Other materials needed are:

The burlap is the finishing touch to the bouquet. It’s hides all the wire & tape for a pretty finish. You could also use lace or any type of fabric, depending on your preference.

Not Pictured:

Now, I do not have any photos of the next part. Here is my excuse: My hands were full!

I laid out all my flowers & trimmed them to the approximate length I thought I wanted them. In all honesty, I left them a little longer than I thought necessary just as a precaution. I also trimmed some of the leaves off, because there were a lot on those babies.

Next, I began with my biggest flowers, the peonies, as they were the base for the bouquet. I then added the roses and baby’s breath. Their is no secret to arranging them, it is just personal preference and what you think looks good.

Once I was happy with the arrangement, I cut about six inches of wire to wrap around the stems to keep the flowers in place. Then, I taped the stems tightly from top to bottom.

Double check that the flowers are arranged how you like them & it’s time for the finishing touch of burlap!

I cut enough burlap to wrap around the stems with a little overlap. Finally, I glued it together & a little between the burlap and stems so it wouldn’t fall off.

Not too shabby, huh?

For the boutonniere, I took a rose and baby’s breath. I trimmed down the stems significantly so they would fit inside the shotgun shell. Once I had them in place, I taped the stems.

The shell was a little bigger than I wanted, so I trimmed the length of it. Then, I placed the arrangement inside & glued. I finished of with a border of twine at the top of the shell and glued the safety pin on the backside.

This project didn’t take too long & was relatively easy & cheap. Below are the finished products side by side. Let me know if you try this for your wedding or special occasion!

I thought I’d add an extra tidbit, too. Below is what these look like in professional photos, rather than my cellphone. (Find my amazing photographer HERE)