Care of Your Wedding Bouquet

Your first flowers as a married couple are so important, and wedding day bouquet care is essential.  You want a bouquet with colors, textures and style that reflects your personality, lasts beautifully during your wedding day and looks great in pictures.  A little planning with a professional designer before your wedding will result in flowers that meet all your criteria and remain sturdy and good looking even through hugs and dancing!  Here are some tips for keeping your bouquet looking good on your special day:

1.  Previously, many bouquets were made in floral foam, which provided a water source to the stems.  These days, “hand-tied” bouquets (with stems showing) are so popular.  It is ideal to keep a hand-tied bouquet in a vase of water until picture time.  Between pictures and ceremony, return your bouquet to water, or at least a cool area.  Never leave your bouquet in a warm vehicle or direct sunlight too long.
2. During the day, it’s wise to have a spritzer bottle of water to refresh the heads of the flowers.  (If your future spouse gets out of line, you may also use it on them!).
3. Use your bouquet on the head table, again in a vase of water.  The next day, re-cut the stems and place your bouquet in new water to re-hydrate.
4. Include something in your bouquet that can be rooted and saved… a succulent is a beautiful touch and can be easily rooted by placing on a bed of soil and gently watered.  An ivy tendril can be rooted by removing lower leaves and placing in a bottle of water.   The British Royals still incorporate Myrtle from a nosegay given to Queen Victoria by Prince Albert’s grandmother into their wedding nuptial flowers.
5. Think ahead and consider planting a perennial or bush that will be flowering on your wedding day, then bring some of the cut flowers to your florist to incorporate into your bouquet.  Lily of the Valley, peonies, lilacs and Bridal Veil spirea are all easy to grow plants that flower during late May or early June, and these plants will be a permanent reminder of your wedding day as they bloom on each anniversary.

Choosing the correct flowers for the season of the year, keeping your bouquet cool (but not freezing) and providing as much hydration as possible will all help to assure a beautiful bouquet.  And don’t forget to take a cutting and root it for lasting memories.

Liz holds a beautiful bouquet that contains succulents… a plant that is easily rooted and a treasured keepsake!

A drop of water is reflected in the center of this succulent… picture in our greenhouse courtesy of Lorelei