Anyone ever made own wedding bouqet and button holes?!

Mup_2

Hiya
A friend gave me a wedding flower book as I wasn't sure what I wanted. Anyway, got lots of 'dressing' bouquet ideas from book eg using lovely organza ribbons etc to compliment flowers.

I just found some lovely ribbons that go really nicely with my dress and flowers so gonna have a go at doing the bouquet myself - save some £ and get exactly what I want! Just been to get a bouquet for my trial run (to find out how long it will take for flowers all to open) so I can plan ahead.
I'm aiming at a natural 'hand tied' look so wish me luck - plus please offer advice, any handy people!

Also, planning to make buttonholes from my OH and guests - anyone tried this? Any tips?

Thanks,
Mup.

Tondella

Hi Mup

Haven't got any tips for you now but I can offer some support as I will be doing my own bouquet for my wedding in september. My local council (Westminster) has an excellent adult education program and features a one day bouquet making course for £8! which i'll be attending in May.

I'm going to use hydrangeas, they're in abundant supply in september, come in a variety of colours and are very big and bloomy and so naturally make up into a bouquet. I might try and throw some eucalyptus in there if I'm feeling super confident! Does your book show you how to wire up the buttonholes? I got a jane packer book out from the library and it has a very good demonstration on how to wire up the flowers so they don't wilt.

Mup_2

Hi
No, the book I'm looking at is purely flower colours/seasons and what works together well. Not practical 'how to' stuff so will see if I can get a copy of that book in my library - got a few weeks to go...

There's no flower bouquet course near me but found a cake icing one yesterday for weddings (but bit late cos ordered my M&S one!) Gonna arrange some flowers to put on top of that, too!

Thanks for the help,
Mup.

Tondella

Well, I'm sure Jane Packer isn't the only one who can advise on this, basically (and this i did not know) in order to stop the buttonhole from wilting you have to thread very fine florist wire behind the leaves and through the flower head into the stem. It's very clever and looks like it takes a steady hand, but I'm sure it can be mastered!

I'm just having plain icing on my cake and decorating each tier with a different coloured ribbon. Wish my Gran was around, she did some spectacular iced flowers.

Scoflo

My Mum does her own buttonholes. Its all in the wiring! You will have no problems with them.

She tried to do flowers for us when she remarried but it wasn't a success. They were to be balls on a ribbon but she gave up in the end.

I had baskets of flowers for my girls when I remarried. It was simply small baskets which held artificial flowers form Poundstretchers. The flowers were removed and fresh ones replaced on oasis. They were beautiful and dead cheap.

Becles

At my first wedding, most of my ex's family have really bad hayfever, so all the flowers were silk to prevent sneezing!

Making silk flower button holes was really easy. We had a carnation and a small piece of fern wired together. The stems and wire were all covered in florists tape, and a safety pin was attached to the back. It was dead easy to do. I'm not sure how it would work with fresh flowers but you could have a try.

The florists tape looks like a roll of green sellotape, but it's not shiny and it sticks to itself. It's easy to use and you can buy it from any florist.

Mup_2

Hi Tondella
Thanks for the tip - I tried the library but Jane Packer has a whole heap of books, I find, and I will need to order the title I want. Can you recall the title that had info about buttonholes? It'd be really helpful : )

Thanks,
Mup.

Tondella

sure! I'll have a look this evening when i get home and post tomorrow.

EDIT: Although I've just looked on Amazon and I'm pretty sure that this is the one, though my version had a different cover

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0751305898/ref=ed_qpe_dp_1_1/202-4401410-3643038

Tondella

Yep! I checked the book last night and the title above is correct. It's published by Dorling Kindersley. My version must be a little outdated as it has a white cover and a different vase of flowers on the front, but I'm sure they haven't ditched the section on buttonholes as it is so essentially a part of wedding flowers. What flowers are you thinking of using Mup?

Mup_2

Thanks for going to the trouble of checking - I'm off to the library again shortly! I'm hoping to use lillies but not sure they'll stay pert/upright without some wiring for stems (for bouquet). Do you think lillies are a bit big as a buttonhole?! Apparently, groom and me should have same flowers from a superstition point of view, so may mix carnations or roses in with lillies and use either of those as buttonholes for everyone.

I;m not really a 'flowery' girl so it's a steep learning curve!
Mup.

Tondella

I'd say go with what you want, all those wedding traditions are to be broken!

I've seen people in wedding magazines with calla lillies as buttonholes, they're the more closed version. There's no harm in trying to make one buttonhole and seeing if it works. If you'r using the big open trumpet shaped oriential lillies you'll have to cut their stamen off as their pollen can stain badly -- same for your bouquet. If you want a bit of creational advice then you can always have a chat with a couple of florists about bouquets, what flowers they would pick and mix, what works for buttonholes etc etc. If you're "just getting quotes" then there's no obligation to buy