Hand Tied Bouquet
There are several alternatives to finishing off the final bouquet handle. The simplest is to ribbon wrap the stems. I generally waiting until the wedding day to do this, as storing the hand tied bouquet in a vase of water can cause the ribbon to absorb water and get wet or dirty in the process.
There is a big advantage in using a nylon sheer ribbon - it is generally impervious to water damage. Wire edge bows and ribbon can be easily bent and twisted back into shape if mussed before the wedding hour.
I use a pearl headed corsage pin to attach the cut end of the ribbon and then wind the ribbon around the stems tightly, over the cut beginning of the ribbon.
Several tight windings of ribbon, then a diagonal cut and secured with another pin is the easiest and simplest of the bouquet wraps. Be sure the pins are deeply inserted, pushed so the points are pointing upward and buried firmly in a flower stem in the center of the bouquet.
You can overlap with another sheer ribbon or add more pearl headed pins for a decorative finish to the wrap. Just be sure the ribbon is secure and there is no chance of coming loose.
Check your bouquet from all angles and make sure you have all your flowers in place before adding the ribbon wrap.
The overall design can look very different from one bouquet to another simply with a choice of different flower varieties or colors.
This bouquet is ready to be used either by an bride or attendant. If possible, it is best to keep your flowers in refrigeration if possible. If you have to leave flowers out, always turn down the air conditioning, keep the flowers away from windows or heaters and run a humidifier (that ADDS moisture to the air) if you have one.
I always spray every wedding design (bouquets, centerpieces, corsages and boutonnieres) with a good misting of a flower sealant such as Finishing Touch. Home refrigerators or air conditioning take moisture OUT of the air. Flower sealants like this seal the moisture into the petal and slows the evaporation process, keeping the petal transparency slower and increasing the life of the flowers.
