Wedding Flower Bouquets
Many modern brides love the look of a hand tied bridal bouquet. Florists prefer giving those flowers a water source, knowing that it is the true key to keeping those flowers fresh as long as possible.
Creating a mock hand tied is an easy solution and is often hard to tell the difference once completed. (We won't tell if you don't!)
You begin by reserving your stems that were cut off your fresh flowers when inserting into the foam holder. Be sure to wash off any grime, dethorn and reserve only the leaves at the top of the stems.
Some florists use double sticky tape on their handles, but I find that florist clay works better for me, especially the kind that comes on a generous roll and is wound on a long strip with waxy paper in between.
I wind the florist clay down the entire length of the bouquet handle. I usually conceal the underside of the bouquet holder with leaves (usually salal, dusty miller, myrtle or pittosporum.)
I generally tape the handle with green florist tape first to conceal any hint of white from the bouquet handle.
I simply push the stems up tightly under the base of the bouquet holder and press firmly into the florist clay.
If I really want to mimic a true hand tie, I shape an extra wad of florist clay down the stem to force the stems to flare out like a true hand tie would.
BindIt tape can be used to securely hold the tops of the cut stems in place. It is very slick and binds instantly to itself. You do have to be careful that you don't allow it to touch itself in any place you don't want it to.
I love the sleek, tight fit that does not come undone easily unless you cut it off. You can also use florist tape or waterproof tape if you don't have BindIt available.
Brides planning an outdoor or rustic wedding like the brown paper look. This one is ideal, because it is actually wired and can create beautiful loops, corsage bows and boutonniere wraps very easily.
Oasis Bind Wire come on a 673 foot roll and is available in green or brown. A bigger diameter is Rustic Wire, available in the same two colors, but a bigger wire diameter and 70 ft. roll.
BindWire is not only a decorative accent, but also a very strong binding of wire that assures your flower stems will not come apart.
