white calla lily bridal bouquet
The white calla lily bridal bouquet is actually made on a large bouquet holder, even though it looks like an arm bouquet. Keep in mind that these callas are not actually in the foam drawing water, so they are not the best choice for a hot summer wedding or outdoor venues. They are quick to make, so it's best to do this on the morning of the wedding. You could, however, substitute miniature callas for the larger, standard callas. The stems would be much smaller and there would be room to insert the calla stems into the foam, making the bouquet flowers able to draw up water and keep the flowers fresh.
You will need the following hard goods and fresh flowers:
- 1 Grande Belle Holder or the largest Gala Bouquet Holder
- 12" Wooden Stakes (if using large callas)
- 2.5" Wooden Cowee Picks (if using miniature callas)
- 8 Standard Calla Lilies or 10 Miniature Calla Lilies
- 4 white standard Roses
- 2 strands Smilax
- 5 Aspidistra Leaves
- Floralock Stem Adhesive
- Finishing Touch or Crowning Glory Flower Sealant
Standard "Large" calla stems are too large to fit into the foam. Create a clean cut with a sharp floral knife to the desired length following the image above. Set aside the cut off lengths of stems for later use. Do NOT use scissors. Dribble water into the stem, filling it with water. Wet a soft cotton ball and and push it gently upward into the hollow stem with a wooden Cowee stake, creating a plug. Shorten the wood stake. Tape the shortened stake to the Calla stem. Leave enough of the stake beyond the cut end for insertion into the bouquet holder foam. Do this with each standard calla.
If using miniature callas, cut to length, and lay a 2.5" Cowee pick next to the bottom of the stem, for help in inserting the calla stem into the foam. The calla stem must be gently worked into the foam, creating a small insertion hole if necessary with a wooden stake. The attached pick will expand with water, helping create a tight fit of the stem into the foam.
Tape a wooden pick or stake to the sides of the cut off stems, inserting them into the left side of the foam holder. These create the illusion of one entire length of calla, with the heads on the right side of the bouquet and the stems coming out of the left of the bouquet.
Cut the smilax and tape wooden picks to the cut ends, creating a cluster of greens. insert these into the stop and sides of the foam, allowing long strands to drape down over center and left side of the bouquet holder, concealing the foam and wooden stakes.
Insert the white roses into the center of the bouquet as shown in the photo.
Once the flowers, greenery and calla stems are all inserted and the mechanics of the bouquet concealed, lock the stems into place with Floralock Stem Adhesive. Shake the can thoroughly, allowing the adhesive to aerate in the can. Fit the red nozzle to the can and gently insert between the flower stems, squirting short bursts of the adhesive. Don't go too quickly, as spraying too much adhesive can cause the glue to drip down the bouquet handle.
Mist well with Finishing Touch or Crowning Glory, allow to dry and refrigerate. This bouquet MUST be refrigerated if using the large callas, as they have no water source.
If you need more step by step guidance, check out the Calla bouquet tutorials.
