The ultimate guide on how to DIY your faux floral bridal bouquet

how to make a faux flower wedding bouquet ^{Photo: Taliaferro Photographs}

Real flowers, in this economy? But seriously, we get it! We love real flowers as much as the next wedding blogger, but for some couples, spending $10,000+ on real flowers for your wedding is simply out of the question. Luckily, a lot has changed in the faux flower game over the years, and fake has never looked this good! There was a time when we could pick out a fake flower from a mile away, but now, they’ve got these babies down to an art. Some are so good, they even feel real!

^{Photo: Taliaferro Photographs}

Before we get down to business and give you all the deets on how to DIY your own faux flower wedding bouquet, we want to take a minute to talk about a trend we’ve seen on IG. Brides have been posting their quotes for flowers in conjunction with videos showing their DIY process. And while we support couples saving money and expressing themselves through any and all DIY efforts, we want to acknowledge that, while, yes, pricey, real wedding flower arrangements cost what they do for a reason. Florists are not overcharging or scamming their clients; flowers are expensive, period. And so is labor, and rent, not to mention marketing, etc. So while we may not all be able to afford the luxury service that is fresh wedding floral design and installation, let’s all take a sec to admire the art, shall we?

what you’ll need

The first (and most important) step of any project is making sure you have the right tools and materials. Here’s what you’ll need

Floral Wire
Wire Cutters

Green Wire Wrap

5 large focal flowers

7 medium-sized flowers

3 floral sprays

3 greenery sprays

Ribbon

There are a ton of great faux flower resources out there. We found the flowers for this post on Afloral and Ling’s Moment. The key to that perfectly realistic look is finding flowers that aren’t perfect–get it??? Check out the leaves and the stem, there should be some variation in the colors. The flowers should be pristine, a little browning or a wilting petal here and there–that’s what makes it feel real. Also, opt for colors that are commonly found in nature. It’s always the bright blue flowers that give it away!

step by step

Remove unwanted/unnecessary leaves on floral stems.
Wrap exposed parts of the cut stem and wire with green floral tape to protect your hands.
In one hand, position the 5 large focal flowers in a pleasing shape to create the center of the bouquet. Once you have them positioned, wrap the area of the stem you were holding in floral wire to keep them in place.
Place the 7 medium-sized flowers around the large flowers. At this point, feel free to play with the height. When you have them positioned, wrap the stems in floral wire to keep them in place.
Use your 3 floral sprays to add height or length to your bouquet, depending on your design, then wrap in place with floral wire.
Use the 3 greenery sprays to fill in any gaps, then wrap in place with floral wire.
Cover the floral wire with green floral tape.
Use ribbon to wrap the stems and cover the tape. Pro tip: leave the ends extra long to add a little drama.
Use the wire cutters to trim the stems to the same length at the bottom.

Et voilà–There you have it, your wedding bouquet! Eeek! It’s starting to feel real, right–you’re getting married!!! Congrats on checking a huge item off your to-do list.

faux flower wedding bouquet tutorial ^{Photo/Flowers: Ling's Moment}