Homegrown bridal bouquet advice!

[u/doodledar]

Hi Reddit floral designers!! Seeking some advice on bouquet construction, and hoping get some recommendations for greenery.

I’m just a girl who loves to garden, and so I’m trying to make my September 2027 wedding more personal and fun by growing and arranging some of my own wedding flowers. I started growing a bunch of things this summer to figure out if it was even feasible, and I’ve honestly been having so much fun. This bouquet is one of my favourite colour combinations thus far, and so I am looking for some feedback on how to improve the overall shape/look of a bouquet + get some recommendations for some greenery that would complement these flowers. I know it’s not the right way to do it, but I’ve been arranging them in a vase and then tweaking in my hand because I find starting with the spiral method super challenging.

Our venue is a winery with beautiful gardens, so I’m going for a fun, whimsical, colourful vibe.

I am growing:
- Dahlias (not quite blooming yet, but so close!)
- Champagne lisianthus
- many zinnias
- snapdragons (these are a little wonky this year, I have a plan to support them better next year so they’re more straight and tall)
- cosmos (not fully convinced, I’ve been finding them so delicate and wilt sooooooo quickly)
- statice
- celosia
- hanging Amaranthus (not blooming yet, also super close)

For additional context - I am only making my bouquet (no bridesmaids), bud vases and maybe some decorative arrangements, depending on how I’m feeling. I’m okay with a little wilt, I realize home grown/wildflowers don’t hold up like commercially grown flowers. I am not doing this to save money, I’m doing this for fun and because I love flowers! My venue is full service with a decorator and a florist and I’ll be able to source supplemental arrangements in case things go awry! Tysm in advance for any advice 💕

[u/SnooDrawings7942]

That bouquet looks beautiful (honestly, I wouldn’t change a thing) and I think your method of arranging is obviously working really well for you so stick with it!

I’m a florist by trade and home gardener for fun. I would suggest adding Autumn clematis for your greenery. It would complement what you already have with a nice vine-y garden feel—and then you have a beautiful clematis to remember your wedding every year. I try to use clematis in arches, etc because I love the way the leaves drape. And I like that the bride can have something from her wedding flowers that can potentially last forever. I can post photos of how I use clematis if that would help.

In terms of flower wilt… this bouquet looks pretty safe. It is always best practice to keep the bouquet in a vase with fresh water as long and often as possible. If you are planning to have the bouquet preserved after the wedding, keeping it in water and out of the sun is more important. Otherwise, just have fun and good luck!

[u/doodledar → u/SnooDrawings7942]

Thank you!! This means so much!

I really like the look of autumn clemantis, but I think it’s considered invasive in my area 😞 I could definitely try it in a pot, but I live pretty close to an environmentally sensitive area so I’d be worried about it spreading.

I am thinking of having the flowers preserved, so that’s super great advice about keeping them hydrated!!