Wedding Bouquets - Making them yourself

Back in highschool, I used to watch Martha Stewart's show religiously. I remember recording the wedding episodes on my VCR so that I wouldn't miss anything. Yes, it was back in the day where TIVOs and DVRs didn't exist. She taught me that making wedding bouquets were a piece of cake and since then, I have been making them for every wedding I have been a part of.

Half a dozen weddings later, it was my turn to use my skills for my sister's wedding. We went to a local warehouse to pick up some fresh flowers. We talked to the "flower lady" and got the freshest ones (they were secretly stored in a nearby freezer, not on the floor).

Once I got home, I placed all the flowers into a bucket of water just to see what all was there. I then stripped the leaves and cleaned the stems of the flowers I wanted in the bouquet.

I arranged them and cut off the end so that all the stems would be the same length. I then wrapped the stems with a ribbon.

I like leaving the end of the bouquet unwrapped so that I can leave it in water all evening and during the day when the bouquet isn't used, lengthening the life of the bouquet.

At the end of the ribbon, fold the ribbon under and pin with a pearl needle for a clean look.

A simple, yet elegant bouquet in a matter of minutes at a fraction of the cost.

I don't think that I could ever buy a bouquet ever again. We made a lot of flower arrangements with the left over flowers.

For the bridal bouquet, she chose a combination of Hydrangeas and Eucalyptus. I loved how it turned out.

Not a bad bouquet for under $15? Nearly a week later, the bouquets are still blooming.