About Jessica Expertise I can help identify types of flowers used in floral design, offer technique suggestions, and describe the virtues and vices of flowers for different uses.
Experience I have been a professional floral designer for 8 years and have owned my own floral retail business.
Question A friend of mine is getting married and wants me to do the flowers for her wedding. I have done weddings for friends as a hobbie for 6 years now. My friend wants a bouquet I have never done before. I have seen it in magazines but I am not sure the proper way to make it so I am asking for your advice.
Basically it is the petals of 3 to 4 dozen roses individually pulled together to form one large bloom. I am not sure if the petals are wired or glued? I need to know what the best way to prep this bouquet is and any other tips.
Answer Hi Angelica. This is called a "dutchess rose". How you make it will depend on how your friend wants to carry it. If she wants the stem to appear as if she's holding a single rose, you have your work cut out for you! This requires wiring every petal and THEN gluing the bottom of the petals together to make it sturdy. Then you would wrap all the wires in floral tape to make it look like one stem, with a bow just under the flower to conceal the wires and glue.
It is highly recommended, however, that you use a junior or mini bridal bouquet form. I suggest to cover the oasis with salal (lemon leaf) or moistend sheet moss. Then, insert a whole rose into the center of the form. After this, insert your fillers and ribbons or what have you into the form. Once you have all these in place, you will simply hot glue the loose petals to the bottom of the whole rose, working your way out. You can also make sure some glue touches the salal or sheet moss, and this will ensure that the petals stay on tightly.
When you're through, I suggest finishing using an adhesive floral spray if you can find one. It's a spray can that comes with a straw-like nozzle that you insert into the sprayer so you can get right down under the flowers to the form. Spray some adhesive all underneath the petals you've glued, and spray a tad between petals, too, to hold them together. Some craft stores have these adhesives, or if you have a retail license, you can get them at all floral supply wholesalers.
Just a word of caution - since petals dehydrate very quickly without a stem and since they will be out of water, you must keep a dutchess rose well-misted at all times, and it's best to make the flower the day it will be used when possible.
