Tutorial: Wedding Flowers and props!

Always Ad-Free Blog

Part of a big wedding event  day, is always what do you do for flowers for the ceremony, for the bride, attendants, Mom's, boutonnieres and tables.

The bride, Richelle, loves purples. After a long engagement almost 3 years or was it 4---Ryan and Richelle decided a few weeks ago, they had to finally do it, Covid or not. Happily, Covid restrictions have been lifted this weekend in Chicagoland.

barbieoldnewgreenredo

I confess, I have collected odds and ends for this day for the full three plus years. While I always have a lot of flowers in my stashes.

barbieoldnewgreenredo

This is a sampling of what I used for this wedding. Missing are some bits of greenery and vines. 

Tools are scissors, wire cutters, low temp glue gun, and supplies are 26-30 gauge wire, dk green stem wrap, ribbon, assorted flowers and greenery.

I pick up tiny flowers in multiple colors when they are on clearance. 70-80% off is ideal, or I shop the dollar stores and the WallyWorld rack. Most often they are small bushes instead of single stems.

barbieoldnewgreenredo

Perfect for elegant arrangements are paper flowers, which can be purchased in multi-stems/bush or as embellishments for scrapbooking. Many items can be found doll scaled in the scrapbooking section. 

Above I have taken a flimsy paper flower stems and wired them together to make one stem. (I use very thin wire---26 to 30 gauge for miniature work) I then a squeezed a line of low-heat glue gun glue along the wires. This stabilizes the grouping to stay exactly the way I want. 

barbieoldnewgreenredo

Just like in real life---flowers arrangements are really a matter of scale.

I chose two small shot glasses in lavender hues as vases. These were filled with a cut up piece of WHITE styrofoam (to not change the color of the glass) Green foam is denser, but not used for these.

Two pieces of two purple stalk plants were placed in the back to set the height. 

One focal (spikey succulent looking plant) was used for a focal point .

On piece of trailing type greener was put to the side.

Each of these was secured with a glue gun.

TIP: when using hot (even low temp glue gun) on white styrofoam use as little as necessary as it melts the styrofoam. I blow on it a bit before inserting stems into the foam. Green floral foam is denser and will take LOTS of hot glue.

I mirrored the two arrangements---with plans to use them on the stage or the ceremony. Its important that the arrangement isn't deep---so it can go against the wall and not stick out in front either. 

barbieoldnewgreenredo

Here the tallest paper flowers are inserted.

barbieoldnewgreenredo

Sorry my desk is full of supplies, here is a shot of the bush flowers] I used.

This is a larger blossom (white lilac) is from dollar tree. I pulled the blossoms off the stem, tipped them upside down, and reinserted the small plastic center Wrapping a piece of wire around the tip and pulled it through the center to make a new stem. 

barbieoldnewgreenredo

I then placed a bit of hot glue---in center, pulled the petals up and scrunched them to make a new SMALLER blossom.

barbieoldnewgreenredo

In the background you can see the purple bush I used for the purple. When doing one color arrangements, it's important to mix the flower types. The lilac flower had a yellow tone---so that added another shade of white to the mix, and a different texture.

I then chose white rose blossoms from the scrapbook section for the main flower. 

These roses are used through out the wedding.

barbieoldnewgreenredo

I made a 3-multi stem lilac blossom stem, and a three stem of the roses. 

These were each made of a stem that was short, medium and longer. Then set to the side of the center.

Same with roses, using one rose hovering over the center of the composition.

SO---9 flower heads are use in this arrangement and one smaller bud in the long stems.

barbieoldnewgreeenredo

Here you can see the scale with Richelle. Her bouquet is the standard round clump---rose bouquet...sorry, I had to do so many of these in real life, I'm still sick of them 15 years later.

The white stand is a cupcake stand, turned upside down to be a pedestal. 

I grabbed 4 of these at 50 cents each. And they are perfect scale for a wedding prop.

barbieoldnewgreenredo

Notice I chose different textures in each of the greens and flowers just

as you would in real-life. The cupcake stands are perfect with a bit of sticker foam stabilizing the vases.

barbieoldnewgreenredo

A taller version of the cupcake stand is used for a speaker pedestal.

barbieoldnewgreenredo

The Stone garden walls and stage, are light enough to add interesting texture to front of the wedding venue.

An old Barbie/Princess frame (was gold) is lightly paint/marker white to look old.

Afew mini lights and one grouping of viney plants finishes this off nicely.

barbieoldnewgreenredo

Background flowers: Two small ball topiaries, 2 potted plants, and two floral pots are to the left and right used to give the illusion of a garden planting.

The gray wood floor is two wood blank signs, bought at on sale at $2 each. Wood signs makes a great floors or dance floor.

Next Bouquets and corsages.

barbieoldnewgreenredo

The mom's have chosen dark purple and lavender for their dresses.

So I reversed the flower colors. Of course they are designed the same---and wrist corsages are always nice.

corsages--1 three-leafed green for base

1-focal rose

2-star type flowers (these were pale green with a whisp of purple from a bush)

Wire all these together, roll a bit of stem wrap on the glued and twisted wires

tie a 1/8" satin ribbon around the stem

glue in tiny bits of a white accent stem.

'

Use clear rubber bands to secure to wrists.

No holes in dresses and nothing to pull threads either.

barbieoldnewgreenredo

left to right, Father of the bride, Groom, Groomsmen

barbieoldnewgreenredo

Showing the small pins, and the stem wrap---which is glued shut.

The smaller boutonnieres are constructed the same way--just on a smaller scale. 

These were secured to the tuxes with a small glass head pin,(same ones I use for earrings. 

barbieoldnewgreenredo

We couldn't get Todd, Richelle's Dad, to wear a tie, so bigger boutonnier was fine for him.  

barbieoldnewgreenredo

The groomsmen look great with a darker purple and a touch of white.

barbieoldnewgreenredo

While the paper roses were a bit large for a boutonnieres, I used them for Ryan and the Richelle's dad and chose the darker purple (lilac squeezed) for the

 groomsmen. 

barbieoldnewgreenredo

Which exactly matched the trim on the girls' dresses.

barbieoldnewgreenredo

The girls' bouquets are constructed with one white rose centered, three different colored roses with three small round dark purple flowers in between the roses. These were all wired together, glued and covered with stem wrap. A few bits of white berry bush--were glued in for texture. A clear rubber band secures these to the dolls' hands.

I fooled with ribbon on these, but it was just too much!

barbieoldnewgreenredo

barbieoldnewgreenredo

Richelle's bouquet is a white rose with 5 lavender roses and lots of white berries surrounding and bits of green/lavender greenery. She has a small ribbon to cover the stem and make it lighter against her white dress! 

Another fun thing to do was more wedding props.

barbieoldnewgreenredo

Of course you havee to have a card box or cage for cards and gifts. Going with the purple theme, we are using this little table for gifts and to hold cards.

The flowers echo all the flowers used in the girls' bouquets. again with texture in mind. It's made into one sprig, wrapped in stem wrap and a bow. 

The table topper is a white paper doily...always handy.

I picked up this birdcage ages ago 

at a thrift store for a $1.00

barbieoldnewgreenredo

I show the reception table arrangements, later. 

barbieoldnewgreenredo

small touch, a sweet program on the speaker's stand...

Hope you enjoyed and are inspired to try and put together your own flowers and wedding accessories for your dolls. 

NEXT: The Venue-StoneWall at Grand View---and the story behind it. (I know I'm out of order, but that's life!)

Thanks for viewing and feel free to ask me any questions or inquiries.

Please Join me at these Fine Blog Parties!

Craftastic Monday

Vintage Charm

Summer Fun Craft Party 

 Please do not use my photos without linking back to this blog without my permission. 

Thank you for your cooperation, Sandi






barbieoldnewgreenredo