Lessons

Lesson Info

Guided Bouquet Building

We're going to have one of our lovely students up here today. Um would you like to join us? Sure. Come on up. So I kind of want you to just do start making a bouquet and then if you have questions or I'll give you some guidance on what I think would look good maybe you can just do exactly what I started doing he's with their case who's in the mirror. Okay, maybe we can kind of talk it through you think about what we're gonna do, what you want your first your center to be. What do you want your central flower to be? Kind of a focal. Yeah, so thinking sort of like you did before maybe one of the puppies at the end or so then keep your party save until the end or at least halfway through okay, what? What? I was what I what I start with usually is something green, but and something that you want to show in the middle of your centerpiece of your book a somethingto highlight. Okay. That's, right? And then they wanted to big no that's. Fine. Then if you want tio yeah surrounded with something...

green a little okay, so you're holding so this is going to be the front or exactly ok the front center I like that the way you use that part of my reading is sitting out yeah um so these spray roses there's kind of a lot yeah so why would you want your car the's ones ok do you ever if you cut them and then have short stems do you save this for like a boat near or something else you could do that or you can see if you have some space in the end for the front all the range of the bouquet so I would say to keep away from too many whites next each other maybe you can take some of sweet peas okay or someone oculus and um some grass you would do the mentum a front for major looking with the mitt I stripped a little more of it off the men yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah you will have to take a little bit more leaves off yeah, I would say don't waste it on the front okay use this as a way to guide your bouquet if you wanted to be a symmetric ok, not it's still kind of pretty sit out you know, a little bit stand out and your book a kind of dim it creates some heights exactly and then you could build from that. Okay? Yeah let's see kind of far like kind of two asymmetrical no that's fine okay, actually in a good spot okay, poppy is is it awkward kind of using the mirror when you're not used to it a little bit a little bit yeah you'll get used to it I feel like there's too much white well, we can take maybe getting some of these off ok but this one's kind of wilted let's take it off with that one and take this one off at some explosion in the front in the maybe in between ok like that between now and then take some sweet piece and put those right next to where you put your explosion grass right in there so use the bend of this to help this right here on this site this is kind of a cool way where maybe use it right here okay, okay. And then just keep on adding maybe in runoff but that this is a really pretty over once beautiful pink one okay and that's exactly little technical thing on the phone a loss because right it's so maybe highlighted that's really? Yeah that's a good place for it. Okay, maybe some add some texture. Yeah for sure with the explosion grass should you strip all the leaves? I felt kind of uncertain when I was working out really believe like the leaves because they add a kind of a wild element but if they're on their way out then you should separate them and also the one thing with explosion grasses that if you take the leaves off um and if you're not careful the whole thing will come apart because the leaf is such a an integral part of the the whole thing writes if I take this off I have nothing left we've got to be careful so that's what I always cut it like this but the grass is nice if it doesn't look well did come over from the mere here so keep that ok so now you want to keep it a little bit higher up so we can see it from in the mirrors and you can see it a little bit more in the mirror there you go like this now you can see it better in their correct you could see your roses even yes from the front even though you've put you place it in the back of your ok so it's not so low exactly when it's a low it doesn't show itself it gets back to the question that you girls had about how to keep it wild and loose it's just not packing it in so much ok letting it kind of flow don't you the other ones okay I think I end upholding it really tight in my pant teo you could told the tide in your hand but it's how you place it that we'll look later on allow you to little take a little bit looser okay there you are pretty and then we need some more volume on this side I think and we could make that with sweet peas maybe we think a bunch of sweet peas explosion and explosion but it kind of exactly yeah pull the grass down a little bit further to make a little bit tighter this one yeah, there you go. They pulled us would be out and then so we have this pretty one here which we could use and I wouldn't put it right over here, okay? And then we heard he was maybe some yellow poppies for some more color that was her that's a good one right there that with a nice event yeah, yeah like that I love how they have these. Yeah, yeah and then maybe on this side for some color and it doesn't always have to be facing the front he could have okay the side a little I'm just going to crack this and just kind of keep filling then with what you feel like it's kind of it is hard to look at it in the year ago versus saying like we're might like you need some color over here yeah sure hang like that and I would like the back yeah and so let's maybe we could put some white roses in the back okay, fluffy one on one some may be yeah, I like this one better because it's has more volume okay for the back end of that loose look yes how far in advance do you can you get your flowers? Well, you can get him us faras week, I guess in advance, but I wouldn't I like to get him about a couple of days before an event just so I can make sure that there are nicely there they're blooming in the right way because flowers wouldn't be as pretty if they were in fully bloomed either when he wanted to be in their best yeah that's pretty whether, um look perfect and you don't have to always take it from off. Top seeded is that it on this up from the side. Okay. And then, um lock up a little yeah, delivering them. I know that you said you transport them with your special contraption, but when it's time to drop them off at the venue yeah. Um how how with the bridesmaid store them between your arrival and when it's time for them. You know, I usually just for them where I think they you know, they would be safe. I instruct them. I say, you know, make sure it's not in a hot place or don't take it out of the vases until they absolutely need to just so you could last all day really through the ceremony and all that a friend of hers were dropped off in a styrofoam coolers um which seems like a wise idea but it also was not a very attractive appreciation so I was just wondering if you had so you just leave them in the basis the spot in the shade and they're just going to have to be out and about that's if the wedding isn't is outdoors what can you dio on they take their pictures early on anyway so by the end of the night that okay won't be looking all its best I guess it's been through a lot now so when you're actually on site for an event and prepping for it yeah how high pace is the process um you know because I work in retail and it tends to be you know we have walk ins often and you have to do things really fast I mean this you know working from home I imagine it being extremely um you do enjoy the process it seems like a little bit more yeah but do you find yourself grambling or trying to rush yeah absolutely it's normal yeah, I do I I try to give myself enough time to get everything done but there's no such thing as no scrambling last minute because you always wind up you know, doing something or something happens some arrangement falls over and then I'm screaming at the back of the truck you know so it's all in or it's a normal part of my my life actually but I mean the more you do it the better you get at it right the more experience you have in doing it so it's natural it's normal okay so at this point okay and I was kind of thinking of this highly idea or maybe right for sure on maybe some of some of this they'll be too okay to this game is a little bit it's a little via spores so and I like the look of this poppy it's not open but it's I think it's really cool which we could you is it ok to have two of these together so you have that one over there um let's let me look at it ok so let's put something here yeah I like that poppy don't do it that way it makes your life difficult just what it was like ok yeah and it stands out too yeah that's so pretty and then let's get some sweet piece okay then soon we should be done with this book a so how long does the average ok take you to make um maybe like fifteen to twenty minutes okay pretty fast it's pretty fast when you have to do eight of them in a row yeah, it that'll be that fast plus it hurts my hands after a while when you keep holding it and very nice it's coming together I like it yeah, I like how they're these two sort of sort of viney viney one finding poppies it's almost symmetrical with the way they're kind of different angles like them and yet wild yes and it's such a different shape from the other ones we just made yeah, you know it's the same flowers and, um it can easily be another attendant I find you think yeah, right there is pretty I like it. Yeah, I'm just kind of added on the side that's a really good tip. Yes, I wasn't doing that before, you know, putting it from off top, especially when you're looking at it in the mirror you don't need to yeah, doing it up top top top definitely makes life easier. Yeah, that looks good to me and I find that I keep sort of, you know, you know, you don't have to do that, okay, the best like, how she's going to be weighing it so it would be more operate beautiful. Yeah. So maybe we could wrap up the with a tape do you have a test? A bouquet is going to hold up like, do you put them through any you shake it or it's like I just makes you don't want to shake it because you don't know if after what's going to happen to it after shaking, but no, honestly, I don't I just make sure that I guess the more you make it okay that more you you know what what's going to hold up on what's not like I after a while um after using two lives I realized I didn't want to live anywhere really on the edge around the bouquet because they could so easily get cut you know what I mean? Is there so fragile that the's stems or just like book that's that that's that it's done so you wanted always protected by something else around it it's really mind what the flowers will do you know the flowers how they hold up one of the things I was thinking about worse all the wild ridiculous and poppy is like getting hit were you ever concerned about that getting hit you know like balled it well what happens to them when they get hit by stuff yeah I mean but like people just touching them yeah around rubbing up against address yeah, well weigh in with the powder yeah, well they have to be careful. What can I say? I mean you can't not use these beautiful ones right? You mean as far as like the paul and right yeah I mean, I haven't heard anybody complain to me about that really but I do that I'm no to be careful if I have something this open and a bouquet to just not rub it all trying to rub it on their dresses like the poem yeah I always get in there at the scissors like likely that I'll do clean I don't let the lilies those were really bad and they just leave a terrible so stain and they're so they're kind of just taken out they're really out there these ones aren't as bad but lily's I do cut him yeah and it's so easy just trimmed the problem yeah do you like the way it looks? I think something I just wanted a nice there you go imagine the more you practice, the faster you get for sure you know, have anything else? Yes and less yeah looks beautiful think that deserves a thank you but again yeah I'd love to get someone else we volunteered you way more yeah, we'll need some more should I take this bucket? We will need to borrow yes a lot of those flowers so take it. Just take the whole gang take it. You could maybe transfer some of them into the other bucket that way the whole table with you want something? Just climb out. Maybe yeah, totally was a group effort here is we're all getting involved here supporting you will come like shaking. Take that extra bucket off for gm awesome, thank you so much when we got all right right now what like you're you're okay, so I do have a tendency of making my arrangement very tight, huh? So this will be a very good experience on way don't have anyone that we don't have a single one I don't think we have one little one here. No, no, don't do that. These ones ready are like these. These are nice cool you garden roses so let's see here I kind of just threw these down. Sorry. So maybe county can remind the beginning step star so we just start with basically the flower that you want to be in the center of your bouquet, whatever you want, you're implicated e to have in the centre you start with that because you're going to build around that. So in this case, our center is going to be this brightly rose yeah, I like to break. Yeah, but clarity okay, and keep it just like that because he'll it'll be pretty accuse your direction for building around it. This is a whole new experience. Very cool. Here it is, it's very hopeful let's see it like that. Yes, I remember to keep the poppies a little bit higher up in the blockade because then they won't get squished by uh, yeah, better could it will stand out in the little pretty cool, maybe some more grasso, do you find it difficult telling someone had a, um no look bad although I haven't done this before telling you how to do it as they do it, yeah, I've always just done it and talked about it or written about it just pretend like you're talking to yourself. I think that all the time very cool, maybe maybe something a little bit more with volume now some sweet piece sweet peas of yeah, actually I'm right in front of me. There you go. Don't do that, it's not myself like that. That looks good. And I noticed that it doesn't matter of some of the stems are a little short no, because eventually they're all going to get tied together up top so fine. It looks like I might need fullness. Gasso so you think you can cut this a little one there? This is not looking, tio good. Sorry. Oh, god, I need help. One oh, nice. Yeah, they wouldn't have thought to do that. Maybe that's good. We put down a little bit so you don't block this one is ready to be blocked. Perfect. And then some over here looks a little bear so let's, use some sweet peas. Wait. I always recommend shaking it out, shaking the sweet peas out because they sometimes they have their flowers falling that way, you know what you're working with now do you try to raise these a little bit, teo, you kind of don't raise it too much because there's good beginning to we don't want this to be to empty over here. Okay yet also going through what we're might tape yeah, yeah there so they do some of the back yes and do some of the back um, raise it up a little there, you see if you can get in the mirror and then it's pretty right? Oh, yeah, I know that it's such a fall in this otherwise that hides behind it really does. Yeah. Um hey, I like that non open poppy. Yeah, I think there were by all means use thumb so, like even with a softer pallets, I feel like there should be one or two little bit darker flowers or foliage and there just to kind of give it that pop and bring out the rest of the colors. I do feel like your color palette you would have to work with the bride, but obviously they're probably going to come to you with one or two colors and then you have to evolve that usually go ahead. What do you what do you used to use the color wheel type approach into into it? You know, I just I remember bride asked me two she wanted mostly fall colors, but then she said she also wanted some reds in there, but then one reds in there, so I'm thinking, ok, well, you don't want reds, but you want reds. I'm not sure what it is, so what I did was I built her something more like along like white, a little bit of pink, a little bit of brown with the foliage, and then a couple of red here and there, and she just loved it because it wasn't so in your face you can kind of manipulate read if you don't put it with a whole bunch of reds, you can make it look softer if you're putting it next to a like a lighter shade of red, or or a pink that matches that called that shade of red and it's amazing what you can do without just it's it's, almost like expanding your ability within the color arena is actually an interesting question that came up earlier. Poppy hill wanted to say, asked if he had a list of questions that you specifically asked each bride or each bride and groom, or do you just let it flow as a conversation? I think the questions that I ask are usually just very basic ones, like, how many gifts do you have? What are your favorite flowers? What followed? You absolutely hate, um what else? What is your style? I usually ask them to show me maybe like a a pinterest board of their kind of the mood board of what they imagine the envision their wedding to be on that kind of gives me an idea of what what they're they like a lot of times they come with their own they have gone through my web site on my block and they no what they want and they point me out to those arrangements that I have on there and that really helps me out to understand what they want and you ask them again are they allergic to something I do okay, let me know on their own bill someone will say you know I love this is great but no no no I roam I can't handle that are they? Usually if it's a serious matter they let me know but before I choose something like if I get a gardenia I'm going to ask if it's if it's going to be a problem or not I'm thinking great clients I you know they're really nice e have encountered has really been knock on wood has a very nice and and maybe that stems just from you just doing the authentic type of flower design and creation that you want yes, I think that the kind of people that I attract are those who really like my job my work on dh let me do what I do, which is a blessing when you wear when you're when you're working so something you know, I've noticed this is actually the front uh huh because but I'm so nice comfortable or use looking in the mirror that actually made the front normally my friend okay, so what I've noticed is that there's a big if that made any sense at all yeah there's a big hole there so it's kind of like so this is the front here I mean, technically now I'm confused yeah, I was right there, okay? That's your friend and he always opposed through too much this's good now maybe we can get look at this poppy is pretty popular like, oh yeah, we have this one, so but in terms of, you know, not putting it through because I kind of cheat you put it through because again, it it doesn't look, it doesn't have that while you you won't be able to see what it is that you're doing if you keep doing it from up top because the way with the way I approach it is from the front, right? So if you keep putting things on up top, then you're going to miss miss this whole sections and then you just kind of have to figure out how to finish exactly to that little spot right? And then like I would say over here you need some you need something like this yeah it's like a little of this this um thank you sure right there do you meet glasses more yeah, maybe some more grass and war just to kind of give it that wild look some more sweet piece for ruffles we could use some of these ranck iwas even though they're not opened I think they're pretty well look at this one of you have a good one so this is cool. Yeah. And oh, and then this one it's a little limp so what you can do about this but it's such a pretty flower so just this one I would added like over here somewhere do my kind of beyond kind of put it right in the middle that way are you well that are you able tio high hold it let's see here just like that yeah, you just don't want it to do that very thing. Judy so that's your right here you know for it to stay there. Okay? So I see what you're kind of looking tio on the side actually because you don't want ok, you want to be able to use it but you can't leave it on its own because they get limp and it'll fall off right? I see another's thought I could do that with and this I like to use this it's kind of a nice texture I'll use that way could use a flower here well come up about things like that where maybe it is wilting a little bit maybe it's about to fall off this question comes from service who's joining us from india and they say after I make a bouquet I have a tendency to turn it upside down and kind of shake off any falling petals is that a good idea? I never do that, but if that works, I just shaking it off doesn't maybe just gently shame and they're about to fall exactly. And as I was saying with sweet pea, you know, if you know it's, something might cut fall off than shaking before you use it, and if it's really going toe falloff, I wouldn't use it if you're gonna have tio if there's a wilted flower don't use it what I'm using, what we're using here is not well, tha that's just, you know, fully open and we want to manipulate it so that it be used within the bouquet. Okay, so this this let's put this one hopes back and and with this together in the front to fill up the bouquet a little bit like right here right there and then used on explosion grass for that too, or maybe a this role rare was going pretty at one this is pretty with this one although that's right next to the other one let's we'll do some of this explosion so use some of this is to keep that run oculus from falling off and to get a little wild so let's try this okay, yeah, that helps keeps it up and I need something right there. Well, but that's because you've pulled this down so far so I can just pull it up a little bit to give it that goes back to the hole tight yeah, you know, one of them is so tie in nature right? When it's in my rock it's kind of flows better a little bit so I would say this is the front officially yeah, it is yeah, this is front. So do you feel like there's a little bit of emptiness definitely dio so that's the six that maybe you can use some explosion with so more pop do we have it on the go? This one this is a pretty one I like this one. Yeah it's pretty. And then there is this to those issues both of these in the front and this these air both good to use in the front you should be looking so you should be looking in the mirror and do that right so you can see what you're doing for me really what you're doing and then use this for a little bit of difference of color you see here no chiana material use the mirror a lot do you ever have someone else stand over here and kind of give you their impression if your kids are around if your husband's around helpful to have someone else looking at it um sure if I don't have a mirror yes or I'll just wrap it up on a look at it to see what it needs yeah this is a very different style than I'm used to because you know I tend to use I love greenery ideo so I tend to use you know things like that geranium I just love that yeah beautiful it's quite an art to try and get you know all the flowers just to have some sort of show he's yeah like yes that's what they said lush yeah it's true use this too this is a very one yeah uh I think I see it e well and you know it's not much of a sorry it's just it's just another way to learn is just the way I just really have it and we were talking actually back just about I mean, you guys are in a retail environment and it is this sort of fast paced go go go you know the client is waiting yeah, that environment I'm used to so this is quite you know it's definitely gonna help me because um you know it's going to help me kind of seymour's like an art form and trying exactly you know incorporate this feat right when you will get better and the more you do it yeah the more it'll be speedy so what do you think is it online there had it from here so let's put this is definitely still flop yeah, we might just take that out because at this point it's done so let's beso like I did with my mother was my okay we'll believe let's take this out can I just say or yeah that's going to do it like you don't want to go yeah I think all this hard work so let's turn it the face is this is the front correct ok so well you know so I want you to look in the mirror I need to get a maneuver this so that it looks it's looking maneuver this guy yeah there we go almost got it and then maybe because he was more poppies teo this isn't the popular used to fill that space that that empty space it's like totally turned around um I know it's just use the mirror you see how you can see how to fill it yeah, I totally looking in there yeah, okay, so do you like the way it looks yeah ultimately ideo it definitely hasn't more fluidity to it you know I'm very much so custom making it kind of snug and then we'll see if we have some more sweet piece of used to secure that run oculus on this guy's kind of flopping tio so here let's use these wherever you think it might need it in the front probably like right in this guy if I will you can break it up a little too right you can break them up there are more than you like take a couple of them put him there and maybe a couple in between there okay that helped a lot just to kind of fill it in here's a couple more hey you put on the side here kind of help with that yeah so maybe like one more guy something right here what about is it too much for this riva try that and if you don't like it take it still you might need to take let's just move let's move this one to a place where it shows itself better try it try it over here up top hire okay can switch means what do you think oh yeah that's nice okay so that it's not just so flopping in the front anymore yeah that really got no can our students see here what do you think tell me how can I help it it looks like it was fresh picked a little works implosion groans just on the other side had a spring a spring that through thank you yes sometimes you need someone else's I'd kind of oh god you okay? Maybe behind yes ok. Just one that's wilder that it will give you more yeah like more volume here together yeah bring it around right here. Okay, very nice do you think you need more looks great. Okay, so shall I say you like it? I dio ok then how can I am actually I do see a whole how can I help this part's kind of well do you ever that hole? Do you see the hole because you're looking down at it or because you're looking in the mirror had a um I guess that it's because I'm looking down yeah so so don't worry about it all right world where's the now floral paper somewhere lost in the of this of flat on the floor lodged floral you know, yeah, there is a certain amount of time that you have to allot yourself to do something. How how do you work that out? You know all I'm going to be able to complete this amount of bouquets or doesn't know what's your time so I give myself about have three bridesmaids bouquets and on a uh bridal bouquet and I will give myself about an hour and fifteen minutes to do those especially for someone like me I have kids I it's never seem to have enough time in a day to do all that I need to get done because I can't control it when they come into the kitchen and they want food so I have to have that done in about an hour hour and a half max or when they're in school so yeah, I and that's plenty of time for me to get four bouquets done and that speed comes with the practice absolutely it does and you still get to have fun, right? I e yes, it's fun. So I think I go move some stuff around, let me see well, maybe not know you're fine, okay? Yeah it's cause I'm looking right at it and I don't look right so I would say that this bouquet is slightly more loose and the one that you did before it definitely is yeah, it definitely help me to kind of loosen up my placement for sure ok, now we're cut, okay? Did we have revenge or we're not using that. We're just we're not gonna use river for this section gonna cut this little yeah cards to be able this one too that I think that's what I was aiming for too long, so personal preference I would cut it a little bit more, yeah go around. Yes, the bottom yes, you can also do it with, like a knife like a floral knife but I've never done it. I find that this works just fine for me. And with that, you have to kind of put it down and then cut it and then I don't want the flowers to be bruised on the cutting board or the table, right? Her nice fantastic work, great way, literally hold away wedding now and all of the way for sure everybody has a bouquet, including u that's, right? Yes, plenty of buffets for all of us way shouldn't even do like a little, you know, for sale, sign out and sell apple case. You know, bucket? Yeah, why not? Any questions now from any of the students on the demonstrations that we just had was that helpful for you guys who are up there? You gonna learn another aspect of how to arrange these bouquets awful? Because that goes on, especially the placement of the flowers, not trying to stick them in. Yeah, that was big. We that works for that first bouquet I show you guys with, you know, the round one that I showed that works for god, but for stuff like thiss if we're looking at them it's so much easier to just squeeze things in from the side and that was the mirror a total game changer for you guys are you going to be in front of the mirror now whenever you're arranging that that was very difficult for me please looking at it yeah, I have a feeling if I would go look in the mirror that I struga little I'm just so used to my sport through use what did you say? You know, I kind of know things around right little which really yeah I had the same experience that was used to facing this way and then putting it this way in the mirror it was almost like trying to write with your left hand that could be a little confusing yeah, but I think with practice that yeah yeah again yeah practice yeah no but it definitely helps to get you give you that perspective from a viewer's perspective that's exactly what it does because when you I mean when you were making it like this you always looking down at it on and no one's looking down at the okay when people are walking down the aisle they're looking at the bouquet from this angle so you wanted to be in its best look from this angle I think that's just such a great observation I think the style of sort of the separate yeah ok has just said yeah, we've seen it so many times but you actually don't even see the flowers right? You see the stems? Yeah, on the size yeah, this'll just it is really about, you know, showcasing the beauty of the flowers really know yeah, very nice. Throw a great technique. Yeah. E looks and that's just that you won't know how it is until you try it until you try all of this information on for yourself, right? Yeah, I know for me a lot of times looking at these bouquets, you never think that they have a front and a back side and there's a lot of thought put into that and I think having a tactic like being in front of the mirror and approaching in a different way, you have a new appreciation for that jumped out to me. I never thought of that. All right, I'll be waiting for my well sided bouquet are your girlfriend will actually get it right? Well, can't do we have any other final thoughts on how we were doing with all of the bouquets? Anything else that you want to share with the audience? I just want to say that I feel like I want to reiterate that we should really look to nature for inspiration and just embrace it because there's so much beauty in that and uniqueness and so I encourage you all to take a different approach the more organic and natural approach to making bouquets