Ever Wonder How…? Part 2

Ever wonder how… to keep fully wrapped bouquet stems hydrated?

*Disclaimer: Sorry if this post seems a little risque! I’m trying to be technical.  Thank you to my assistant Shana for sharing this amazing little trick with me!

I’m about to share with you all a little florist secret- shh! Don’t tell anyone I told you this!

Take for example this stunning bouquet by Karen Tran via Away Soiree:

Notice that the satin ribbon wrap fully covers the stems, even at the bottom of the bouquet, allowing for a luxe, tailored look.

Since the bridal bouquet is the star of all wedding flowers, it’s crucial that the flowers have a supply of water until the last possible second to keep blooms fresh. I usually don’t do full bouquet wraps for this reason. I feel more secure when I deliver the bouquets in a vase with water so I know the thirsty stems are drinking and are ready for a full day of wedding action. But there IS a way to keep fully covered stems hydrated. Don’t giggle please. Condoms.

Here’s how:

1. Simply create your hand-tied bouquet and leave it unwrapped in a vase of water until the day before the wedding.

2. Drench some paper towel in water. I mean DRENCH.

3. Wrap the drenched paper towel nicely around the bottom of the stems. Bunch a little bit around the bottom, but you don’t want it to look bulgy.

4. Fill the tip of a condom with water and roll the condom over the stems, essentially creating a sleeve. Not too much water- you don’t want any leakage!

5. Voila! If the rubber apparatus does what it’s supposed to do, you’ve got a sturdy, sealed reservoir of water for your stems. Simply wrap with ribbon and go!

Another plus about this method is that it prevents the green stems from staining white ribbon, which can be a big problem.

Does anyone have any other nifty ideas for wrapping bouquets? Let me know!