Beach Wedding-Shell Bouquet
This bouquet is for the bride that loves both shells AND flowers and wishes to incorporate both. A bouquet that is only shells is usually two things, heavy and very "sharp" looking. Flowers soften the shells. Shell bouquets are also usually "tight" affairs. They are very round-mound like and although that style is pretty, my daughter requested I make a shell bouquet that looked a little looser - with a wildflower look. This bouquet is a mix of: shells, high quality silk flowers and drieds along with some antique lace. Everyone loves it as it has the feel that you picked flowers and added shells to make a very casual, pretty look, just right for a wedding at the beach (which are traditionally relaxed affairs).
Materials: Silks and shells of your choosing.
Babies breath (dried) and some type of lace.
Florists wire
Florists tape
Start by taping your main flowers together to form a loose bouquet.
The flowers should form a circle. As you add the flowers, bend the stems to give the bouquet the shape you want it to have.
Sometimes people are perplexed about how to get shells on stems. It's actually quite easy but it does take a good glue gun with a hot setting. It is careful work, you can be easily burned so go slowly and watch the fingers!
Start adding the shells and the secondary silk flowers. Continue adding and working in a circle. Tape everything well at the base of the bouquet.
This is what the bouquet looks like before the drieds and lace are added.
This is what the bouquet looks like before the drieds and lace are added.
To make lace pieces, simply fold pieces of lace over and then tape the bottom to a piece of florists wire.
The finished bouquet has an ethereal look to it. When you are designing this, you will need to make adjustments along the way. Add flowers, take away shells, whatever it is, don't be discouraged, just keep working on it until it has the look you were trying to achieve.
