Keeping my bouquets fresh overnight

katham889

I'm arranging my own bouquets for my wedding in August. I'm planning on picking up the flowers & arranging them the day before the wedding. I can keep them in a cool place over night but there're gladiolas, lilies and roses in the bouquets, and I'm worried they'll wilt before the wedding or during the day before the reception. Is there any spray or anything I could use to keep them fresh and stiff?

RagWeedsToBloom

Before you pick up your flowers. Go to the $1 store and buy yourself an empty spray bottle. Call your florist and ask if you bring this up (when you pick up the flowers) will they fill it for you with flower preservative! They will prob charge you a couple of bucks.  All florists use this... to spray on our finished arrangements.

Ok - once you get the flowers home you will need to fill up buckets with room temp water.  Each stem will need to be cut and immediately placed in water.  The glads, once cut and placed in water, you will need to pop the tops! (grab a small section at the top - and pull off ... this will help the glads open up!) Next .. I would rec that you keep the flowers in water in a cool spot for a least a couple of hours... let them get a good drink and get them primed and ready

Now it's time to get your vases ready (or containers that you will place the bouquets in).  Again - fill with room temp water.  Make your bouquets, once finished cut and immed place again in water.  Spray heavily with the flower spray. Put in cool dark room and leave them alone!  The following morning (early am) go ahead and give them a good spray again!!!    You're gonna handle this like a pro!!! Congrats!!

RagWeedsToBloom

sorry - I should have spelled checked...

graysquirrel

PP had good advice! Just make sure to leave your finished bouquets in a vase of water containing cut flower fertilizer (lots of times bulk flowers will come with these, ours did), mist the blooms, and store them somewhere cool. You should not have to worry about them wilting overnight, especially if you store them in a cool place.

midgemoto

Conditioning is everything... I'm an expert ( really, I am) 

When the flowers arrive strip off all the greens from the stems, recut the stems and put them in warm ( not cool!)  water overnight or longer.   

Warm water is KEY because it will cause them to drink faster which will hydrate them better... Cold can cause them to wilt faster than anything... 

do it again if the flowers aren't open and hydrated the next day, otherwise just arrange them again into the bouquets, recut the stems and keep them in vases of warm water againuntil you are ready to wrao the stems... 

the key is to semi duplicate natural day and night fluctuations in temperature so they think they ar back on the plant... Makes a big difference. 

If you are done with the bouquets and they are looking perfect to you just as is refrigerate them,,,, that will basically keep them right as they are.   

water or antitranspirant spray is also a great trick.. especially for foses or gerber daisies... good luck!

Sue-n-Kevin

In reading your post closely, I guess it matters in what condition you are picking them up. If they are tight buds, or the lillies are not all opened up, that might not be the look you are going for.

The prior posters information is great, but I picked up my bulk flowers (for the centerpieces) from my local Costco THREE days before my wedding, not the day before. This was in line with all the info I got here and their website, plus from the Costco florist.

The roses were tightly closed when I got them; the lillies only had a few (the bottom) open flowers. They open upward, and I wanted more open.

I did all the things the posters above said, but allowed all that to happen over 2 days. I trimmed the flowers, put them in water with floral food, then kept them in buckets in the basement. Then on the day before my wedding I had nicely perfectly opened roses and lillies. I also ordered baby's breath, but that requires no special care.

Asiatic lillies and baby's breath

 
Rose and baby's breath centerpiece


If you want the roses to be "buds", then you'd probably want them to be picked up 1-2 days before your wedding.

trishmetheral

I am getting married next summer and also doing my own flowers for the bouquets.  I am keeping it simple and just doing Vendela Roses from my local costco.  I plan to pick up the flowers on Friday, and the wedding is Saturday.  The directions the florist gave me was to keep in a cool place, which would be my basement, and to put in ice water.  After reading the comments above, I am not really to sure if ice water is the best, perhaps warm water is the way to go?  

As well my questions is can I arrange the flowers for the bouquets the Friday night?  I almost need to do it Friday night verses Saturday due to time.  Does anyone have any suggestions for me?  

Thanks!!

Knottie76432196

White ranunculus, two shades of purple hydrangea, blue iris and bear grass will be delivered on Friday, two days before the 8/24 wedding. Do any of these need more care than what's been suggested above? Any suggestions for creatively-challenged individuals to make them look gorgeous together? Which ones tallest, etc.? Finally -- suggestions for absolute amateurs to create a bridal bouquet she'll be proud to carry? Thanks.