As with any wedding, an elopement can be planned to the hilt or happily put together last minute. It can be done a million different ways, and we’ll love each one! If your elopement is towards the ‘last minute’ end of the spectrum, and you find yourself keen to carry a bouquet of sorts, we’ve got you covered. Whether you’re near a garden, a herb patch or bushland, we know you’ll find something perfect. Follow these simple instructions to put together a beautiful bunch of foliage in 10 minutes flat, without getting your hands (too) dirty.

Check with the garden owners before charging in with scissors, and look for foliage with a woody stem and firm leaves. This will give you a lasting bouquet, one which will likely last well after the final drink.

What You Will Need:

  • Scissors/secateurs/something sharp – most garden stems are reasonably solid, so a cutting instrument is helpful
  • Access to a garden of sorts, with permission of course!
  • String/ribbon/elastic band/hair band at a push
  • Bucket/vase/bowl from under the kitchen sink
  • Water

Step 1. We’re not fussy, but if possible, head out early in the morning with your chosen form of scissors and bucket, filled with fresh water. Go wild with blooms if you’d like! If you’re keen on foliage (a little more reliable), look for stems around 30cm long, but again, don’t be fussy. This is very much a bouquet to celebrate the joy of the day, so if you find a stem you love, snap it up! Plop them straight into the water and leave them – if possible – for an hour or two.

Step 2. Once the foliage has hydrated (or shrivelled, if it has the intent to do so), grab your bucket, and quickly prep the stems. Remove foliage from the bottom half, and group with its foliage friends.

Step 3. We’ve done three options for you that are speedy as anything, starting with the most complex – which is not complex at all. Hooray! The more you add into a bouquet, the trickier it can get to make your posy look the way you would like. So, if you’re keen to have a mix of foliages, start with the bulkiest branches, twirling the stems the same way, like in a spaghetti jar.

Step 4. Add the smaller items around the outside last. We used banksia, grevillea, nasturtium, sage, rosemary and scented geranium. Once you’ve whipped up your fabulous elopement bouquet, tie it together, trim the stems, and pop it back into water until you’re ready to race down that aisle!

Step 5. Now, if that seems a step too far, somewhat tricky, or a little fussy, take heart! The next foliage bouquet you can DIY your spectacular self is this native foliage beauty. Use the same method, but stick to only native foliage. This bouquet uses six stems, and is VERY doable.

Step 6. If you’ve got this far thinking, I’m just after something smaller, scented and sweet, then it’s your lucky day! Our last foliage bouquet uses rosemary, sage, and scented geranium to make the sweetest posy you may have ever seen. Not that we’re biased. Ahem. Use the same method as before, but with smaller, more delicate foliage. Triple points added if they smell herbaceous.

You may not have remembered to throw your bucket and secateurs in the suitcase while heading off for your magnificent elopement adventure (darn it all), but where there’s a will, there’s a way, and if a DIY foliage bouquet would make you happy on your big day, well, there’s nothing stopping you now!

Ms Floral Says: And she’s done it again! What a beautiful bunch of foliage, perfect for a simple and sweet elopement.

About Ms Honeycomb: My heart and home in Scotland and Australia, I am a florist, flower lover, writer, baker, stylist and sew-er of lovely things, with my darling toddler forever keeping me on my toes!