Using Bud Vases at Your Wedding or Event (Part 2 of 2)
Suggestions on Bud Vases for the DIY Bride
I get you DIY brides, as I was one myself! Doing some of your own florals can be an enjoyable and creative activity, and can help the budget too. Making bud vases is a great way to make some of your own florals without needing advanced floral expertise. One of my brides made up her bud vases the afternoon before her wedding, with help from her bridesmaids. She supplied the bud vases, and I provided a flower bucket filled with stems of the same flowers as her centerpieces, so the look was cohesive with the wedding. They had a very fun time! (Remember to wear gloves to protect the manicures.)
This blogpost provides you with some best practices, should you decide to make up your own sweet bud vases. They’re a great addition in many locations at your event, including to the cocktail hour, the bar, the Gift table, or the family photographs table. They really add pops of color and beauty anywhere!
Sourcing Bud Vases
Stylish bud vases can come from many sources and at all price ranges, including restaurant supply outlets, thrift shops, antique malls and shops, and floral suppliers such as Accent Decor, Jamali Floral & Garden Supplies, and 46 & Spruce. Make sure you rinse and clean your bud vases to remove any dirt or residue from the manufacturing process.
One of my Mother of the Brides patiently collected a variety of bud vases throughout the six months before her daughter's wedding. She amassed an eclectic mix of vases, and the flowers looked delightful running the length of the farm tables.
Guidelines for Winsome Bud Vases
In the world of floral design, odd numbers rule. Think three or five flowers/stems per bud vase. That said, a twosome can look pretty cool too, like a couple or a parent and child.
Strip all leaves that are below the water line. This keeps the water cleaner, flowers last longer and it looks professional and elegant.
Bud vases with a cinched neck better keep the stems together and in-place, compared to pillars or cylinder vases. Use bud vases of varying heights and sizes, to add more visual interest to the table and to keep the eye moving in and around the flowers.
Keep the larger flowers lower in the bud vase, and the smaller flowers up higher. Arrange the stems at varying heights, and angled outwards and leaning. Avoid straight up-and-down stems, which looks unnatural. Follow the natural lines of the stems and its buds or leaves, let the flower’s personality come across!
It’s OK to vary the flowers in each bud vase, they don’t have to be clones. Think of the bud vases as being siblings or cousins, not identical twins.
Don’t overstuff your bud vases, less is more here. Leave room for the bees and the butterflies!
You can use only flowers, or flowers mixed with foliage, your choice. There’s more color impact when using only flowers. The look is more wildflower and garden-y if you add foliage.
I love a rounded leaf at the lip of the bud vase to soften the transition between flowers and bud vase. Suitable leaves include begonia, cyclamen, geranium, Azalea or Pieris, and Galax.
You can make up your bud vases one or two days ahead of your wedding. Store your bud vases in an air-conditioned room or in refrigerator to keep them fresh.
Be sure to read Part 1 of this blogpost for advice for recommended flowers and foliage, and how to amplify the impact of your bud vases at your wedding or event.
Please share this blogpost with your friends. Don’t hesitate to contact Semper Virens Flowers if you have any questions. We’d love to help you plan your wedding flowers, especially if they include bud vases!