Armatures and Practices to Create Ethereal, Long-Lasting Constellation Bouquets
Over the last year, I have been completely obsessed with creating artful, ethereal, innovative floral "constellation" bouquets. Unlike traditional hand-tied or even wired and taped bouquets, these ethereal compositions use specially designed armatures that allow flowers and foliage to float in midair and dance within a beautiful amount of negative space.
Floral Armatures for Modern Floral Bouquet Design
“What exactly is an armature in floral design?” you ask?
That’s just a fanciful word for a framework or structure that provides internal support for a composition. Armatures give the designer complete control over every element- allowing them to create truly sculptural pieces that challenge our perception of what a bouquet can be!
Unlike traditional bouquet methods that rely on stems bound together, armatures allow each element to be precisely positioned. This creates the signature "floating" effect where flowers and foliage appear to dance in space.
The Question of Longevity
How Long Do Delicate Bouquets Last?
When I share and teach these designs, the most common question—often colored with a hint of skepticism—is always: "How long do these bouquets last?"
It's a fair question! I view these works just like other compositions displayed without a conventional water source, such as corsages, boutonnieres, crowns, and cake flowers. They are ephemeral art pieces created to perform for the duration of their special event.
That said, I completely understand that uncertainty and doubt are the last things a designer wants when creating a special piece for a client. I also understand that working in this way is very new for many florists! To help, I'm thrilled to share some helpful tips and resources that I’ve collected over the years that will set you up for artful armature bouquet success!
3 Keys to Creating Long-Lasting Delicate Floral Designs
1. Choose the Right Armature for Your Vision
The foundation of your constellation bouquet is critically important. Different designs require different support structures depending on your creative vision:
For light, floaty, delicate bouquets with abundant negative space, my Ethereal Wire Frame and Cascade Handle armatures are perfect choices.
When working with elements that need more structure and support, turn to the Wire Spine, Starburst Bouquet, or Easy Classic Cascade frames.
As you may know, I'll be doing an armature show-and-tell on my Instagram Live(s) on May 20th and 21st, where I'll introduce you to all of these options in detail! We'll add the replay links here after they air.
2. Select Materials Wisely for Longevity
The single most important factor in determining how long your constellation bouquet will last is your choice of materials. Focus on flowers with these characteristics:
Waxy or leathery texture
Fleshy composition
Dense, papery structure
Some of my favorite reliable performers include calla lilies, hybrid roses, carnations, double lisianthus, double tulips, all manner of orchids, hyacinth, strawflower, and sturdy ranunculus. These are just a few examples of the materials that perform best out of water.
For a comprehensive downloadable guide to "reliables"—the materials that perform best in this type of work—visit my detailed blog post on reliable materials. I also recommend exploring my month by month Bloom Guide for additional floral options and a key that describes the best attachment technique for each flower.
3. Learn the Art of Conditioning with the Hydration Chamber Technique for Longevity
There's a time-tested process for hydrating and boosting floral compositions so they perform beautifully throughout their event: the "hydration chamber" method.
This simple, natural conditioning process requires just a few elements:
Water
An airtight container
A cool, dark place (ideally a floral cooler)
A bit of patience
Optional finishing spray as last step for extra insurance
By properly conditioning your materials before designing, you'll significantly extend the freshness and vibrancy of the final piece. While I won't go into the full step-by-step process here, you can learn all the details in my blog post dedicated to the hydration chamber technique.
I also recently chatted about this in an Instagram video - you can watch it here.
Create Innovative Bouquets
I truly believe that understanding these foundational principles is the first step needed to allow us to push the boundaries of traditional floral design.
The use of armatures expands what is possible and with these methods in our toolkit, we are able to create incredible works that satisfy our creativity while giving our clients artful, unforgettable designs.
It’s also important to note that any of these armature techniques can be applied to hand-tied bouquets! While you might not get requests for “work of art” bouquets often, you will be able to use these approachable and versatile techniques to solve everyday wedding bouquet issues. That’s also exciting!
Resources to Enhance Your Armature Bouquet Skills
Are you excited to learn more and dive deeper into these techniques? Here are some next steps:
Watch my Instagram lives on May 20 & 21 for the armature show-and-tell.
Keep an eye on your inbox for our Spring Bouquet sale, starting next week (subscribe here)!
Explore my course, "Artful Wedding Personals" to go beyond the bouquet and master these techniques.
For more on the hydration chamber, and how to make your own floral wearables, check out my book “The Art of Wearable Flowers,” and my extensive library of self-paced online classes.
Ready to go further?
For more on constellation bouquets and innovative design techniques, check out my extensive library of self-paced online classes.
