Fluffy Floral Arrangements

Photography by Josie Derrick

Large Wicker Wrapped Vase from Society Social, Small Vases from Out of the Garden, White Dress old from Gal Meets Glam (similar here and here), White Linen Hand Towel from Courtland and Co.

Growing up, I was always surrounded by beautiful blooms! My Mom always had some type of floral arrangement on our dining room table and I learned from her how to put a beautiful arrangement together. I'm definitely no professional florist, however I've really grown to love the organic look of bouquets and floral arrangements, so those imperfections make it more beautiful in my opinion.

So naturally, I've grown to love fresh florals in our new home. You will always find a fresh arrangement on our dining room table and smaller arrangements throughout our home. They just make me so happy, plus they smell amazing! 

Emily's Steps to a Perfect Arrangement:

- Pick out your vase. I've always thought of the vase height and opening when purchasing florals. I have a few vases that are pretty tall, so when I'm planning to use that, I look for florals with height. I also have a few cases with wide openings, so when I plan to use those, I look for fluffy blooms. 

- Find a local store where you can purchase fresh florals. When we lived outside of DC, I was always able to find beautiful fresh blooms at our grocery store, but since moving to NC, the only thing I've really been able to find is roses. Don't get me wrong, they're beautiful, but I love to include 3 or more types of florals in each arrangement! I recently discovered the flower section at Trader Joes - there's a wide variety and the price is very reasonable! I purchased an entire bucket of blooms for just $65! I see a weekly Trader Joes trip in my future. 

- Picking the right florals. Like I mentioned earlier, I always love to include at least three different types of florals in an arrangement. This provides extra texture and helps me create the more organic look that I love. I usually pick one fluffy floral that will help fill the vase such as hydrangeas or my favorite peonies. Roses usually make their way into my cast as they're always in season and when they begin to open up, they're look and smell beautifully. Lastly I'll reach for a more fun floral, something they don't typically stock or something I haven't use before. Some other good fillers include spray roses, Alstroemeria and greenery! 

-When you get home, I always unwrap all of my florals and put them into one big pile! This helps me get an idea of what I have. Then I begin cutting! Even if you just got the fresh blooms, the ends require cutting. This helps them soak up all the water they need to stay fresh and beautiful! When I cut my florals, I always cut them at an angel, too. 

- Find the perfect place for each flower. I'll usually place the more fluffy florals first as they fill up quite a bit of space. Then I begin filling in with the roses or fillers that I picked up. 

If you don't get it right the first time, don't be disappointed! There have been plenty of times where I cut the stems to short and they basically fell to the bottom of the vase, so I just switched vases! Also, there are many times where I cut and place a flower then think, nope that didn't work, so I move it. There are also times where I've had to cut multiple times, because now I'm more cautious when cutting and prefer them to be too long than too short. 

Creating floral arrangements is something I've really grown to love and it's so fun to throw everything together and see what you come up with. I've always loved having fresh florals placed throughout our home and I hope you're able to do the same! I can't wait to see what you create! 

XOXO, 

Emily