This past Saturday, the D Weddings editors were invited to Something Pretty Floral’s latest workshop and do we have the tips for you! Taylor Davis, owner and founder of Something Pretty, let us behind the curtain and shared her best advice on creating beautiful flower arrangements, which bouquets to buy at the grocery store, and how to keep your petals looking perky.

The event was held in the Las Colinas Resort ballroom, which Taylor had decked out in flowers galore. Guests were greeted with a personalized name card to hold their table spot and were invited to grab a celebratory mimosa or visit Kristyn from ACA Designs for a live fashion sketch to start.

While the event goers were getting settled, Taylor gave a rundown of the proceedings, starting with a live demonstration of how she creates table arrangements, specifically in a low, bowl-style vase with floral foam. We watched, amazed, as Taylor crafted a perfect bouquet, explaining her technique as she went along and advising us to follow these steps:

1. Greenery first. Trim your selected greenery (always with a diagonal cut!) and start building your base. Work your way around each side, and make sure to cover the rim.
2. Big flowers second. Go in next with your larger, statement blooms, (think: peonies, garden roses, ranunculus, etc.) and evenly space them out to be seen from each side of the arrangement. “You also want to remember that table arrangements are seen from the top and at eye level,” says Taylor. “So, keep in mind all angles when arranging.”
3. Add your filler. Place your smaller, more delicate blooms, (think: hydrangeas, sweet pea, lisianthus, etc.) around your arrangement to fill empty spaces. Taylor also encourages to keep height in mind if you’re going for a more organic look. “I always add my Larkspur last so I can see where the best places for extra height will be,” she says.
4. Back to the beginning. If your arrangement is still looking a little sparse, Taylor says to go back to the beginning and work your way down, filling holes with greenery, large blooms, and smaller varieties in order. Taylor also advises to stand up or take a step back to see if your finished product looks picture perfect from every side.

Taylor also spoke on her go-to grocery story bundle saying that she recommends grabbing one bouquet of greenery, one of a statement flower, and two of your filler of choice. She also gave a few tips on keeping your flowers fresh. Taylor advises that certain flowers, like hydrangeas, must have the extra stems and leaves removed to keep them from wilting quickly and that cutting your stems at a diagonal angle will help them last longer, as that extra open space allows the flowers to grab more water when needed. Taylor also gave us a lesson in “guard petals,” which can cause your arrangements to look bruised. She says that these are completely natural and a safe-guard that is grown to protect against bumping into other flowers and that they are able to be peeled off to reveal a perfect bloom!

To attend Something Pretty’s next event and learn more flower arranging tips and tricks, keep a look out on their Instagram and website for more details, and save the date for November 17th for their workshop in Austin!