Using Bravo Holder for Wedding Bouquet

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lauragreenflowers

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Apr 2, 2011
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I am using a Bravo Holder for a faux hand-tied bridal bouquet next week. We are practicing but had a few questions

1) Do you use any adhesive to make sure the flowers stay in the holder. Same for the stems in the bottom of the holder

2) Do you glue stems over the holder and then wrap ribbon around it? If not, how do you keep the ribbon from coming apart (off the holder)?
 
lauragreenflowers said:
I am using a Bravo Holder for a faux hand-tied bridal bouquet next week. We are practicing but had a few questions

1) Do you use any adhesive to make sure the flowers stay in the holder. Same for the stems in the bottom of the holder

2) Do you glue stems over the holder and then wrap ribbon around it? If not, how do you keep the ribbon from coming apart (off the holder)?
Click to expand...


no i don't glue int he stems of the flowers into the oasis
ues i glue the stems to the handle to cover it . then I wrap it very tightly with the ribbon. THIS i do the morning of the wedding. I used hot glue and found it didn't hold when it got cold so switched glue and now do it the morning of just in case.
 
Anytime you use a holder you should be using stem lock- top bottom, whatever. I used to never ever use stem lock. I was told "A properly made bouquet doesn't need stem lock."

Yeah, well- why take the chance?
I never EVER had a bouquet fall apart- NEVER. I just started using stem lock about 4 years ago. The older I get the more chicken I get and less cocky...So again- why take the chance.

I have never ever glued ribbon on a bouquet. It's always pinned. And most of the time I only use one pin.
 
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lauragreenflowers said:
Thank you. Do you use the Oasis glue? Is it the cold glue?
Click to expand...

it has been hot glue when i'm out and i'm sorry i threw out the can of the other i was using.. I know it to see it but can't think of the name of it.
I do NOT glue the ribbon its just tightly wrapped or fancy tied down the stems and then one pin at the top. the fiddle spot as i call it!
 
lauragreenflowers said:
But do you glue stems on the handle and then wrap the ribbon/pin it?
Click to expand...

Well- It all depends on the design I suppose. If you want to shove stems up the bottom and then glue some stems around the outside I think it would be fine. I think it would look more realistic that way. Just be sure to stem lock the stems in the bottom as well as the top.
Also I think I'd use U glu dashes rather than oasis floral adhesive for the stems around the holder. SOOOO much easier and quicker. I LOVE U glu dashes.
 
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I've always used stem lock, saw my boss lose flowers on a bouquet as it went down the aisle once. We use either cling or the uglue on the handle, but first I bundle the stems up in my hand and rubber band them. Then I slide them up the handle so they are snug, then wrap with ribbon and pin it. I also trim the bottom of the holder with salal or galax leaves, I hate seeing white plastic. We're pretty quick at putting it together. and charge extra for the time.
 
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Cannot stand the bravo holder...I make faux hand tieds in the straight handled bouquet holders...I cover the bottom of the holder in lemon leaf and hot glue the handle into a tightly rubber banded bundle of stems, you can use the u glue strips for this now, I do like them better than the possibility of burning the heck out of a finger...then I wrap with ribbon to cover mechanics of holder and faux stem...

I find that those bravo holders make a very loose bouquet with a very uncomfortable thick handle...
 
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Personally, I am not a fan of the Bravo Holder. However, for someone inexperienced in creating hand-tieds OR if you are using water-sensitive flowers, then they DO have their place. A couple of tips on using the Bravo holder. First of all.....the top of the holder is the section of oasis that is beveled. There is NOT a lot of foam available, so I recommend using thin stemmed flowers. Thick stems usually take up to much room. ALWAYS Floralock that section of the bouquet......APPLY THE FLORALOCK BEFORE YOU RIBBON COVER THE HOLDER.

Make sure your stems are clean and free of leaves, thorns, prickles, nubs and the like. You want your stems to be as smooth as possible. I usually don't soak the bottom section of oasis as that is where your remaining stems will go.......to resemble the handtied.....I usually scrape out most of that oasis and pan-melt glue my flower stems into there. I usually find it is easier to prep that area first......trim the stems level with each other.....and stand the holder in a vase while I insert my fresh flowers on top.

About the only time I really use the Bravo holder is when my bride is wanting a hand-tied look and she wants really water-sensitive flowers. Other than that, I usually do a normal hand-tied and let it go.
 
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I completely missed it that you said Bravo holder, used one once and lost all the water down the stems coming out of the bottom and not much design room either, I too only use the regular bouquet holders if I need to with the long stem/handle and add the stems around the handle like Lori said.
 
I would suggest getting Rene Van Rems book on hand tied bouquets..It gives techniques for doing real handtieds with and without ametures, step by step directions and techniques for faux hand tieds with step by step directions...It also gives nice tips for wrapping the handtieds european style for store pickups...nice, nice book, I got mine signed by him..It is available on his site and through Folrist review book store I believe...
 
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Unless they have changed the Bravo holder construction............you should not lose any water out the bottom of the holder......not much anyway......there is a plastic divider between the top bouquet portion and the bottom stem portion. That's why I don't recommend soaking the bottom portion of the holder or scraping the oasis out the bottom section.
 
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Put me on the list of designers who think the Bravo holder was one of the worst new products ever launched by Oasis. The foam is too shallow at the top and it's more work to try and conceal the plastic than to actually make the design.

For faux hand-tieds, we use straight handled Oasis Wedding Bells and then bundle the real stems around the plastic one.
 
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