Guest post by Jamie Anderson While traditional floral arrangements add a fresh and fragrant component to any wedding, brooch bouquets (usually made from brooches, wire and floral tape) are constructed to last decades after a wedding has come and gone. However, there’s no need to choose just one or the other. Kimberly Jubran, owner and designer of Forever After Bridal Brooch Bouquets in Victoria, B.C., says a bride can have flowers and brooches. The company began after Jubran and her mother tried making Jubran's own brooch bouquet from a mix of brooches and silk flowers. “I love flowers and I love bling, so I wanted the best of both worlds,” she said. Brooch bouquets are incredibly versatile. Any colour and style of flowers can be used coupled with any style of brooch to create the desired look. “Brides that order from us are looking for something unique and outside the box. They want to make a bold statement and be different.” Since launching their website in April 2013, Forever After has fulfilled a number of unique requests. One of the most memorable was a bouquet made from seashells and real pearls for a destination wedding. There was also a bouquet made entirely with black and red silk roses with cutting edge brooches, as well as a natural forest bouquet made from wooden flowers, pheasant feathers, dried pods and moss for a bride who enjoyed hiking. “We can wire pretty much anything into a bouquet,” says Jubran. “We’ve had bride’s courier us family pieces, lockets and even a picture of a departed parent to incorporate.” Not only are they customizable, brooch bouquets are built so they last. This is done by carefully wrapping each of the brooches with wire and creating a stem, then wrapping all the stems with floral tape. Once everything is in place, the handle is bound with a heavier tape and then covered with adhesive and the bride’s choice of ribbon colour. “We had a bride who is hopeful that her bouquet will one day be her daughter’s. Gone are the days of wearing a mother’s dress, so maybe this is the beginning of a new tradition,” Jubran said. It can take an experienced arranger eight to 10 hours to create an eight-inch brooch bouquet, and closer to a few weeks for someone who doesn’t have any bouquet-arranging experience. “Not only are we making brooch bouquets, but we are floral designers,” Jubran said. “We are able to come up with colour and floral combinations that a bride may not normally think of. We are also able to execute difficult arrangements, because working with flowers and brooches together is especially challenging. If not done by an experienced arranger, the results can be disappointing.” Still want to make one yourself? Here is everything you need for an all-brooch bouquet:

1. A large collection of brooches
2. Floral tape
3. 4 silk hydrangea heads (be careful not to handle them too much or they will fray)
4. Floral wire
5. Pliers
6. Patience

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