For years the bride has fantasized about her wedding day, and as a Wedding Story Writer, I’ve heard plenty of stories about a bride’s hopes and dreams. She has carefully chosen her beautiful dress and veil, she has her wedding and reception locations reserved, and the bridesmaid dresses have been ordered. It is now time to think about the bridal bouquet, which is oftentimes put aside.
The bride must understand the total look she is trying to achieve-not only with her gown but with her flower choices. A few categories of bridal styles I’ve experienced lately include:
• Clean Modern
• Vintage Shabby “Chic”
• Traditional Classic
• Fun Loving “DIY”
Today’s brides choose real flowers for their bouquets and frequently have a toss bouquet made from silk flowers to match it. Some brides have an extra bouquet made as a keepsake as they know their real flowers will perish. The bride must be aware of what her budget is for these extra bouquets.
Clean Modern brides adore fragrant white roses or calla lilies, as they exude elegance. The latest trend is to wrap the stems with lush white satin with a sparkling rhinestone pin or pearl attached to the handle. These brides like minimalistic beauty and their bouquets are simple, yet fantastic. I have seen bouquets using wheat, which added a beautiful texture mixed in with white roses.
The Traditional Classic bride adores red roses, orchids, and delicate stephanotis. A modern twist includes adding several colorful butterflies wired onto picks and scattered throughout the bouquet. These bouquets can be large, echoing the bride’s mother’s bouquet but with a modern twist.
Vintage Shabby “Chic” brides are using heirloom jewelry, handkerchiefs, ribbons, and other vintage items in their bouquets. One bride’s mother created a lovely bouquet for her daughter by using her own vintage rhinestone jewelry and some ribbons from her christening gown. This creation was very sentimental and yet totally unique to the bride on her special day and brought tears of joy to her eyes upon presentation. After the wedding, the rhinestone picks and ribbons were removed and placed in a silk bouquet identical to the original bouquet.
The Fun Loving Do it Yourself (DIY) bride loves to laugh and wants to implement something from her relationship with the groom into the bouquet. Perhaps it is a trinket the groom gave as a gift, something only the bride knows is hiding within the flowers. It makes her smile. This bride also knows there will be a crowd of children present at the reception, and anticipates seeing the glow in their eyes when she throws the “child bouquet.” This bouquet is made of organic lollipops and silk flowers. It is created so that the lucky girl who catches the “bouquet” gets a yummy surprise that she can share with the other children.
The important thing to remember is that this wedding belongs to you. It can be as outlandish or as simple as you want. It will all be documented in your wedding photos, and if I’m there as a wedding story writer it will be documented there, too, so be creative and have fun!
