A mass of white roses and pale blue hydrangea flowers arranged into a formal wedding posy style
Once you have yours and your bridesmaids dresses sorted you are ready to start making decisions on what wedding bouquets and colours you will use to accompany them.
Brides Bouquets
In order of importance second only to the wedding dress is your choice of bridal bouquet which should compliment the dress perfectly and take into account your height, plus the size and style of your dress, a smaller bride or a simpler column dress for example often calls for a smaller bouquet but fashions change over time and special events such as a royal or celebrity wedding always have an influence and usually results in a spike in demand for a specific flower, colour or style.
When choosing designs its worth bearing in mind that If you are looking to recreate a fresh bouquet with artificial flowers exactly it could be a very pricey affair but by substituting one or two of the fresh flowers varieties you can achieve the same overall effect and help remain within budget. Some blooms may be very pricey to purchase as a fresh cut flower but could be a very reasonably priced option in an artificial equivalent, Lily of the Valley for example are pretty expensive if using fresh whereas if you use a silk alternative it works out much more affordable, the opposite is true of foliage, a good quality artificial foliage isn't cheap but well worth the money because it can really lift a bouquet or design
Your bouquet is the ultimate accessory and shouldn't over power your dress, a simple rule of thumb to take into account is the bigger the dress the bigger the bouquet
A picture of a dainty posy bouquet suitable for little flower girls
Bridesmaids Bouquets
If you have bridesmaids, you will obviously have chosen a colour for their dresses and will need to take this into account when deciding on which flowers to have. As with the brides bouquet you will need to take into account their dresses and choose a colour to complement them, choosing an attractive colour combination and using it skilfully will lift an ordinary design turning it into something that is beautiful, distinctive and memorable.
If you intend to stick to the colour of the dresses try to use flowers that are a shade or two lighter or darker rather than trying to match the colours exactly, this will add interest and some contrast and will look better in your photos, mixing various shades tones and tints will always add interest to the bouquet and will always look far more natural than a single block of colour.
Lots of brides choose to use the identical flowers to those used in their bouquet but request a smaller version for their bridesmaids but why not consider picking a single flower from the bridal bouquet and using on mass. This works well and can be very cost effective, as does reversing the colours, for example you have a white wedding dress and the bridesmaid have blue, you carry a bouquet featuring blue anenomies and a mixture of mainly blue flowers with just a touch of white thrown in, the bridesmaids bouquets on the other hand features white anenomies accompanied by mainly white flowers and just a few filler flowers in shades of blue.
THE TYPES OF WEDDING BOUQUETS AND DESIGNS AVAILABLE
Shower or Cascade type Bouquets
Both these styles of bouquet are constructed using an abundance of flowers which trails downwards in a loose style. It takes a lot of flowers to create this type of bouquet and results in a full extravagant design, The cascade bouquet is fuller than a shower bouquet which has more of a slender tip and a posy type top.
These bouquets looks stunning with full gowns and suit larger size brides, their shape helps to elongate the body
Teardrop Bouquet
This bouquet is similar to the cascading/shower bouquet in so much as it is designed to flow downwards towards the floor, the difference is that the flowers are arranged to create an elegant teardrop shape, gently narrowing at the tip of the bouquet.
its best to avoid with gowns that show off wide shoulders or hips
Handtied over arm or Sheaf Style Bouquets
The flower stems in the type of bouquet are kept at a long length and are a feature of the bouquet. The bouquet is designed so that it rests on the brides arms with the flower heads resting just above her elbows.
A striking bouquet which works well with all gowns and is particularly suited to long, flowing vintage style wedding dresses because of its elegance, and also for plus-size gowns for its length.
Crescent or Semi Crescent Bouquets
The crescent bouquet is designed to look symmetrical and is popular due to its natural style. The flowers flow over the brides hands and can vary in size depending on the brides height and dress style. The bouquet is generally compact in the middle and narrows down at the sides whilst tapering down towards the floor.
The crescent bouquet suits all dress styles and looks particularly good against an A-line gown.
a bridal bouquet of pure white silk tulips, ideal for a spring wedding.
Posy Bouquets
A traditional round design, the flowers are arranged tightly into a posy-style bouquet. The classic posy has always been one of the most popular choices because it is incredibly versatile and suits almost all wedding dress styles.
The posy looks particularly good against A-line gowns but will suit most gown shapes. Plus-size brides may prefer to go for a longer-line trailing cascading shower bouquet to draw the eye up and down, giving the illusion of taller, longer, narrower lines as a round posy will accentuate a rounder bridal gown shape
A more modern and more relaxed version of the classic formal posy has proven to be very popular recently. This bouquet style is ideally suited to outdoors and garden themed weddings and suits all wedding dress styles.
This less formal style of bouquet is ideal when combined with more rustic BoHo style gowns with free flowing, looser lines.
Wrist Corsages
A great alternative to a traditional bouquet, suitable for a young modern bride or an older lady having an intimate registry office wedding, it allow you to keep your hands free and is idea for the bride who doesn't want to carry a bouquet but still wants to accessories her outfit with flowers,
Bridal Pomanders
This style of bouquet has made a comeback into todays modern trends. The flowers are arranged into a ball shape design and are individually placed into a foam oasis. The pomander works best with small delicate flowers.This is also a hugely popular style for flower girls and bridesmaids who would wear a little pomander with the ribbon around their wrist, keeping their hands free.
Suits all dress shapes and looks especially stunning with sleek A-line gowns, column and empire styles.
Flower Hoops
Traditionally used for flower-girls but are become popular for modern brides looking for something different to a standard Bouquet.
Looks stunning using ivy and sunflowers in a country style wedding or alternatively use orchid and calla lilies for a more polished sophisticated effect.
Bridesmaids Baskets
Needs no further explanation really, choose satin or organza and fill with rose petal or go for baskets made from moss or wicker and fill with meadow flowers. All looks charming and is idea if the little one wont hold a bouquet, If the bridesmaid's very young you could even fill the basket with a teddy bear