Your bridal or wedding bouquet is an important element of your overall wedding style. The type of flowers, colors, size, shape, and styling of your bridal bouquet has to complement your wedding dress, as well as your hair and make-up.
At times, even the venue of your wedding, the type of ceremony or tradition, and the current season can also factor into your choice of bouquet. It can be customized to match the bride’s personality, as well.
Given these things to consider, what are the basic do’s and dont’s in picking a bridal bouquet? Read our ultimate guide to help you make the right choice.
Related: 3 Tips on How to Hold your Bridal Bouquet
The Do’s: How to Choose Your Bridal Bouquet
Do choose your wedding dress before picking your flowers
This is the most basic guideline of all. Your wedding dress determines the kind, color, shape, and style of your bouquet. It should not overpower your wedding gown, the fabric details, as well as the silhouette. It should promote balance in your overall bridal look. So before meeting your florist, be sure to bring a picture of your gown.
Do pick the blooms in season
It’s not only cheaper to buy the flowers in season, but it’s also a sweet reminder of the month or season when you said your vows. In the years to come and as you look at your wedding photos, the kind of flowers you carried will instantly take you back to that romantic summer or rustic autumn season.
Do consider your hairstyle and the color of your make up
As in everything, balance is key. Your bouquet should not compete with the facial assets that you want to emphasize in your bridal make-up. Consult your makeup artist and florist on what hues can complement your look. If you will be using a headdress or hair accent, it would be great if it also matches your wedding bouquet.
Do consider the tone of your ceremony / cultural traditions
More traditional ceremonies normally go for more neutral, subdued hues. Less formal wedding ceremonies are more open to seeing huge and brightly colored blooms. If you are having a fusion or multicultural wedding, it is important to consider the types of flowers that are significant to your traditions.
Related: The Significance of Varmala in an Indian Wedding
Do choose a bouquet you can hold comfortably the whole day!
Because it is a bunch of flowers made especially for you, it better be easy and comfortable to carry the whole day through! Do check the weight, shape, and style of your bouquet. It should give you balance and promote good posture. Be sure it is something you don’t find awkward to carry around with you.
Do make it personal
Your wedding bouquet should bring meaning to you. You can incorporate sentimental items like a family heirloom or a personal accessory or a gift from your groom. If you have that something old, new, borrowed, or blue – ask your florist to add it to your flowers’ overall design.
Do ask your photographer to capture it well!
Your bridal bouquet is a great representation of your wedding. It can clue us into the theme and feel of your event. Be sure to ask your photographer to capture pictures of your wedding bouquet from various angles (with or without you holding it).
The Dont’s: What to Avoid in Picking Your Wedding Bouquet
Don’t choose a trailing bouquet if your wedding skirt has the details
Since your bouquet has to work with your dress, be mindful of where the key design details are. If these are in your skirt, don’t pick a trailing bouquet that might cover it. Choose a size and shape of your bouquet that does not cover your waistline. But If you will be wearing a long veil and gown trail, you can go pick a more grandiose bouquet to match it.
Don’t ignore the exact colour or swatches of your bridal and bridesmaids’ dresses
There are many swatches of hues per shade of color. You might want to bring some excess fabric from your wedding gown designer and bring these with you when you meet your florist. Scraps of fabric from your bridesmaids’ gowns are also key in making sure the colors of your bouquet match the theme of your bridal party, too.
Don’t forget to hold it properly
Hold it just below your navel or belly button so that the shape of your waist does not get covered. Do not hold it too high or else it will lift up your shoulders and will look a bit awkward. So hold it lower than your waist and slightly away from your dress. Be relaxed and observe proper posture so you won’t look lopsided or tensed in any way when the photographer captures your pictures with the bouquet.
Don’t just toss it! You can preserve it!
While this tossing the bridal bouquet is a common tradition in wedding reception programs, you can still opt to keep it by using a bouquet preservation service. Ask your wedding planner for some options for this. Additionally, you can keep your flowers looking fresh by snipping a short portion of the stems and keeping it soaked in water during the evening. Delegate this task to a bridesmaid so you won’t forget.
Now, what about wedding flower colors? How important are they?
Wedding Flower Colors: What Do They Mean?
Flower colors can mean a lot of things – and differently too, for many cultures. You might want to check on your tradition before deciding on colors. Of course, it goes without saying that your wedding gown color, bridesmaid dresses, make-up, and theme are all factors to consider when selecting the shades of your blooms.
Here are some suggestions from teleflora.com.
Green wedding bouquet – green orchids, tropical flowers, green foliage, green hydrangeas, cacti and succulents, as well as fruit, can be incorporated into your bouquet.
TIP: For a dramatic contrast, pair black bridesmaid dresses with green bouquets. Or combine pink with the green flowers for a romantic Victorian look.
Red wedding flowers – a white wedding dress and a classic red bouquet say all the right things – romance, passion and sensuality.
White wedding flowers – a classic choice for your big day. White symbolizes purity and innocence. White flowers go great with all dress colors.
TIP: If your gown is white and you don’t like the look of white-on-white, add a collar of dark green ruscus leaves to make the bouquet stand out beautifully.
Pink wedding flowers – feminine and pretty.
TIP: Try three different varieties of pink roses in the bouquet, the different hues and shades of pink will be gorgeous.
Purple wedding arrangements – dark purple flowers can sometimes be too somber for a bridal bouquet, but you can ‘lift’ the color by combining them with brighter colored flowers.
TIP: Dark purple combined with lime green and white flowers is stunning. The complementary color of yellow is also stunning when added to purple flowers.
Orange wedding flowers – a vibrant color scheme for those brides looking for something a little bit different.
TIP: It’s a great color for summer and autumn weddings.
Yellow wedding flowers – vibrant yellow wedding flowers are so bright and sunny, that they will make everyone smile.
TIP: Lemon and paler shades of yellow are softer and more romantic.
Tips for Holding Your Bridal Bouquet
1. Hold it at the navel/belly button.
The rule of thumb when holding your bouquet is to put it in the right placement. Always place your bouquet at the level of your navel/belly button. This makes your dress and your bouquet well-coordinated, especially from different camera angles (trust us, your videographers will thank you). When your bouquet is held at the lower part of your body, it gives an accent and contour to your gown that you will want to highlight as you walk along the aisle.
2. Always be relaxed.
A big no-no when holding your bouquet and walking down the aisle is having tensed shoulders and arms. It is important to hold your bouquet in a relaxed yet firm manner. Having tensed arms and shoulders will make you look stiff and will instantly shut the confidence off. When this happens, it could result in poor video and photo outputs. So remember, just feel the moment and put on that confidence when flaunting your fits.
3. Highlight all the right parts.
When walking down the aisle, it is definite that your face should be the focal point. However, to achieve this, you should also incorporate your posture, gown, and bouquet. You do not want to hold your bouquet higher than your belly button as this makes your face the secondary source of attention only. But instead, you want to balance everything by making sure your face is directed in the middle (not too leaning) while your bouquet is held downward.
Why Choose Mimi Ebichi Events?
Mimi Ebichi is a professional wedding planner in the DC, Virginia, and Maryland areas. Our team has a wealth of experience and success stories in both local and international wedding events. We specialize in multicultural weddings. Our work can speak for itself.
As event designers, we deeply value relationships, culture, and trust. Hence, we strive to provide the most stress-free, and beyond-your-imagination wedding experience whether that is a hometown or a destination wedding.