Personalizing Your Bouquet
Though some trends have blossomed and others wilt, one thing remains true: flowers are a great way to balance trends with tradition.
Generally, the wedding style and formality you choose will influence, if not determine, the style of bouquet that you select. If you keep in mind the overall theme and style of your wedding, the perfect flowers will jump out at you, but it never hurts to do your homework. Gather ideas from flower books and bridal magazines to find styles and arrangements that appeal to you and will blend with your theme.
Genevieve Nisly Photography
Find your Favorites
When you see a bouquet that captivates you, ask yourself what you like about it. Is it the size, shape, color, style, the way the ribbon is wrapped around the stems? Is the bouquet composed of one kind of flower or does it look like it was just picked from a meadow of wildflowers? Visit florists or a flower market to see and smell as many varieties as you can. This way you’re sure to find something that you love, and you’ll know exactly what you do not want.
A bouquet should complement your personality, proportions, and attire all while matching the general aesthetic of the day. Provide the florist with a photo of your and your bridesmaids’ dresses and, if possible, swatches of the fabric — which is particularly useful when it comes to choosing the ribbon trim. You want your bouquet to be beautiful but not take away from you, your girls, or the dresses.
Add Meaning
Another way to personalize your bouquet is to choose flowers that are expressive of your backgrounds and beliefs. Did you know that each flower has a meaning? Delve into your own family history or elevate the personal factor of your bouquet by picking out flowers that tell a story. Give your wedding flowers a homegrown flair by picking something you’d find in your mother’s garden; or, carry a cluster of white French tulips because your grandmother did so. You might even decide to take it a step further by finding flowers by the birth month of a late relative.
Orchard Photography
Matching Colors
Choosing colorful flowers that match your wedding palette is an obvious way to personalize your bouquet. Colorful adornments – from ribbons to beads – will make any bouquet meaningful. Experiment with monochromatic blooms and try adding color through the shape – and shade – of unusual additions – such as dark, rich berries, brilliant green succulents, or even jewel-tone, sugared grapes.
Just because you’ve picked a pretty green-and-purple combo for your wedding doesn’t mean your flowers need to follow suit. When it comes to bridal bouquets, white flowers are always a popular choice.
Bridesmaids and Mother-Of’s
Along with your bouquet, you may choose to have bouquets for your bridesmaids. The bridesmaids’ arrangements often coordinate with those of the bride and are sometimes simply smaller versions of the bridal bouquet. Make sure flowers for the bridal party coordinate with, but not completely match, the attendant’s gowns – it’s easy for flowers to blend too well with the dresses when taking pictures.
In addition, traditionally mothers and grandmothers should always receive corsages, while fathers and grandfathers receive boutonnieres. The groomsmen’s boutonnieres should match the bridesmaids’ bouquets, and the groom’s boutonniere should consist of flowers used in the bride’s bouquet.
Another way you can use flowers is as a “thank you” for each wedding participant. A corsage or a boutonniere is a nice token of appreciation for the organist, soloist, guest book attendant, scripture reader, or anyone else involved in your special day.
Read more on how to preserve your wedding bouquet here!
