Choosing the right Bridal Bouquet for your Dress

Hi and welcome back to our blog. This week I am looking at some of the different styles of bridal bouquets available and how they work with the different styles of wedding dress. I will look at what bouquets are trending and what will work with the more unusual styles of dress. I hope to outline the options that florists can give to today's busy brides when planning their wedding look. 

We think the most popular bouquet technique at the moment is the hand tied bouquet. This is when the stems are arranged in a spiral and bound together creating a natural bouquet. They have bare stems which can be easily hydrated so that they last longer and look great thoughout the day, especially in hotter temperatures. The beauty of this technique is that it can be adapted to produce different outline shapes, creating different bouquet styles to compliment the many different styles of dress…

The Ball Gown

The ball gown is such a popular wedding dress and the dream of many brides looking for that fairy tale princess style. This is a gorgeous look but if it is not combined with the right bouquet it can easily look excessive and unbalanced. The trick is to balance these beautiful dresses with an equally full bouquet. The Crescent and Cascade bouquets work perfectly with ball gowns especially when they are arranged with big blooms such as peonies and tumbling garden foliage.

Semi-crescent bouquets are trending at the moment, their asymmetrical outlines being more contemporary, complimenting informal and unstructured themes such as boho weddings and summer garden styles which are popular at the moment. Crescent bouquets (pictured) are constructed in the same way but have a symmetrical outline of equal trails on either side.

Shower Bouquets have always been a popular choice; they have a traditional, symmetrical outline but can also be arranged in an unstructured and informal style through asymmetrical placements or grouping of flowers. They have a quality of abundance and are full of celebration.

With Shower bouquets the trail is central to the bridal gown and travels down from the binding point whereas the trails of the crescent bouquet would be down both sides and the semi crescent bouquet would have a longer trail off to one side. The more contemporary crescents also tend to travel more out to the sides whilst keeping that semi circle shape. But it’s up to you, how far and how wide you want your trails and your florist will guide you. 

The A-Line Dress

This classic dress is timeless, full of elegance and flattering for the figure. It has a clear central point, at the waist and this is where you want your flowers to be.

Any round bouquet (posies are especially popular at the moment) would work beautifully with the A-Line dress. Posies are held on an angle with with the flowers facing forward and the stems towards the bide. They are a classic shape, equally elegant and will balance the long lines of the dress. 

Most upright bouquets will also work with the A-Line dress as they are held at waist height  with the stems facing down and the flowers facing up. These bouquets are simple and informal. The small uprights are often referred to as a nosegay bouquet (pictured below). Not sure why, but their subtle elegance can be gorgeous. We would recommend you choose a size which is in balance with your dress, but again, your florist will guide you with this.  

The Sheath/Straight Dress

Sheath dresses are a more contemporary choice and they tend to rest close to the figure whereas the ball gown and a-line dress will flare out at the waist or hips. Because they have a very simple line your bouquet can be much more extravagant if you choose.

These could include the Cascade and Crescent bouquets (pictured above) or just an abundant hand tied bouquet; all would work with a sheath dress. I am loving the simplicity of mono botanicals at the moment and a Long Stemmed bouquet (pictured below) of 3-5 long stems of one type of flower such as the Calla Lily or Rose tied with satin/silk ribbon would compliment the long line of a sheath dress beautifully for the bride who loves simple elegance.

The Trouser Suit

The trouser suit, again, a contemporary choice is often chosen for second weddings and a structured cut can create a dramatic silhouette. We feel subtle and simple is the way to go with this wedding style.

A simple hand tied posy or an upright nosegay of delicate roses and dahlias would look gorgeous against a trouser suite. The Long Stemmed bouquets (pictured below) would also work as they follow the line and their subtlety will not overwhelm the complexities of a suit.  

The Mermaid/Trumpet Dress

The mermaid dress creates a beautiful silhouette with a long line which flares out below the knee. Care needs to be taken choosing your bridal bouquet to compliment this unique design of dress and we would recommend the Cascade or the Long Stemmed bouquet for a more subtle choice.

The cascade (pictured above) would work perfectly as it travels down the dress, following it’s long line and taking the eye down to the flared skirt. The Long Stemmed bouquet would travel upwards, again following the line of the dress. These bouquets can also be cradled on the arm, with the blooms at the elbow. This too can look quite lovely. 

All the bouquet designs outlined in this blog work really well as a hand tied bouquet but they can also be constructed as a wired bouquet or be inserted into a floral foam bridal holder if that is your preference. Wiring individual flowers will shorten their life but a flower on a wire can be manipulated into place much more precisely if this is what your bouquet design needs. Likewise, flowers can be placed more accurately in floral foam and the benefit of this mechanic is that the flowers will be continually hydrated and therefore longer lasting.

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So there we have it, a whistle stop tour of the popular bridal bouquet styles and guidance in helping you choose the right one for you. For the more ambitious bride, there are many contemporary floral designs which go that step further with different shapes. Examples of these are the floral hoop or a floral handbag. For my next blog (up in two weeks) I will be delving into some of these beauties, a little inspiration for you.

Until then, take care ❤️