How to Choose Your Bridal Flowers

As a florist I often see brides either confused or stressed about choosing their wedding flowers. When I was getting married ( before my training as a florist) I remember telling the florist that I didn't know what I wanted, but I was quite firm on what I didn't want. She laughed and said this was at least a start and she could guide me and make suggestions.

The biggest blunder I see brides-to -be make, is choosing their bouquet on what is popular at the time. What is trendy may not suit your shape or dress and you also risk the flowers looking "outdated" in the future. Don't expect to get great results with cheap flowers. I realize weddings are expensive and there are many ways to cut costs without sacrificing the integrity of the wedding flowers. One is making the bridesmaid's flowers simple (either with less flowers, simpler design, or using a less exotic flowers.) For example, some places will let you rent vases. A simple long lasting flower and leaf wrapped around inside of vase can be quite elegant and modern on a table. Or you can have smaller traditional arrangements with less expensive flowers at the reception. Share the church flowers with another bride getting married on the same day. Or you can bring the church flowers to the reception. This is your day! Your bride's bouquet should be the best of what you want and what looks good for you.

You want to be constistant with color, style, and flower types. If you use primarily roses in your bouquet there should be some roses in the Bridesmaids' bouquets.

Choosing the Style of your Bouquet

-A round bouquet only makes a bride look rounder. A round hand-tied bouquet is inexpensive, trendy and youthful, but only suits someone who is tall, thin and has a simple straight-lined dress.
- A multi-trail or cascade bouquet is soft, yet formal and suits a fuller bride or someone with a more
formal or fuller dress.
- A teardrop or trail bouquet suits someone who is medium to short in height. This bouquet is top heavy and is best avoided on "pear -shaped" brides.
- A sheath (carried in the arm) or corsage might suit someone who is older or who is getting married for
a second time
-A crescent bouquet suits a medium height bride with a fuller figure or a dress with a wide skirt
-simple line or European bouquet suits bride who has a simple modern dress.
-A pomanader (round ball of flowers on a string) is sophisticated, yet different
-A floral purse is great for a modern-look and for a bride who wants something unique.

Most of these styles can be made into a bouquet, which ranges from structured to quite loose, depending on your preference and the style of your dress. If you are not sure which style is for you simply bring in photos of what you like and ask your florist if it is suitable for you.

Choosing the Flowers for your Bouquet

We all have our favorite flowers. They may not be in season or they may not be suitable for your bouquet. You want to trust the florist's advice on this one. Importing "out of season" flowers is expensive and may not be best. Certain flowers will wilt in the summer months. A bride-to-be might see some exotic flower in bouquet in a magazine, but this does not mean it should be used in a "real-life" bouquet. Flowers like Frangipanis go brown after a few hours when wired into a bouquet. What the magazine does not tell you is that they sometimes use fake flowers when the bouquets are photographed! There are certain classic wedding flowers (roses, orchids, lilies) that might seem boring to some people but have been tested time and time again. If you want something unusual, don't choose flowers that are not normally used in a bouquet. Instead use one or more of these in your bouquet:

- Beads, feathers, pearls etc.
- A unique design
- Unusual colors (yet one's that still complement bride's and bridemaids' dresses)
-Use more unusual flowers in reception arrangements ( won't be as effected by climate changes and/or forced into a bouquet)
-Put flowers in your hair.
-Use quality silk flowers.

Choosing the Color for Bridemaids' bouquets

The color of the flowers can be the same as the bridesmaids' dresses. If you are expecting the color of the flowers to be an exact match to the dresses you will be disappointed, as nature can vary. Here are some suggestions to choosing the color of your flowers:

-Choose range of shades similar to dresses. For example, If the dresses are pink than choose
several shades of pink similar to dresses.
-Choose a color complimentary to dress. These are colors opposite on the color wheel (red and green, purple and orange, yellow and blue).
- If the dresses are dark you want to avoid too many dark flowers because this will cause everything to recede into the background. If the dresses are bright then avoid too many bright flowers because this will be overwhelming.

Choosing the Color of the your Bride's Bouquet
Here are some suggestions:

-Choose same colors as bridesmaids (you will need a larger bouquet or different style so your bouquet
will stand out)
-If you choose a white bouquet remember white against white does not photograph well! If the bride
really wants white flowers I suggest that we include lots of green leaves to add some accentuation.