Bridal bouquets are as much the main attraction as the bride the moment she walks down the aisle to the time she poses for photographs and the time she throws the bouquet. It should be well-thought and planned with the other blooms at the venue.
There is no symbolic number of flowers that a bridal bouquet should have. You can have anywhere between three stems to three dozen stems in your bridal bouquet. If you choose to have one type of flower for your arrangement, you will need around 10 stems for a small bridal bouquet, 20 stems for a medium bridal bouquet, and around 30 stems for a large bridal bouquet.
The bridal bouquet should always be bigger than the hand bouquet of the maid of honor and the bridesmaids. It should be well-coordinated with other flowers and accents present on your wedding day. You can opt to use a single type of flower or a variety of flowers. You will also need to coordinate the bridal bouquet with the wedding centerpieces.
Choose Your Gown First
Your bridal bouquet should complement your overall wedding look. You may be tempted to go with a trailing bridal bouquet, but that can draw attention away from the details of your gown. It is best to choose your bridal gown first. Make sure your local florist has a photo or sketch of your gown. Your bridal bouquet should complement the cut, style, and color of your gown. If you opt for white or cream-colored flowers in your bouquet, it should match with the exact palette of your dress.
Size Matters
Corsages and boutonnieres need one or two flower stems. If you have a small bouquet with a mixed flower arrangement, you can have three floral stems in your bridal bouquet. You will have to determine how big your bridal bouquet will be. Then you can finalize how many stems there will be in the other bouquets as well as in the centerpieces.
Take note that your maid of honor should carry a hand bouquet bigger than the bridesmaids. However, your bouquet should be the most eye-catching arrangement. Your florist will help you choose from small, medium, and large bridal bouquets.
Talk with your florist to ensure that your bridal bouquet is the right size. Remember that your bouquet should be smaller than your waistline. A perfectly-sized bouquet should perfectly complement your body shape.
Choosing the Right Type of Flowers
A good bridal bouquet should withstand the elements over the course of a long day. You want the bouquet to stay fresh for every photo op. Match the type of flowers to the weather especially for outdoor weddings. Your bridal bouquet should be able to tolerate a windy day or a temperate day. Also, florists in Singapore often recommend seasonal flowers for budget-conscious brides.
Roses are a favorite when it comes to bridal bouquets. You can have a small to mid-sized bouquet with 36 stems of roses. The maid of honor can carry a bouquet of 24 roses while your bridesmaids can have 18 stems each in their bouquets.
Peonies are also suitable for bridal bouquets. A small bouquet needs only around 3 flower stems while a medium bouquet can hold a dozen stems. A large bouquet of peonies can have 20 stems.
Hydrangeas are lovely in a mixed bridal bouquet arrangement as well. Around five hydrangeas can already make an impact with accent flowers added in the arrangement. For a small bouquet, two hydrangeas are enough while a large bouquet can hold around eight stems of hydrangeas.
Lilies also add a sophisticated touch to a bridal bouquet. For greater impact, use around 4 stems of lilies in a small bouquet, around 8 stems for a mid-sized bridal bouquet, and a dozen of lilies for a large wedding bouquet.
Mixed Bridal Bouquets
You don’t need to have a bridal bouquet of one type of flower alone. You can save on your bridal bouquet by adding accent flowers, fillers, and foliage to make the bouquet look bigger. Choose your focal flowers first like roses, peonies, and hydrangeas. Then you can add accent flowers like spray roses and pompons.
The key to fresh-looking flowers all throughout the wedding celebration is good foliage. This will make your arrangement look alive. For greens, you can add Ruscus and Eucalyptus leaf. Baby’s breath can be used as fillers for your bouquet. For a small bouquet, you can fill up to ¼ of the bouquet with baby’s breath, up to half for a medium bouquet, and a whole bunch of baby’s breath for a large bouquet.
Be Careful of the Weight
Remember that you will be carrying your bridal bouquet throughout picture-taking at the wedding hall as well as during the reception. Also, your maid of honor will need to carry two bouquets during the ceremony, yours and hers. Be considerate to her as well when you’re planning for the size and weight of your bridal bouquet as well as her bouquet.
Customize the Bouquet
Add personality to your bridal bouquet and make it your own. Have your favorite flowers in the bouquet. Flowers that are symbolic to your relationship are highly-recommended. If you have a flower garden, you can hand-pick flowers for your bouquet. You can also add a family heirloom like a locket or a brooch to the clutch of your bridal bouquet to add a personal touch to it.
