One of the most photographed elements of your wedding day will be your bridal bouquet, so naturally you want it to be stunning, and also an expression of your personal style. With so many beautiful examples out there on Pinterest and other similar sites, it can be hard to define or articulate what that perfect look is that you're going for. We can help!
As you think about what you want and look at the huge assortment of inspiration images out there, think about the following characteristics of a bouquet: its color, shape, texture, size, and the specific flowers used in it. We will break each of these down below with photo examples from Pinterest.
Color
Color can really define your bouquet in a way that no other characteristic of it can. Nailing the color palette is always the most rewarding part of designing for me. And as wedding floral trends shift, color at weddings is becoming more fluid than it was in the past. Maybe your bridesmaids are all wearing monochromatic colors that create a sort of ombre effect at the alter. This allows for so much potential with your flowers to play off the incorporation of multiple dress tones, or to create memorable contrasting pops of color that can make a huge impression at your event.
There's so much I could say about color theory, but I'll just give an example of one thing you can consider when you've deciding on a color/colors for you wedding. Say, for instance, that you love pink and you want to use that as your hero color throughout your event. Consider what type of pink you lean more towards - is it a 'cool' pink that actually leans more blue/purple, as in the first example below? Or is it a more 'true' pink or 'hot' pink that leans more towards peach/yellow, as in the second example? Notice how very different these two pink palettes feel! You can actually feel the cool and warmth of these photos.
Another tip for all of the colorful palette couples out there - and I'm seeing so many more of these requests this year! - is to identity a 'hero' color for your floral, like orange, and then embrace a pop from it's complementary color, purple, as in the example below. Look at what a striking effect the inclusion of a few well-placed stems of purple flowers has on this otherwise peachy-orange palette. This creates a very colorful effect without feeling chaotically or jarringly colorful - you don't want it to feel like the colors are competing with each other, but rather playing off each other in a really pleasing way.
Shape
The shape, or silhouette, of a bouquet is probably the next most important element in defining the style of it. Do you like a more wild, organic shape, that has flowers that appear to be floating or hovering over the bouquet, as in the first example? Or do you prefer a cleaner silhouette that is a bit more rounded in nature, like the middle photo? Maybe a cascading design appeals to you, where long greenery creates a trailing effect down the front of your body as you hold the bouquet. This last example showcases this more vertical silhouette, which also embraces more of an organic shape.
Texture
Are there textural elements in your saved photos that particularly sing to you? A beautifully designed bridal bouquet always incorporates something uniquely textural. Grasses, pods and dried flowers create depth and add whimsy to bouquets, as in the first two examples below; soft flowers like sweet peas and phlox can create a ruffled, romantic feel, as in the last example.
Size
When you consider the size of your bouquet, think about your stature and the silhouette of your dress. Your bouquet should never be so large that it overpowers you or detracts from your dress, but should be complementary to both and seem like the perfect effortless accessory. All of the photos included in this post represent well-proportioned bouquets.
Specific flowers
Are there specific flowers that are must-haves at your wedding? Sometimes we have flowers that are dear to us and that we feel must have a place at such a memorable event in our lives. Think about whether these flowers are in-season at the time of your wedding. If its peonies or ranunculus, for example, it's important to remember that these are spring flowers and might not be available if you get married outside that season.
If you like certain flowers but are open to substitutions for those favored blooms due to seasonality or availability, your florist can make recommendations for similar flowers that would fit your design aesthetic. When we work with couples who are open to recommendations, we make suggestions of flowers that we either grow here on the farm or can source locally that would make beautiful alternatives to flowers that might be extra pricey to order in, or are not in season. For example, lisianthus, pictured below, grow beautifully on our farm and make excellent replacements for roses, which can be really expensive to order in from wholesalers. If you're a peony-lover but your wedding is in fall, you might want to embrace dahlias in your designs, which have a similar full shape and soft, romantic texture. See how beautifully they round out the bridal bouquet example in the second image below.
These are just some tips to help you start thinking about bouquet concepts, but we are always so happy to talk through thoughts with our couples, so don't hesitate to reach out! Info@PennycressStudio.com
If you have any questions we can answer here, drop us a comment below!