Choosing a Bridal Bouquet

Where did the tradition of the bridal bouquet come from? The first bridal bouquets weren't actually bouquets at all -- they were gatherings of herbs carried by brides to ward off evil.

It was the Victorians who really raised the tradition of wedding flowers having a symbolic meaning to new heights. A shy suitor, raised in a tradition of the decorousness of emotional reserve, really had to say it with flowers to get his feelings across to his ladylove. Each time he gave her a bouquet, she found out where their relationship was going: If he gave her red roses, it was love, but if he gave her yellow ones, he only wanted to be friends. And when he gave her red tulips, his love for her was ardent.

We may have forgotten those meanings over time, but we still follow the tradition of carrying a bridal bouquet. However like most traditions, it has undergone some tweaking to give it our own personal touch.

In addition to choosing the flowers that will go into your bridal bouquet, you have the option of adding a wide range of embellishments that will change the look of your bouquet. Gold and bronze bullion wire, crystals and rhinestones, bouquet jewelry like butterflies or initials, feathers and beads all add pizazz to bridal bouquets. If that sounds too flashy for you, why not customize your bridal bouquet with fruits, vegetables, greenery, or even wood?

Today's brides are breaking away from the standard rose domes and educating themselves on specific designs such as biedemeyers, waterfall cascades, and composition bouquets. Yes, there are plenty of different bridal bouquet styles, so ask your wedding florist for a rundown of the types she or he is able to make.


Click to see our comprehensive wedding flower checklist or find a wedding florist in your area

Bridal Bouquet Basics

Think of your bridal bouquet as just another one of your bridal accessories. It is no less important than your earrings, your necklace, and your wedding veil considering that it will likely appear in at least half of your wedding photos! When your wedding flower wishes go awry, it can be a disaster, so brush up on your knowledge of bridal bouquets, and get ready for some great tips from Smart Wedding Planning.

The big potential bridal bouquet issues are flowers not being delivered on time, flowers that aren't fresh, and flowers that aren't the flowers the bride ordered. To ensure that none of these happen to you, choose a wedding florist with a good reputation and sign an iron-clad vendor contract. Make sure your florist knows your wedding color scheme and your chosen bouquet design inside and out!

Be definite about the colors and types of flowers you want in your bridal bouquet and in your bridesmaids' bouquets. Include this information in your vendor contract! Some flowers are available in just about every color, while others are limited. Even though, nowadays, many flowers are available all year long, you need to take the season of your wedding into account when you are choosing your flowers. Sunflowers in the middle of winter may not convey the tone you want, plus out of season flowers arel probably be more expensive.

When you are planning the budget for your bridal bouquet, keep your total wedding budget in mind. Discuss your budget and its limitations honestly with your florist at the very beginning. He or she can work with you to explore different ideas that will make your day perfect while making sure that your bouquets don't break the bank.

You also have to consider the size of the bouquets for both you and your bridesmaids, the shade of your gown, if you are going to have an additional bouquet to toss, and the temperature of the ceremony and reception venues, if you will be outdoors for any length of time. (Many flowers react badly to very cold temperatures.) And as if that is not enough to worry about, you need to worry about pollen that may stain your gown. For example, lilies should have stamens removed because of this problem. Be flexible, and make sure you take the advice of your florist, who wants your day to be perfect, too.


Click to read more about bridal bouquets and wedding flowers

Wedding Corsages

Ah, the wedding corsage! When you're choosing your wedding flowers, it's easy to overlook these small tokens most often given to the mothers and grandmothers of both the bride and groom. Corsages are small groupings of flowers mounted on pins or on a wrist band, and corsages are an easy way to honor your female relatives who are not otherwise participating in the wedding.

Choosing corsages for the MOB and others isn't always easy... should you coordinate the corsages with your bridal bouquet? With the wedding colors? With the dresses your bridesmaids are wearing? How much should you budget for wedding corsages? Don't worry -- we're here to help! Smart Wedding Planning has put together a helpful list of tips that will guide you as you ready yourself to buy corsages.

• The price of corsages can range anywhere from $15.00 to $30.00 or more, depending on the size and type of flowers. If you are on a budget, stay with a simple corsage. You can also DIY if you have the time.
  

• Be careful not to make the corsage so elaborate that it becomes large and heavy. Today, there are many delicate fabrics, such as silk, that can not withstand the weight of a heavy corsage mounted on a pin. In most cases, when it comes to corsages smaller is better.
  

• Corsages can be worn in many different ways. They can be pinned to the dress, attached to a purse, or worn around the wrist. It's a good idea to ask the person who will be wearing the corsage which style they prefer to wear. You might also ask about the color of their dress in order to help you choose flowers for the corsage that best compliments their wedding attire. Then, give all this information to your florist.

• A great alternative to the corsage (and cost effective, too) is to give that special person a single rose or very small bouquet tied with tulle and ribbon. The hand held flower or bouquet looks great in the wedding pictures and when the mothers are escorted down the aisle.

• Corsages are meant to designate special family members. However, you may also give corsages to special friends or those participating in your wedding ceremony, such as your readers, your soloist, or your musicians.

Click to read more about wedding flowers

Wedding Boutonnières

Wedding flowers for the men? But of course! While most men are not going to carry a bridal bouquet (or is that a grooms bouquet?), the men participating in weddings usually do wear flowers in the form of the boutonnière.

Boutonnières are typically used to identify your ushers, best man, groomsmen, and special male family members. Often, the father and grandfather of both the bride and the groom wear boutonnières.

So how do you choose your boutonnières? Here are four boutonnière tips to help you give your guys a touch of class.

Boutonnières can range in price anywhere from $3.00 to $15.00 each, depending on the type of flower(s) and the intricacy of the design. If you are on a budget, stick with a simple style... or make your own!

The groom's boutonnière should be different in style, color, or type of flower to differentiate him from his groomsmen. For example, a white rose can be used for the groom and a colored rose (to match bridesmaid attire) can be used for the best man and groomsmen.

The most popular flower used for boutonnières is roses. Other flowers that can be used include small orchids, stephanotis, freesia, or carnations. Sometimes a great deal of greenery is used, and some boutonnières even feature embellishments like crystals.

The flowers featured in the bride's bouquet often appear in the groom's boutonnière, and the styles may complement each other.

Click to read more about the various kinds of wedding flowers

Saving On Wedding Decor

If you haven't been touched by these tough economic times, we here at Smart Wedding Planning envy you! But if you're like most people and you're feeling the pinch, you may be looking for ways to save money on your wedding. It's not easy -- many ceremony accessories and reception accessories are heavily marked up by vendors who know that brides- and grooms-to-be are willing to pay a premium for "the best."

One way to save money on your wedding is to embrace the do it yourself spirit. Yes, putting together wedding favors or making your own bridal bouquet takes time, but the end product is often more beautiful and more interesting than anything you might buy in a shop. We've put together a short list of ways you can save money on your ceremony and reception decor without having to become a master crafter.

1. Use candles for centerpieces instead of flowers. DIY is easy with candles.

2. Decorate with balloons -- this is fun if you're having kids at your wedding. Let each child take home one or more balloons at the end of the evening.

3. Use silk flowers. They always cost less than fresh flowers, plus they can be rented. If you want to make your own bouquets, it's a lot easier to do so with silks.

4. Bridal and bridesmaid bouquets can double during the reception as decoration for the head table, cake or gift tables. Just make sure you have vases ready.

5. To really save costs, have each bridesmaid carry a single bloom.

6. Make your own pew bows instead of purchasing them. See Making Pew Bows.

7. Use more greenery, tulle, and baby's breath for decorating, and less actual flower blooms. Green bouquets and centerpieces are hot right now!

8. Use only flowers that are in season, and consider choosing less expensive flowers like carnations.

9. If your ceremony site is having more than one wedding that day, contact the other bride-to-be and talk about sharing decoration expenses. The worst she can say is no!

10. Purchase candles, white lights, and other white and silver decorations after the holidays when everything goes on sale.


Click to learn more ways to plan an inexpensive wedding

Fruit Bouquets

In the summertime, you can decorate your reception venue inexpensively and easily using in-season fruit. But have you ever considered that fresh fruit has other uses? Some brides-to-be -- especially those whose wedding themes incorporate fruit -- choose to include fruit in their bridal bouquets. You might be thinking that a fruit bouquet would be interesting, but that it might not be quite the look you want for your wedding.

Well, you'd be surprised how chic and beautiful a fruit bouquet can look! The best looking fruit bouquets are smaller than your average wedding bouquet and they have to be carefully prepared, but artfully designed fruit bouquets can become the centerpiece of your overall wedding day look.

The trick is to not overload the bouquet with too much fruit. If you add too much fruit, it will start to look tacky -- think fruit salad -- and you'll have trouble carrying the bouquet down the aisle. Remember, fruit is a lot heavier than flowers! The most beautiful bouquets include both fruit and flowers. Try a variety of small fruits like:

• Apricots
• Nectarines
• Mandarins
• Passion fruits
• Small apples
• Kiwi fruit
• Strawberries

One thing to be aware of when choosing your fruit is that some fruits (like strawberries) will stain if you are not careful. Just spray them with a clear fixative -- available at art supplies stores -- and you won't have to worry about everything getting stained. Just makes sure no one tries to nosh on your bouquet!

Once you've chosen your fruit, you need to wire the fruit into the bouquet. You will need to use heavy gauge wire, which you can get from your local flower shop. You can either put the wires straight through the fruit and then tape the wires, or you can wrap the fruit in cellophane first, and then wire and tape.

The next thing to do is add some leaves to the bouquet. I like to use big leaves, as they make it look like the fruit is hiding in the leaves. This make the fruit bouquet more subtle, and stops it from looking like a fruit basket.

You can also cut a bunch of leaves off a fruit tree and wire the fruit amongst the leaves. Make sure the branch is fairly straight. This will allow you to tape the branch, and will add a more bridal look to the bouquet. Finally, place some ribbon bows near the leaves, to soften the fruit bouquet, and to add some elegance.

Ta da! You have a beautiful fruit bouquet!


Click for more information about bridal bouquets and wedding decor