A wedding can be an exquisite way to publicly or intimately celebrate your love and connection with another person. Depending on your ideal wedding vision, there can be a lot of aspects to focus on and details to choose to ensure your dreams are realised! Choosing your bouquet, not to mention the bridesmaid’s bouquets, table arrangements, nosegays (small take home flowers), decorating your archway all while trying to figure out which style you want and what’s in season can be quite overwhelming! In order to break it down and give you a bit of inspiration, we’ve listed some of the most popular bridal bouquet styles, with a very brief history about flowers’ involvement in weddings.
At Fig & Bloom, we have a team of incredibly talented and creative designers who can take all the confusion out of choosing and sourcing wedding flowers and help make your wedding floral dreams a reality!
Weddings and Flowers: A Match Made in Heaven
The tradition of using flowers and floral arrangements in wedding ceremonies dates back to the ancients. Different kinds of flowers have held different symbolism in artworks, ceremonies and celebrations in cultures all around the world. The associations of different flower species often reflect the appearance or behavioural qualities of the plant itself. For example, the Mimosa flower traditionally represents chastity, which is inspired by the way in which its petals close up at night. In Ancient Rome, flowers were used to signify a new beginning in a wedding context. During the Victorian times, bridal bouquets signified hope for fertility and, of course, fidelity. This wedding tradition has continued to date, though the symbolism might differ from one community to the other.
Flowers can be a great way to add a bit of extra colour, texture, and spirit to your special day. With the best quality flowers, you can help curate the vibe of the special day and express your own personal style.
Posy Bridal Bouquets
Looking for a simple yet elegant bridal bouquet? The posy bridal bouquet comes in a round shape featuring stems cut to the same length. The arrangement has little greenery and only a few stems, which gives you a lightweight and refined bouquet. The florist usually ties the stems in ribbon fastened with pearl pins to consolidate the elegant look. If you want a simple yet effective bouquet that you can easily hold in one hand, this is the perfect bouquet style for you. These flowers are ideal for bridesmaids, or for brides who love a delicate look. It’s also a fantastic idea if you want the design of the dress to be the star of the show!
Cascade Bouquets
If your style is a bit more effervescent, the magnificent design of a cascade bouquet might be the choice for you. A vibrant and bold statement, the cascade bouquet literally ‘cascades’ down like a waterfall of flowers. Often an upside down teardrop shape, the colours and and flower types can vary greatly, but some of the most commonly used are lilies, ivy, fern, phalaenopsis orchids, and amaranthus.
Weddings are about glamour, colour and elegance. If you want to make a statement on your wedding day, a cascading bouquet does so effortlessly.
Hand-Tied Bouquets
If you are going for a more low-key, boho styled wedding, or any other wedding style that embraces the outdoor lifestyle – a hand-tied bridal bouquet would fit in seamlessly. Freshly picked, often wildflowers are tied together in a more organic looking fashion, often using twine or ribbon to create a natural, low intervention aesthetic.
If you don’t want to complicate matters and instead want to just focus on the event, why not go for a hand-tied bouquet?
Round Bouquets
Looking for more of a traditional bouquet that suits a classical wedding style? The round bouquet remains a popular option for brides who prefer a refined and stately look.
Most round bouquets showcase one flower type, such as a rose, but you can always choose a variety of flowers with similar colours, textures or shapes to create unified. You can also experiment with the colours too if the monochromatic look might not suit your wedding theme. It’s helpful to allow for enough time to coordinate with your florist to do some flower tests and confirm their availability during your wedding month.
Nosegay Bouquets
For the bridesmaids’ bouquets, you generally want something smaller/simpler than the bridal bouquet – yours should be the centre of attention! A nosegay bouquet is the perfect design for bridesmaids–it’s quite similar to a posy in size and style. The nosegay features blooms cut to the same length with ample greenery and arranged into a dense dome shape. The arrangement creates a compact cluster of flowers wrapped tightly with an emphasis mostly on the greenery. If you don’t want a particularly elaborate affair, or if you’re planning a cheeky elopement, this can also work as a bridal bouquet.
Pomander Bouquets
This is one of the easiest bouquets to hold and thus common for flower girls. The arrangement comprises a perfectly round sphere of flowers wrapped in a loop of stylish ribbon. This versatile flower arrangement can also serve as décor with these bouquets hanging from trees or posts around the wedding. This versatility makes the pomander a popular wedding bouquet.
Glamelia Bouquet (also known as a Composite Bouquet)
A glamelia is a type of bridal bouquet that comprises individual petals inventively arranged to resemble an individual bloom. It’s the height of creativity in floral arrangement, and florists can sew, glue or use wire to join the petals and give the illusion of a single, oversized bloom. If you wish to make a contemporary and adventurous statement with your bouquet, why not go for a unique composite bouquet?
Presentation Bouquets
Have you always admired those showstopping bouquets at pageants? The presentation bouquet takes inspiration from the floral arrangements used in pageants, using a mixture of long-stemmed flowers and varying degrees of foliage. This style is designed to be cradled in one arm to the side – ideal if you want your dashing bridal gown to take centre stage!
Single-stem Bouquets
Micro weddings are a big trend in Australia and are perfect if you’re more of a minimalist or working within a certain budget. With the single-stem bouquet, it’s still possible to have a sculptural, interesting decorative element to your look. There is a dynamic range of captivating large flowers and if you pay particular focus to colour choice and shape, the single-stem bouquet can really stand out!
Arm Bouquets
Arm Bouquets are a big trend in bridal wear and for a good reason. Most brides spend months looking for that perfect gown. It takes a lot of energy to try on multiple dresses before you finally find the perfect one for this big day. You may have chosen a dress with a lot of detail on the front, or the fabric flows in a certain way you want to be visible. This is one reason for the popularity of arm bouquets.
The arm bouquet is a practical yet effective option to ensure that you still have some flowers within your bridal wear, while keeping the gown as the focus. A ribbon holds the simple floral arrangement to your arm, and you have the added benefit of having two free hands!
Picking a Wedding Bouquet
With so many varieties of bridal bouquets, which one do you pick? The rule of thumb is to pick what you love. This is your special day and everything needs to have a touch of your personality. Other important factors to consider include:
- Choosing your bridal dress first is helpful, you can work the bouquet around it
- Are you working within a specific style e.g. rustic or are you customising your own?
- Have a think about your colour palette, not just for the bouquet but for the whole wedding arrangement
- Coordinate the size and shapes
- Go for seasonal blooms to make it easier for your florist to deliver
With so much to think about, it’s easy to overlook some of these important considerations when shopping for a bridal bouquet. This is where a professional florist comes in handy.
Fig & Bloom in Melbourne or Sydney have the expertise and experience you need to find the perfect flowers for your wedding. The founder Kellie is incredibly passionate about flowers and design, has a creative background in fashion, and has studied at FlowerSchool New York. Click here to learn more about Fig & Bloom.
Looking for the perfect seasonal blooms for your Australian wedding? Contact Kellie and her team today and discover the beautiful world of flowers.
Weddings by Fig & Bloom
Our floral designers are perfectionists and expert stylists. We can work with you to style every aspect of your big day, including bespoke stationery, table settings and all your floral needs. If you are looking for the highest quality blooms available, crafted with care and attention or you by our perfectionist floral designers, then it sounds like we’re perfect match!
