Last week we published our Wedding Flowers Guide, this week we are going to look closer at Personal or Bridal Pary Flowers including styles of Bouquets. 

Once you have established the colors that will be used in your wedding and what theme or mood you are looking for you can start getting into the details. 

The Bridal Bouquet is the single most important floral element in my opinion.  It is the base and starting point of all other floral design elements and is a huge focal point.  There are several styles or types of bouquets.  A Cascade bouquet is trailing and hangs down in the front creating a cascading or waterfall effect using greenery and flowers. A Round Bouquet or Posy Bouquet is round in shape and more uniform, these bouquets are typical bloom heavy and use less greenery. Sometimes Round Bouquets are made exclusively using one type of flower, like roses or peonies.  A Hand-Tied Bouquet is our specialty here at Sarah's Petals and has a looser more garden or boho style to it. These bouquets have an airier feel to them and incorporate more greenery than a Round Bouquet.  
We also love when Bride's want to incorporate something personal and special to them into the bouquet.  One time we incorporated buttons from a grandmother's wedding dress into the ribbon used to tie the bouquet, which is such a lovey touch.  

Just like there are different styles and types of bouquets, we have different techniques or mechanics to create bouquets.  The spiral hand tied method is where the bouquet is made in your hand and the stems are placed at an angle to create a spiraling of the stems.  Another method that we use is the "floral egg" as an armature inside the bouquet.  The floral egg is made of plastic and has holes all around it.  The flower stems are placed through the egg and are held and supported by the egg.  This is a newer technique that was developed to help create the more airy and whimsical garden style that is so popular now.  

Bridesmaid's Bouquets are often similar to the bridal bouquet but smaller. This creates a cohesive look that flows together.  You could also go all greenery for the bridesmaids or create their bouquets using only one type or color of flowers. I love the idea shown at Brides.com with the bridesmaids wearing floral crowns and carrying only a small bunch of flowers.  18 Unique Bridesmaid Bouquet Alternatives 

Flowers are not just for the ladies, we can't leave the guys out!  Boutonnieres are typically worn by the Groom and Groomsmen on their suit lapels.  Fathers of the bride and groom often get boutonnieres as well, even if they are not in the bridal party.  

Corsages are typically worn by the Mothers and Grandmothers of the Bride and Groom.  Corsages are worn either on the wrist on a bracelet or cuff or pinned on the shoulder.  A pinned corsage is more traditional while the wrist corsage can be seen as more modern.   

Last, but not least is the floral crown, a favorite of flower girls and Brides alike.  I love making floral crowns, they are just fun!  They can be as simple as you like to over the top.  We can even make one for your pooch!  

​Flowers are an important part of your wedding day, they are as integral as the bride’s dress.  This guide will help you understand the basics of wedding flowers and give you a wonderful starting point to start planning.

Why are flowers important at a wedding?
They can first trace flowers being used in weddings all the way back to the Ancient Greeks.  Believe it or not the Greeks made the flower crown popular all those years ago. The tradition of using flowers at weddings continues because flowers are so good at convening feelings and expressing emotion and moods.  Flowers also bring natural beauty into your wedding space unlike nothing else can.  Flowers accent and elevate everything else in the wedding, including your pictures, the venue spaces, and your bridal party.

What flowers do I need for a wedding?
Florist typical break wedding flowers into the following categories- Personal Flowers, Ceremony Flowers, and Reception Flowers.  Let’s talk about each of these categories and provide examples of each.

Personal Flowers are the flowers worn and carried by the bridal party.  These include the Bridal Bouquet, Bridesmaids Bouquets, Boutonnieres, Corsages, flower crowns, and flowers for the flower girl.  Most Bride’s choose to have boutonnieres for the groom, groomsmen, fathers of bride and groom and often times the officiant.  Corsages are often provided for the mothers of the bride and groom and sometimes for grandmothers as well.  

Ceremony Flowers are the flowers used to decorate your ceremony space.  Examples of these would be flowers for the aisle or on the rows of chairs.  Flowers are often placed up front  where the ceremony is held and often times at the entrance into the ceremony space as well.   My favorite type of ceremony flowers is a floral installation on an arch or arbor.  This provides dramatic effect and the perfect back drop for the ceremony and pictures.

Reception Flowers are the flowers used in the reception area of the wedding.  These include centerpieces for the tables, an arrangement for gift or guest book tables and flowers for the cake and dessert table.  Something that I see trending is photo booths for the reception that include flowers and neon signs.
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You have a lot more options when it comes to your ceremony and reception flowers. These are areas that you can either choose to cut back and go with less or really amp up the flowers for a statement. Consider your venue and the spaces that will be used for the ceremony and reception, this will play a factor into what arrangements will work best.  As a floral design studio this is where Sarah’s Petals can help make suggestions and provide guidance to the Bride.  

What flowers should I choose?
Sometimes we have Brides come to us with specific flowers that they want used in their bouquet and we can normally make that happen.  Some flowers are only available at certain times, peonies are a good example of this because there are several months out of the year they are just not available.  We like using our own flowers the most since we know they are super fresh but sometimes we do have to buy flowers in to meet certain requests.  You don’t have to know everything about flowers to have great florals for your wedding day.  As a flower professional we know what flowers will be in season at the time of your wedding and what flower choices will be best, so no worries. Most brides come to us with a mood and what colors they are using, and we translate that into beautiful florals that are just right.