After selecting her wedding gown, a bride usually next turns her attention to her wedding bouquet. As every professional floral designer knows, the bridal bouquet is typically seen as the focal point of all the wedding flowers, and today's brides are taking advantage of that fact as they plan the flowers for their weddings. Wedding gowns are becoming more glamourous, featuring striking silhouettes and elegant detailing, and wedding bouquets are following suit (if you want to know which wedding dress styles will be popular, just watch the annual telecast of the Oscars or the Emmy Awards and observe the gowns that the stars are wearing). This year, the trend is toward mermaid-style gowns; usually strapless, tightly-fitted at the waist and knees, and having a broad trumpet flare at the hemline. Naturally, such a dramatically-tailored dress calls for an equally stylish bridal bouquet to be carried as the perfect complement.
Thus, the current trend in wedding bouquets is to keep them small, compact and tasteful, using exquisite types of flowers and gorgeously-detailed accents. The bridal bouquet should reflect the character of the gown, and must not compete with or overwhelm it. Customization is the key. Just as all the wedding flowers are an expression of the bride's taste and personality, so is the bouquet designed to be uniquely hers. And just because a wedding bouquet may be small doesn't mean that it has to be ordinary.
For example, today's wedding bouquets are more likely to be colorful instead of white. The custom of carrying a bridal bouquet of all white flowers is said to have originated with Queen Victoria's wedding to Prince Albert in 1840, when she wore orange blossoms and carried snowdrops (Albert's favorite flower). Even then, wedding fashions were influenced by the choices of those in the public eye. Now, warm colors are in, and a stylish bridal bouquet may be composed of flowers in varying shades of red, including those hues that harmonize well with it. Exotic types of flowers, such as deep purple callas or yellow and crimson gloriosa lilies, might be combined with more familiar blossoms like burnt orange tulips and scarlet red roses, creating a very eclectic assortment. In such a bridal bouquet, it is the impact of color that makes the statement. White would not be included in the assortment because its presence would dilute and diminish the effect created by such a bold color harmony. Furthermore, colorful flowers show up beautifully in the wedding pictures, documenting memories that last a lifetime. White flowers are more difficult to photograph effectively, especially against a white dress.
Texture is another important element of contemporary bridal bouquets. The detail of texture is enhanced by mixing different types of flowers, such as waxy hypericum berries or fluffy sprigs of heather, with the velvety surfaces of rose petals or the frothy appearance of seeded eucalyptus. Delicate spray orchids may be combined with the bolder outlines of lilies or gerberas to create dramatic contrasts in texture. Or, the wedding bouquet may be composed of numerous blooms of just one type of flower - stephanotis, for example - so that the smooth, creamy texture of the blossom is not overpowered by the presence of any others. Texture in a bridal bouquet, just like color, can be emphasized either by contrast or by
Another current trend in wedding bouquets is the inclusion of non-floral accents. Ribbons are making a comeback as accessories to bridal bouquets, not in the form of big candy box bows, but as dainty and understated streamers, or wrapped 'ballet slipper-style' around the clustered, natural flower stems. Extra-wide ribbon (4" or more) is often used as a decorative band around the stems of the bouquet, providing a beautiful fashion statement, as well as a luxurious place to grip the flowers. Following the trend toward bigger and brighter bling, pearls, beads, and faux jewels are appearing quite often as embellishments to the flowers, sometimes strung on slender, reflective wires dancing over the surface of the bouquet, threaded onto thin strands of grass and left to dangle, or even glued inside the petals. Such flourishes bring the magic and sparkle of light to the wedding flowers as they're carried down the aisle.
More and more, flowers are appearing in the hair of brides and bridesmaids. While perfectly suitable for the most extravagant affair, this trend is especially popular with less formal weddings when the flowers may be worn instead of a veil. The blossoms in the bride's hair should match or coordinate with the ones in her wedding bouquet, and may be affixed to a comb or barrette, worn on a headband, or inserted individually into a flower-friendly hairstyle. Hair flowers aren't the only popular floral fashion accessory for members of the bridal party. with you, and let your floral designer create the kind of wedding bouquet that dreams are made of.
Contributed by Grand Rapids Florist Bob Brewer of Brew's Creations in Floral.
