The bridal bouquet is the single most important floral at your wedding. Corsages come and go, boutonnieres might not last until the next day, but the bouquet will appear in every photo of the bride and possibly dried and kept forever. No matter if the guests remember the flowers on the cake—they will remember the bouquet.
So how do you choose the right size?
First, consider the weight of the bouquet. The more flowers and ribbons it has, the heavier it will be. If you’re comfortable holding something that’s a little heavier, you might choose to go with one like this (pictured to the left). This style has a plastic handle on the back. The stems have been inserted into a block of Styrofoam that is mounted onto the handle. You would hold this bouquet firmly at the top of the handle, where it meets the Styrofoam. A bouquet like this is usually called a “waterfall” bouquet.
If you’re looking for a lighter bouquet, you might choose this one, which is called a “handwrapped” bouquet. This one doesn’t have the heavy Styrofoam, and it includes fewer flowers. This makes the overall weight about half of the other one.
You could also consider doing a dried or silk bouquet rather than fresh. Each of these options will be lighter as well.
Next, consider your own body size. Measure yourself from just under your breasts to the top of your hipbone, and make sure that your bouquet is no longer than this measurement. If you’re doing a waterfall bouquet and it’s longer than you are, you will look like your bouquet is carrying you, rather than vice versa. On the other hand, if you’re a larger woman and your bouquet is teeny-tiny, it won’t pack the visual punch a bouquet really should make. Keeping everything to scale is important when you’re talking about flowers to be worn or carried on a body.
Also consider the style of your wedding. A contemporary wedding will nearly always call for a handwrapped bouquet, or even a single calla lily or rose. A more old-fashioned wedding will almost always go for a waterfall, unless you’re talking about a Victorian wedding, which will want a nosegay (pictured to left). This is similar to handwrapped, but is smaller and more symmetrical.
Choosing the right-sized bouquet is just one part of creating the most beautiful floral impression at your wedding. Stay tuned as we discuss some of the other aspects that go into making those finishing touches perfect.
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