The History of Bridal Bouquets
Throughout history bridal flowers have been used on wedding days to symbolize fertility, new beginnings, and happiness in a marriage. This tradition dates back to Ancient Greek and Roman times where brides would carry or wear floral garlands to symbolize these wishes on their wedding day. However, this tradition morphed throughout the centuries. In the Middle Ages strong smelling herbs and spices were used instead to mask any unpleasant odors and in the hopes that these herbs would ward off any bad luck for the couple in their marriage.
It wasn’t until the Victorian era that we saw the rise of traditional wedding bouquets as we know them today. During this time brides would choose flowers to symbolize their love and romantic sentiments with their partner. Today this sentiment still holds true, however, it is very common for brides to choose flowers that fit their aesthetic preferences, style, and season.
When choosing a bouquet for your wedding day it is important to consider how the bouquet will complement your bridal gown along with the venue and overall feel for the day. Flowers play such an important role in a wedding from bringing a visual beauty to adding a touch of romance and creating memories that people can cherish. Choosing the right bouquet style is just as important as the flowers used within it, so we wanted to share with you the many different shapes and styles that you can choose from for your special day.
Our signature bouquet style is flower heavy with minimal greenery. Our garden style bouquets are loosely designed with an organic look to them, reminiscent of English gardens with a romantic and timeless feel. We focus on textures and incorporating a wide variety of blooms, using what is seasonal, and locally grown when possible. Most of our bouquets have a minimum of six varieties of flowers and many have over ten different varieties.
As we move towards eco friendly alternatives, we no longer use floral foam holders that were popular twenty years ago in wedding bouquet design. All of our bouquets are hand tied and each bouquet is designed uniquely for the bride. Even when bouquet inspiration is presented to us by a client, we use that inspiration to create a completely individual bouquet for each and every couple. No two bridal bouquets from our studio are ever the same.
While garden style bouquets are our signature style, we still love designing different bouquet shapes. Today there are a number of bouquet forms and styles that brides can choose on their wedding day.
We wanted to share with you a few styles that we typically design with and show a few options that you can choose for your own bouquet. It can be overwhelming choosing and describing a style so we wanted to help you visualize different options that you can choose from.
Bridal Bouquet Shapes & Styles
Posy
Posy bouquets are a great option for bridal, bridesmaid, or flower girl bouquets. The posy is a wonderful alternative to the typically larger bouquets and are a very unique style to choose. Typically posy style bouquets are found in royal weddings and give an incredibly beautiful antique feel to a wedding day.
Round
Rounded bouquets are another classical style to choose on your wedding day. This shape provides a symmetrical and overall clean feeling. If you are looking for a less whimsical, and more traditional style for your bridal bouquet then the rounded style might be the best option for you.
Garden
Our garden style bouquet is favoured by many of our brides. With a flower forward, textural design this style is both exquisite, inspiring and a perfect addition to your wedding day florals. This oval shaped bouquet lends itself to the beautiful unstructured garden inspired look that is both elegant and whimsical.
Cascade
A cascading bouquet is a beautiful style to choose for your bouquet. Cascading bouquets are a great way to draw eyes down the length of your dress and create a beautiful, elongated effect. Not only can a cascade be done with greenery, but also can be done with florals or a combination of both.
Boho/Unstructured
A bohemian styled bouquet is typically filled with dried and fresh florals, creating a beautifully soft and wild composition. The overall style of a boho bouquet is natural and more free-flowing than the structured look of other bouquets. It's a perfectly playful addition to your day.
Oversized
The more flowers the merrier! An oversized bouquet is anything larger than 14" diameter. Oversized bouquets can be created in a number of styles, from garden to boho. This overflowing bouquet is a beautiful statement piece and the perfect option for a flower heavy arrangement.
Bouquet Alternative
Golden metal hoops or a grape vine wreath are another unique option for brides who want a less traditional wedding. Metal hoops are beautiful year round as the florals on a metal hoop can be changed to suit whatever palette while grape vine wreaths are a stunning option for a fall or winter wedding. Additionally, these bridal bouquet alternatives are perfect for bridesmaids and flower girls as well.
There are a number of bouquet styles and shapes that you can choose from when it comes to picking your bridal bouquet. From whimsical to classical looks each style is a beautiful addition to your wedding day.
It is important to be mindful of how you want your bouquet to compliment your wedding dress when choosing a style, also consider the overall atmosphere of your wedding day and how the venue plays a role in that. No matter what style or shape you choose for your bridal bouquet, any option will be the perfect statement or complementary piece for you.
We hope that you found this post inspiring and informative! If you are interested in having our team provide exceptional flowers for your Calgary or Rocky Mountain wedding please get in touch to check our availability.
Now Available- Our Floral Guide all about Personal Wedding Flowers
Looking for more information about bridal bouquet styles, choosing the best bouquet shape for your dress, best flowers by season, bouquet preservation options and more?
We've launched a downloadable E-book that gives tons of information to help you plan your personal wedding flowers. You can purchase it by clicking the link below.
3 Comments
Jan 9, 2023, 4:43:46 AM
Geraldine Piriz - Me encantó
Feb 17, 2022, 5:34:32 PM
Janelle Gerestein - Hello Jessica,
Most of our bridal bouquets and specifically the garden style and cascading bouquets start at $350 with cascading usually being $400+. The most cost effective bouquets would be the posy (it's much smaller) or the wreath style.
Feb 17, 2022, 4:40:21 PM
Jessica - Hi, What is the pricing starting at for the garden style or greenery cascading bouquets?They are all lovely. What are the most cost effective bouquets? It is fir myself (bride) and my 17 daughter who is maid of honour for this October. Dusty rose/burgundy themed. Thanks so much!