Wedding Flower Ideas: Bridal Bouquets

Go traditional, modern or make your own

By Suzie Faloon

Photo by iStockphoto.com

As the bride you want wedding flowers that reflect your love of color, nature, favorite flowers or theme. Choose a bridal bouquet that is traditional, modern, romantic or a do-it-yourself design idea. Hire a florist to execute your dream bouquet or create it on your own or with a family member.

Traditional

The traditional bouquet is filled with flowers, including roses, orchids, orange blossoms, stephanotis and lilies. You can choose from shaped bouquets in a nosegay, round, crescent, Beidermeier or cascade with a spray of flowers flowing down from the basic round center.

Modern

You can choose unique flowers and natural elements for a modern bridal bouquet. Another idea is to carry blossoms that are found in your area with pieces of birch twigs, fiddlehead fern or seashells interspersed throughout the bouquet. Choose a bouquet of your favorite flowers with satin ribbon-wrapped stems. Attach an heirloom pin to the ribbon. For your beach wedding, consider a bridal cascade bouquet with cascades of stephanotis or blue bachelor's buttons and seashells flowing down the front of your gown.

DIY

Designing your own bouquet can be an absorbing and happy experience. Choose to attach flowers to a beautiful hand muff, prayerbook, pomander, an open heart shape, basket, fan or parasol. Your flowers can be fresh, silk or handmade from silk or Swarovski crystals. A sentimental bride can attempt to copy her mother's wedding bouquet or carry her late father's Bible with an elegant spray of orchids. Construct a romantic bridal bouquet with roses, camellias, gardenias, stephanotis and carnations with a lace collar.