When you think of your ideal wedding bouquet, it must work beautifully with your dress, of course, but have you considered how it complements your venue? This is just as important because your wedding venue is the backdrop for your big day, reflecting your style as a couple, setting the tone for the experience, and enhancing the event’s theme. And the wedding bouquet is one element that can tie it all together. How? These tips can help.
Significance Of The Wedding Bouquet
The tradition of carrying a wedding bouquet dates back to the ancient Greeks and Romans, who carried fragrant herbs and spices to ward off back luck. Over time flowers carried in weddings symbolized a new beginning and hopes of fertility, happiness, and fidelity. Although the symbolism of certain flowers still exists, today’s wedding bouquets are primarily a focal point in the décor and one of the first glimpses into the aesthetic of the celebration.
Considerations For Matching Your Wedding Bouquet To The Venue
What type of flowers? What size bouquet? What style? It can certainly be a challenge to choose your wedding bouquet in and of itself. But, add in making sure it complements not only your dress but your venue as well, and you may feel overwhelmed. Not to worry; these considerations will make it easier to narrow your choices.
Type Of Venue
You wouldn’t want to pair a formal-style wedding gown with a casual bouquet of wildflowers. Similarly, the type of venue you’ve selected for your big day should influence the style of your wedding bouquet. Here are some common types of venues and bouquet recommendations.
- Ballroom venue: Really, this could encompass any formal setting for a wedding in terms of bouquet considerations. In this setting, tighter bunches of traditional blooms, such as peonies and roses, create an elegant, classic look. Or a grand cascading bouquet to match the space’s scale would also work.
- Loft venue: This type of venue has a city-chic, sophisticated feel. For the wedding bouquet, consider more of a minimalist style that’s pretty and petite so as not to overpower your space. But even a cascading bouquet could work using one type of flower, for example. As for the flowers themselves, architectural flowers, like calla lilies, orchids, or anthurium, tend to have a more modern look.
- Outdoor venue: Whether it’s the beach, a winery, your backyard, or a lakeside wedding venue, you can take your cues from Mother Nature for your wedding bouquet in this setting. Let the natural surroundings of the outdoor venue inspire the colors, flower choice, style, and scale.
The Season
The time of year your wedding takes place should definitely be a consideration for your wedding bouquet. It’s important to know what flowers are in season not only because it can impact what’s available for your bouquet (and the corresponding cost) but also, in particular, if you’re planning an outdoor wedding.
For example, suppose your wedding is in the fall in an area with beautiful foliage like the Adirondacks region. In that case, you may want to go more minimal with your bouquet since you’ll be surrounded by such spectacular natural beauty. Here’s some guidance on what flowers are in season and when.
The Wedding Theme
Most weddings have some type of theme, whether seasonal or a holiday theme, perhaps a destination wedding with a beach theme or something that symbolizes your relationship as a couple. Whatever theme you choose for your big day, your wedding bouquet should coordinate with it. For example, flowers that are indigenous to your chosen destination for the wedding.
If you don’t have a specific theme, then consider how your wedding bouquet could complement your color scheme. You don’t necessarily have to match your colors exactly; just strike a balance that brings the aesthetic together. One suggestion is to select a unifying factor between your wedding bouquet and the other décor. For example, the color of the ribbon in the bouquet could match the fabrics you’re using throughout the venue. Or, select one flower in your wedding bouquet that could be used in your other floral arrangements.
What If You Don’t Want A Wedding Bouquet At All?
While carrying a bouquet of flowers may be a tradition, it’s certainly not a must. In fact, alternatives to wedding bouquets are on the rise. As long as it compliments your venue and overall theme or aesthetic, let your creativity flow! Some ideas instead of a wedding bouquet include balloons, a lantern, your pet, origami paper, a musical triangle, vintage hat boxes, a kissing ball, a fur muff, feathers, an embroidery hoop, an arm garland, a vintage fan, a ribbon wand, parasol, or even a statement necklace or dramatic headpiece.
Remember that regardless of your wedding bouquet, venue, theme, or any other detail, it’s your special day, and you and your significant-other-to-be should make it your own. Congratulations!
