It’s all very well to decorate your venue, but don’t forget to carry some flowers yourself… Everything you need to know about decorating you and your wedding party in flowers for your big day!
Image from Louise & Kevin’s real wedding
Think about flowers for your wedding and you no doubt think about your bridal bouquet first, right? After all, what other chance do you get to swan about with a big bunch of flowers all day that are designed to mark you out as the most special girl in the room?
Of course, there’s also your bridesmaids to think about as they also get to carry flowers on your day – but not as big a bunch as you!
What’s more, the men get to wear wedding flowers too, as the groom, best man, ushers and wedding party and both sets of parents can also sport a buttonhole flower or corsage if you would like them to.
So how to organize all this floral decoration? Let’s start with you, the bride.
Flowers for the bride
Just like you, the bridal bouquet plays a starring role at the wedding as you will be carrying it down the aisle, posing with it in pictures and tossing it to your (slightly desperate and hopeful) single friends at the end of the night.
From reading our handy guide to matching your wedding flowers to your season, you already know there are dozens of different flowers to choose from, but there’s also dozens of different bouquet styles to choose from too. Rather than worry about the choices though, simply decide what bouquet style best suits your chosen dress style.
If you are going to be wearing a simple, sleek dress for example, go for a simple sleek bouquet of just one or two elegant flowers. On the other hand, if you are wearing a full‐on princess‐style, full‐skirted gown, you will need a dramatically large bouquet to match, as a small posy will just get lost in the pictures!
It’s sensible to think about whether your wedding is going to be contemporary or more traditional style too. Holding one single, dramatic sunflower might look wonderful in a modern, minimalist setting, but would look a bit daft in a country church.
Whatever dress style and wedding theme you are having, talk it through with your florist too, as they’ll be able to give you heaps of advice.
You might also want to consider having flowers in your hair to add interest to an up‐do or make the most of a short style. Again, chat to your florist about this and ask about using silk, rather than real flowers, as they tend to last longer for decorative bits like this.
Above, wedding flowers and bouquets by Silk Blooms
Flowers for the bridesmaids
While the bridesmaids’ bouquets don’t have to be anywhere near as impressive as yours, they will look best if they at least co‐ordinate with your bouquet in colour or style.
Again, ask your florist for advice but, as a guide, bouquets for adult bridesmaids often have the same flowers in a smaller arrangement, whereas younger bridesmaids could carry a small posy, have flowers in their hair or even a wrist corsage if you think they will be inclined to chuck their bouquet elsewhere!
Above, The Bespoke Florist
Flowers for the men
Much as your groom might like to think he can give flowers a miss for the day, it’s the norm for him, the best man and the ushers, to wear a really small flower arrangement (called a buttonhole or boutonniere) in his lapel.
The buttonholes will ideally include the same flowers that are in your bouquet, which will link you all together nicely for the photos!
Above, Fusions wedding flowers
Flowers for the family
With all this floral décor going on, it’s also a nice idea to include your parents, so ask your florist to put together buttonholes for the fathers and matching corsages for your mothers.
Above, wedding flowers by Todich Floral Design Ltd
