How Many Flowers Should Be In A Bridal Bouquet?
22nd Mar 2022
Wedding Planning: Flowers
The bridal bouquet plays a vital role in any wedding ceremony. It is what you would see the bride hold in her hands as she makes her way down the aisle and for most of the ceremony. But more than that, it is an essential element in the age-old tradition of tossing the bouquet.
It is expected that the bridal bouquet should complement the floral decorations at the wedding, including the flowers used at the altar and the ones used for decorating the reception hall. One would also expect the style to be in keeping with the floral theme of the bridesmaid's bouquet.
Most questions about using bridal bouquets that remain unanswered for many yet-to-be brides have to do with size. For instance, the one that tops the list is how many flowers should be used in a bridal bouquet?
Deciding On The Flowers To Use
Depending on your preference, you may or may not place a symbolic emphasis on the number of flowers used to make up the bridal bouquet you carry on your wedding day. The number of flowers typically depends on the type of flowers you have selected to make up your bouquet. Flowers differ in size, so bridal bouquets cannot contain the same number of flowers.
If, for example, roses are used to make a wedding bouquet, your florist may suggest that you use anything from 24 to 36 stems for the bouquet. This is because roses are usually about small to medium size flowers.
With the number of flower stems you have in your bridal bouquet; you can make up your mind on what size you want your bridesmaids' bouquet to be. In a case such as this, one can expect that 12 to 18 roses would be fine to use for the bridesmaids, but the maid of honour can be given a somewhat larger bouquet.
However, if you choose a flower with a bigger size like hydrangeas, about four or five of them will be adequate to use for your bridal bouquet. You can also complement it with some accent flowers.
With the type of floral theme you have selected for your wedding ceremony, you can take advice from your florist after giving specific details of what your expectations are for the bridal bouquet and the bridesmaid bouquet.
Based on your plan, your florist would be in an excellent position to advise you on what number of flowers and the accents or other flowers you should choose. You should equally get some help in arranging everything so that they come out looking beautiful.
Gypsophila, also known as baby's breath, is commonly used because it exudes purity and innocence. Since this flower is inexpensive and easily available, many couples are happy to use it.
What Is The Purpose Of A Bridal Bouquet?
A bridal bouquet is a bunch of flowers that a bride holds in her hands on her wedding day as she makes her way down the aisle. Different types of flowers are used to make this bunch, but their selection will depend a lot on the bride's choice and the general theme of the wedding.
The idea is to create an add-on that will add to the overall beauty of both the dress of the bride and the theme of the wedding. It is not so much as to keep the hands of the bride busy, but this bunch of wedding flowers helps to tie the décor and the wedding's design together.
The bunch of flowers is definitely a worthy accessory that makes itself a focal point. If you are in the thick of planning your wedding, deciding on what bridal bouquet to carry is a very important part of the things you need to sort out beforehand.
Determining The Size Of A Bridal Bouque
The size of a bridal bouquet will largely be determined by the type of flowers used. Couples don't need to use a bunch of these flowers, and there have been instances where newlyweds were seen to have ignored this tradition altogether.
Whatever you think, it is a matter of personal preference, although questions never seem to stop emanating from the topic. For example, many people want to know where the tradition originated from. They also question what they would do with the flowers after the ceremony.
History Of The Bridal Bouquet
The idea of having brides carry flower bouquets can be traced back to antiquity. There was a time when ancient Greeks, Romans, and even Egyptians carried fragrant herbs and spices at weddings to ward off bad luck. These flowers were a symbol of a new beginning that brought with it hope for happiness, fidelity, and fertility.
During the Victorian age, things modernised, influencing the overall look of the wedding bouquet as it is today. Back then, brides used these flowers to make known their romantic sentiments by choosing specific types of flowers. This practice has been replaced by modern couples deciding on flowers with their preference for colour and beauty.
Another major reason most brides were seen carrying these flower bunches at their wedding ceremonies was due to the sweet fragrance that comes from them. They get to mask any form of body odour that comes from them because bathing back then was not such a frequent exercise. Thank goodness, today's brides don't have to worry about masking any unpleasant smells, and the purpose of the bouquet remains to add to the beauty of the environment.
Common Questions About Bridal Bouquets
Many questions pop up in brides' minds about wedding flowers, and some of them are unable to find the correct answers. If you are already making plans for your wedding day but still have questions yet unanswered, we have some of the most frequently asked questions answered here for you.
What kind of flowers should I use?
Making up your mind about what type of flowers you should use can be overwhelming. However, in most cases, you will determine the flowers you would eventually settle on by your personal preference, the colour theme you have chosen for your wedding, and the season or time of the year you are having your wedding.
What style of bouquet is best for me?
There is no right or wrong bouquet design or style. You will find that people settle on the traditional or minimal, while others would make the loose and organic type of bouquet their choice. Some even have non-floral bouquets for their wedding ceremonies.
What we would rather you do is to go with what makes you feel comfortable the most and shows you off as a happy couple. Try and make the size of the bouquet proportionate to your size because you don't want it too big to take the shine off you and neither do you want it too small to be insignificant in the grand scheme of things.
Does the bouquet have to complement my wedding dress?
The final design of a bridal bouquet will have a lot to do with the type of wedding gown the bride will wear. For example, where you have a sleek and clean-line gown, what may work best would be a minimal bouquet as it will not overwhelm the overall look of the gown. On the other hand, a huge ball gown will go well with a larger and more elaborate bouquet.
How much does an excellent bridal bouquet cost?
There are a number of factors that will come into play here. The selected flower type and the volume you decide to have are obviously part of the determining factors. Typically, a bunch can cost anywhere from $150 to $350, but this may not include flowers for the other people who may need them at the wedding ceremony.
Who else in the wedding ceremony needs flowers?
If you would really love to outfit everyone with flowers on your wedding day, a typical arrangement would include:
How would I know the difference between bouquets?
Some brides prefer to have their maids carry a smaller version of their bouquet or have a specific flower in their bridal bouquet only. It really is up to you to choose the type of flowers to constitute your bouquet.
You could have your bridesmaid carry one bloom or a few stems of a single type of flower. Another route you could take is to play around with colours by either including a different tone to your bouquet or simply going with a mixture of bright and toned-down colours.
Do I need to toss my bouquet?
The simple answer to this question is quite frankly no. With all the work you have put into designing your bouquet and seeing how well it served you on occasion, it can be a heart-breaking exercise to ask you to toss it over your head to the crowd.
Several female wedding guests stand opposed to the whole practice of tossing the bouquet. Therefore, you don't have to do it if you don't want to. On the other hand, if you feel your wedding day would not be complete without you tossing the bouquet, you can request your florist to design a smaller nosegay that won’t cost as much.
Not only will it be easier to throw it when it is smaller in size, but it would also not be as dangerous to the ladies when they reach to catch it.
What should I do with my bouquet after the wedding?
If your bouquet survives the wedding ceremony and you end up taking it home with you, it is not unlikely to form a special bond with it. To preserve it, there are a few ways this can be done.
An option is to press some of the flowers in a book, dry and put them securely in a shadow box. If this is far too much effort for you, a professional can do it for you for a small fee.
Another thing you can do is stick the flower stems in a vase and get some flower food from your florist to keep them nourished and alive for as long as possible. There will also be pictures and video clips of you holding these flowers at the wedding, which you can relish for a very long time.
This is one of the greatest benefits of using high quality faux flowers as they can be kept and displayed for long after the ceremony and special days is over.
Alternatives You Can Use For Bridal Bouquets
Some brides are not interested in a traditional round bouquet. There is no problem with that since there are many other options that are equally good. There are options with varying shapes, cascading designs, or smaller bouquets that look like posies, and all look appropriate and beautiful.
While planning your wedding, you can choose items that are beyond the basic roses and peonies that people are so used to seeing at weddings. You can make definitive statements by using dried floral elements, artificial or faux, tropical, as well as combining colours.
You can stand out with DIY wedding flower arrangements if, for example, you include in your plans a single bloom as you go down the aisle with your pooch on a leash. Another thing you can do is leave your hands free, and that way, you will be able to give your parents that all-important bear-hug as you walk down the aisle.
Some fun bridesmaid bouquet alternatives include floral wreaths, paper or fake flowers, lanterns, dramatic headpieces, and other wearable live floral options such as statement necklaces. With all or some of these in place, you can successfully forgo the traditional bouquet.
Other Factors You Should Consider
You will need to carefully consider other things when making up your mind about the right size of bridal bouquet for you. While the flower is certainly one essential part of your consideration, the budget you are planning to work with is another important factor.
Wedding on a tight budget
If your plan is to keep your wedding on a tight budget, you may have to reduce the bouquets a bit so you can save some money. However, keep in mind that your bouquet will be the focal point in most of your wedding photos, so you don't want to trivialise it.
Heavy bouquets
The issue of weight is also another point of concern. The idea of having 100 calla lily or rose flowers sure sounds good, but they can be quite hefty to carry around all day long during the ceremony. Your maid of honour will need to help you out with holding your bouquet and hers as well. Consideration should be given to prevent her from enduring a weightlifting exercise that is not supposed to be part of the event.
Attention to the little details
Pay attention to the little details, too, because while they are small fragments of the grand picture, they are quite capable of marring the entire wedding if not adequately chosen ahead of time.
How Many Flowers Are Needed In a Bouquet?
A wedding is a special event, so you need it to be a memorable experience. You can achieve that with wedding decorations, especially the flowers you choose for your bride and bridesmaid. If you are not sure about the number of flowers to include in a bridal bouquet or if you should rather use artificial flowers instead, a flower specialist can help you get this right.