Bridesmaids' Bouquets

Bridesmaids' bouquets are a very important piece of the wedding puzzle. Before selecting the bridesmaids' bouquets, the bride should have already selected her bouquet, and the color of the bridesmaids' gowns.

The bride's bouquet makes the strongest statement of the wedding flowers, and the bridesmaids' bouquets should coordinate on a smaller scale, for reasons of beauty as well as economy. The color and style of the bridesmaids' gowns must enter into the bride's choice of flowers for her maids. The most elegant look is to use only one to two different types of flowers, in the same color family, rather than a mixture of several different colors and flowers. When a mixture of many colors and flowers is used, eyes are drawn to the flowers rather than to the smiling faces of the bridesmaids. At one elegant winter wedding that I attended recently, the bride carried a stunning round dinner-plate sized bouquet of red roses and green hypericum berries. The bouquet was hand-tied with white satin, and had several crystal "diamonds" scattered throughout the roses. The bridesmaids carried hand- tied round salad-plate sized bouquets of white roses and red hypericum berries. They made a lovely picture against the crimson gowns worn by the bridesmaids. Another elegant idea is for the bridesmaids to carry several long-stemmed flowers across their arms. Calla lilies, stargazer lilies, or roses are ideal for this presentation. Of course, the chosen flowers would be featured in the bride's bouquet as well as in the flowers in the sanctuary. Many brides choose to use silk flowers for reasons of economy. If this is the bride's choice, I would definitely recommend using the highest quality silk flower available. Choose flowers that most closely resemble those found in nature, with colors as soft and rich as possible. Again, a combination of one to two colors makes the most elegant statement. For a different look, the bridesmaids could carry kissing balls of real or silk flowers, which dangle from satin ribbons, hurricane lamps with glowing tea lights, or lighted tapers, decorated with seasonal greenery. Remember, you do not have to spend a fortune to have a beautiful and elegant wedding. At the end of the day, if the bride and groom are happy, then the wedding was a success.