About Edible Fruit Bridal Bouquets
Edible fruit bouquets, generally composed of fruit cut into decorative shapes and arranged like a bouquet, have gained popularity since the 1990s. They are emerging from gift baskets or centerpiece standbys to a viable option for the bride who wants something unique, fresh and fun, but still beautiful, for her bouquet.
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Popularity
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Fresh fruit itself has long been part of celebratory feasts, including wedding festivities, and has often been a component in centerpieces.
Using edible fruit bouquets as bridal bouquets was a later development in the edible fruit bouquet business, which itself did not truly flourish until the late 1990s. Edible fruit bouquets first became popular gifts for holidays, birthdays and corporate events. Larger fruit bouquets often served as edible centerpieces at wedding buffets. Then the wedding centerpiece idea inspired people to think of using fresh fruit as part of, or as the entirety of, the bridal bouquet. Though still not extremely popular, fresh fruit bridal bouquets have gained enough attention to merit mention on wedding websites.
History
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It was not until the founding of Edible Arrangements in 1999 that edible fruit bouquets became popular. Tariq and Kamran Farid founded the company and opened the first store in East Haven, Connecticut. The first franchise opened in 2001 in Massachusetts; by the end of 2002, four more franchise locations had opened and Edible Arrangements had been featured in major business magazine Inc. The growth since then was phenomenal: 500 U.S. franchises by 2006. The business then began to expand overseas to locations in Dubai, Qatar and Kuwait.
Edible Arrangements was not the first company to market the edible fruit bouquet concept. FruitFlowers, a business that opened in 1985, offers the same type of products, which they call Incredibly Edible Delites. With fewer than 50 franchises, however, they simply never gained the popularity and consumer interest that Edible Arrangements has.
Fresh Fruit Bouquet Co. is another franchising business with the same product offering. With only about 25 franchises in 2008, however, they are still far behind the market share that Edible Arrangements has gained. Many other fruit and flower vendors started offering similar fruit bouquet products in the early 2000s. -
Features
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Edible fruit bouquets are composed of fresh fruit that is cut and shaped, or sculpted, into flower shapes. In larger arrangements, the shaped fruit is then attached to a base in a basket to form a bouquet shape.
Edible fruit bridal bouquets often incorporate smaller fruits, such as apricots, mandarins, kiwi fruit and strawberries. Passion fruit is another popular choice, because of its name. The fruits are shaped as desired or left whole, and then they are wired into a bouquet shape. Greenery can be used around the outside and base of the bouquet to conceal the wires.
Considerations
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While most fruit bouquets are meant to be eaten, fresh fruit bridal bouquets are often sprayed with a clear fixative to prevent the fruit from discoloring or staining the bride's dress, gloves or other accoutrement before or during the wedding.
If you want your bouquet to be edible, avoid using fruits that stain (such as strawberries) or discolor quickly (such as apples). Stick to lighter-colored fruit (apricots, nectarines, pineapple) and keep the bouquet refrigerated until just before use.
Misconceptions
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Edible fruit bouquets do not have to be as bulky as larger fruit centerpieces, nor are they necessarily more delicate than flower bouquets. It all depends on the type of fruit you use, and whether you use it whole or peel and shape the fruit. Use smaller fruit for smaller bouquets, or consider using a mix of flowers and fruit. Some fruit, just as some flowers, holds up better than others. The key in using a fresh fruit bridal bouquet is making it as close to the time of use as possible, keeping it refrigerated until use. Do not to let it come in contact with the bride's gown.
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Resources
- Photo Credit moonrat42 on Flickr
