Styles of Flowers

A simple hand-tied wedding bouquet graces the bride.

Flowers play a significant role in weddings. The bride has her bouquet as does each bridesmaid.The groom, best man and ushers wear boutonniere's. Flowers grace the ceremony and the tables at the reception. Coordinate the style of the flowers with the formality or informality of your wedding.

Cascade

The bouquet has a reverse tear drop shape. The widest part of the bouquet is held by the bride by a handle. The bouquet cascades and trails down, often for 18 inches or more. The bouquets are time consuming to make, so cost more from a florist. A square of soaked floral foam is wired to the form. Flowers are inserted into the form. The cascade is made with flowers that have longer stems such as roses, orchids and calla lilies. Cascade bouquets are more formal in nature than other bouquets.

Nosegay or Posey

A circle of flowers all at the same height and held closely together forms a nosegay. The flowers may be all the same in color and shape or different. They're made by circling the center flower, say a carnation, with a circle of roses. That circle of flowers is then surrounded by a third circle. Nosegays may be small, consisting of perhaps only a half dozen flowers or larger made up of two dozen flowers. Greenery is usually not featured. The nosegay is tied together, and the stems cut all the same length. Store them with the stems in a vase of water.

Hand-Tied

Hand-tied bouquets are a favorite of brides if bridal magazines are any indication. The flowers are arranged in a mounded shape but don't follow a pattern. Arranging the bouquet is simple. Group the flowers until the bouquet pleases you. Tie with ribbon. Cut the stems to the same length. The difference between a nosegay and hand-tied is the nosegay's flowers are in circles while the hand-tied bouquet are not. Hand-tied bouquets are usually larger than nosegays as well. Any flower that has a stem at least 12 inches long is appropriate for a hand-tied bouquet.

Arm Bouquets

Think of a beauty queen's bouquet of red roses and that's what an arm bouquet is. It rests in the curve of the arm supported by the elbow. Any large long-stemmed flower can be used, such as larkspur, delphinium, calla lilies and snapdragons.

Single Flowers

One perfect rose, an elegant cattleya orchid, a perky sunflower or a sophisticated iris is all that's needed for a single-flower bouquet. If the bride carries a single white rose, each bridesmaid carries a rose in the colors of the wedding. Another alternative is that the bridesmaids each carry a single flower found in the bride's bouquet.

References

• "Wedding Flowers"; Choose a Bouquet Style; Megan Hughes; 2009
• "Brides"; How Does Your Wedding Grow; October 2008