The Wedding Flowers
Wedding florals are part of your overall wedding day aesthetic. The bride's bouquet is the centerpiece with smaller bouquets for the bridesmaids, and boutonnieres for the groom and groomsmen. You will likely see these same flowers in the ceremony and reception decor.
Bride’s Bouquet
Today the bride’s bouquet is part of her wedding day look but before that, we look back to ancient Rome where brides would wear garlands of flowers in their hair representing fertility and new beginnings. In the middle-ages the flowers were replaced by herbs, such as rosemary or dill which was also thought to be an aphrodisiac, to ward off evil spirits.
Queen Victoria, who started the tradition of the white wedding dress, also carried a small bouquet on her wedding day. This began a trend of wedding flower symbolism where brides would choose wedding flowers based on their meanings tying the bouquet itself to sentimental romance.
Your bouquet also looks great in your wedding photos and gives you something to do with your hands.
How do we photograph your bouquet
The way we document your wedding bouquet depends on the style of the bouquet itself.
The Round Bouquet
The round bouquet is the most traditional bouquet style. We typically document this design from above, while it is still in a vase, a styling mat placed underneath.
The Cascade Bouquet
This oversized floral design makes a statement! It is named for its cascade or waterfall-like shape. Due to the arrangement's size and shape, we prefer to document it while it is in your hands.
Bouquet Toss
The bouquet was thought to be good luck, passing it to an unmarried woman was thought to bring her good luck. Today the superstition states that the single lady who catches the bouquet is the next to get married.
Other sources suggest that the tradition started when unmarried women attempting to grab a piece of material from the bride’s dress for good luck would tear the gown to shreds. The bride would throw the bouquet as a distraction and make her getaway. Today brides have a small toss-bouquet made so that they can have their florals preserved.
We are seeing less of this tradition in weddings today. “Single Ladies” by Beyonce is the most popular song played for this event followed by “Dear Future Husband” by Meghan Trainor
Another toss-bouquet option includes giving it to the person who has been married the longest.
The Boutonniere
The word boutonniere is French for buttonhole. Today we refer to a boutonniere as a flower worn by the groom and male members of the wedding party, traditionally pinned on the left lapel of the suit jacket from the same flowers in the bride’s bouquet.
Where did this tradition start?
Most sources point to Medieval times when knights would wear their lady's colors either by donning a flower or scarf as they went into battle. Literally, ladies claimed their knight in shining armor!
Wedding day pro-tip: Someone in the wedding party needs to know how to pin these flowers onto the groom and groomsmen. If no one knows how I always tell everyone in the room that all the information in the world is available on the internet. This usually results in someone looking the video up on the internet which also happens to make really cute photos.
Corsages
A corsage is the female equivalent of the boutonniere, a single floral connected with elastic of some sort and worn around the wrist.
Who gets a corsage on the wedding day? Traditionally the mother of the bride, the mother of the groom, grandmothers, and any female friend or family member who will be reading during the ceremony.