All you need to know about Bridal bouquets. Looking for wedding flowers in Brighton? We're here to help.
Bridal bouquets, how much do you know?
Nothing? That's completely fine!
I don't expect you to know anything because you're not a florist. I daresay I know nothing about your job so you are definitely expected not to know anything about mine.
So here's some things that I think are important to know about bouquets when you're getting married.
How to hold - Your bouquet handle (stems) is wrapped with ribbon and secured with pearl pins. The pins are the back of the bouquet. I make the bouquets to be forward facing.
When you walk down the aisle I recommend you hold your bouquet lower than you would think - for want of a better description, hold it at crotch height. It seems strange but the natural place people want to hold a bouquet is in front of their belly button but this means that the flowers obscure everyone seeing your beautiful dress. So, crotch please!
Delivery - Bouquets are generally delivered around 10am on the wedding morning unless you're having a particularly early or late ceremony. I leave them in vases of water for you and ask that you keep them in a place that is not too hot or light - i.e. nowhere near a conservatory, hairdryer or radiator.
What to do on the day - Task your Bridesmaids to remember - 20 minutes before you need to leave, take the bouquets out of water and pat the stems dry with a towel. Bouquets are really delicate so please treat them as you would a tiny newborn baby - you want them looking boxfresh for your walk down the aisle.
Cost - (2023- 2024 prices) Bridal bouquet costs £195. If you're after some specialist, premium cost flowers to be included then this cost is on top.
Design - I make non-traditional style bouquets. They are sculptural, bloom heavy and I use the natural flower shapes to influence their shape. I don't make the traditional 'dome' shaped bouquets of years gone by :)
Just have a look at my instagram for photos of past work or a few below.
Also have a look at en masse bouquets where you just use one type of flower en masse - they're super cool IMO.
Ribbon - All bouquets are wrapped in satin ribbon. If I can I match this in some way to the flowers but it's not possible with all colour palettes, in which case I use ivory / white. Also popular at the moment are trailing silk ribbons where the ribbon cascades down from the bouquet.
My favourite bouquet ingredients - My absolute favourites for building a great shape bouquet are reflexed roses, carns, orchids, anthuriums, lisianthus. I also love hydrangeas but they can be complete untrustworthy, drama queens when out of water, so I use them with caution.
Drying your bouquet - I get asked about this all the time and you need to find a specialist in drying flowers. The best chance you have of it working is to get the bouquet back into water ASAP after the ceremony and get it to the person drying it soon after that. If you wait until the day after the wedding your chances of a successful dry are limited! So arrange before hand. Or if you're into DIY style then hang it upside down somewhere warm and dry and hope for the best.
Getting married in Brighton or Sussex? Fill out an enquiry form online or drop me an email orders@freesiaandfox.com and we can start chatting wedding flowers.
Hannah x