The Wedding Bouquet
The Wedding Bouquet. At times I feel like an entire wedding could be summed up in the Wedding Bouquet. Loud and colorful or muted and petite, what the Bride carries down the aisle is often symbolic of the feel and theme of her wedding day. The Wedding Bouquet is a huge part of the wedding and it's important to think carefully as you plan and execute the design and feel of the bouquet.
Over the years I've seen SO many different types of bouquets, from colorful to monochrome, from large and in charge to soft and petite. Every Bride and florist seem to do things differently, certainly making my job tons of fun!
This bouquet is from a fall wedding, where the Bride chose deep roses and varying flowers to compliment the seasonal colors of New Hampshire. You can just FEEL the fall when looking at this bouquet! It was as if the Bride had gone into a field and picked a large bouquet of wildflowers for her wedding. It completely tied in the feel and season of her wedding and added contrast and color against her white lace dress.
deborah zoe photography deborah zoe blog deborah zoe photo new england wedding photographer wedding tips and tricks advice0001.JPG
While the Bride carried a large bouquet of mostly white flowers, she picked a varied bouquet of purple flowers for her girls. Again, each bouquet has several different kinds of flowers adding interest to each arrangement. They played wonderfully against the dark purple dresses of the Bridesmaids.
deborah zoe photography deborah zoe blog deborah zoe photo new england wedding photographer wedding tips and tricks advice0002.JPG
deborah zoe photography deborah zoe blog deborah zoe photo new england wedding photographer wedding tips and tricks advice0003.JPG
deborah zoe photography deborah zoe blog deborah zoe photo new england wedding photographer wedding tips and tricks advice0004.JPG
deborah zoe photography deborah zoe blog deborah zoe photo new england wedding photographer wedding tips and tricks advice0005.JPG
I loved the Bride's choice of bright purple/pink flowers for her bouquet! Instead of matching the color of her wedding exactly, she decided to use a complimentary color that would play well against the cobalt blues found throughout the rest of the wedding day. While this is a Bridesmaid's bouquet I included it because I loved the way that the colors worked together. The wedding colors were orange and green and in this bouquet the florist used varying colors to reflect that. It's important to note that this was from a beach wedding as well. Again the type and color of flowers uses helped to echo this theme.Purple is one of my favorite colors, so I was swooning over this bouquet earlier this year! Big and beautiful this bouquet popped against the Bride's white dress and helped to tie in her purple color scheme.
deborah zoe photography deborah zoe blog deborah zoe photo new england wedding photographer wedding tips and tricks advice0006.JPG
As you can see, the big, bright pop of purple ties into the Groom's tie and accessories and helps to create a cohesive and vibrant feel!
deborah zoe photography deborah zoe blog deborah zoe photo new england wedding photographer wedding tips and tricks advice0007.JPG
I certainly love the idea of using non floral objects within a bouquet! Here the Bride carried a bouquet of roses and COTTON! How cool?! It created a beautiful, soft and romantic feel and definitely added that "Wow" factor many Bride's look for. The small size of the bouquet played well against this petite Bride's frame.
deborah zoe photography deborah zoe blog deborah zoe photo new england wedding photographer wedding tips and tricks advice0008.JPG
I love the use of varying colors of pinks and coral from this summer wedding! It was a gorgeous seaside affair and the corals played really well against the nautical theme. Again, I love the use of different kinds of flowers and using larger flowers to accent the bouquets.
deborah zoe photography deborah zoe blog deborah zoe photo new england wedding photographer wedding tips and tricks advice0009.JPG
deborah zoe photography deborah zoe blog deborah zoe photo new england wedding photographer wedding tips and tricks advice0010.JPG
Now I will be the first to admit, that I'm not a huge fan of the white Bride bouquet. As a photographer, I want something that plays against the white dress, something that will pop and add interest! However, I have seen some AMAZING "white" bouquets that worked well against a Brides attire.
deborah zoe photography deborah zoe blog deborah zoe photo new england wedding photographer wedding tips and tricks advice0011.JPG
deborah zoe photography deborah zoe blog deborah zoe photo new england wedding photographer wedding tips and tricks advice0012.JPG
Now these bouquets are not all white. There are added pops of color, through the use of varying flower types and sizes. It adds much needed interest and contrast to the bouquets without taking away from the main color, white or cream. And like in the example below, they certainly play well off of the Bride's dress as well as her Bridesmaids dresses!
deborah zoe photography deborah zoe blog deborah zoe photo new england wedding photographer wedding tips and tricks advice0013.JPG
I love how unexpected this bouquet is! I can't even count how many different types of flowers and greenery were used. My eye keeps scanning the bouquet looking for something new. I just love how detailed and intricate the design is!
deborah zoe photography deborah zoe blog deborah zoe photo new england wedding photographer wedding tips and tricks advice0014.JPG
As a Bride, don't be afraid to think outside the box or to go all out when it comes to color in your bouquet. This is the item that you'll be photographed the most with (outside of your dress and Groom;)) As a photographer, I love bouquets that add a "wow" factor to the Bride's attire, something that contrasts against her dress and ties in with her Bridesmaids and Groom. Not only is it fun to photograph, but it gives a glimpse into the overall theme and feeling of the day. Your bouquet is a small reflection of your wedding day, so make sure that your choices in flowers, colors, shapes and sizes echo that that theme!