If you think that a wedding bouquet is used merely for aesthetic and traditional purposes, then you’re wrong. History has it that wedding bouquet served a different function in the olden times. And yes, it did look way too different from what we have today.

How did it look like? First, the wedding bouquet of long ago was not made from flowers but from garlic, herbs and spices. Smells gross, you say? Not for our ancestors who used their bouquets to ward off evil spirits and fatal diseases. Second, it was a shield, a protective weapon to keep the bearers safe and healthy. And protective behavior reflects love, right, so you are partly correct when you thought that a bouquet was a symbol of love.

Through the centuries, the wedding bouquet has been transformed from foul smelling into one filled with fragrance and beauty. Man has learned that flowers, in all their beauty and splendor, contain enough substances to promote the health and well-being. Their beautiful colors and shapes can uplift the spirits while their fragrant scents can provide relief for stress and fatigue.

Choosing a Wedding Bouquet

Keep in mind that not all wedding bouquets are created equal. They are not your one-type-fits-all kinds of flower arrangements that you can just pick up from a store and carry with you as you march down the aisle.

To ensure that you get the wedding bouquet that will suit you best, you have to consider the following:

1. Shape of bouquet

2. Theme of your wedding

3. Your wedding dress

4. Your height and weight

5. The season

6. Your budget

Shape of Bouquets

The shape of the bouquet will dictate the type and size of flowers to use. Bouquets come in many shapes but we’d like to focus on the most common ones like:

• Round. A round wedding bouquet is usually made up of a bunch of the same flower type – for example, a round bouquet of roses or posies. It can also be embellished with other flowers.
• Hand-tied. This bouquet is so simple, you can actually do it yourself. You just gather a bunch of blooms, either of the same kind or of different varieties and tie them with a ribbon that matches the color of your gown. Done.
• Crescent. If you’re looking for something luxurious and sophisticated, then this bouquet is definitely for you. It’s made by wiring together exotic, sometimes even expensive flowers to create a slender handle that you can carry with one hand. It’s quite expensive, though, since it uses high-end flowers as well as the artistry of well-skilled florists.
• Wrist bouquet. The wrist bouquet is a very good option for brides who don’t feel like carrying something around. This is made by mounting medium-sized blooms and foliage to a small base. This miniature floral arrangement is attached to a sturdy elastic bracelet that fits snugly to the wrist.
• Ballerina bouquet. Do you want something beautiful that doesn’t carry a heavy price tag? Then opt for a ballerina bouquet which is made up of tulle, net and flowers. Not only will you feel like a ballerina, you’ll also be glad with the thought that the beautiful thing that you’re carrying didn’t cost you an arm and a leg.
• Cascade. This bouquet captures the shape of a waterfall. The flowers are arranged downward to create the cascading effect.
• Composite. This also comes by the name Glamelia and is among the most, if not the most expensive of all bouquet types. It’s created by wiring together hundreds of flower petals to form one gigantic bloom.
• Presentation/Arm bouquet. This is created by gathering long-stemmed flowers which are bound together with a piece of lace or ribbon. It is typically carried in the crook of the arm, thus, the name.

Theme of your wedding

Are you going to have a church wedding? Then, your best bets would be round, composite, ballerina and cascade. The hand-tied and presentation bouquets are recommended for beach or garden weddings. An oriental wedding bouquet, on the other hand, can be made from lilies, lotuses and orchids. Crescent bouquets are best for contemporary weddings.

Your wedding dress

It is equally important that your wedding bouquet will complement your wedding gown. Sure, you can just choose light-colored flowers and ribbons, but that would look generic – the type that you can see in almost all weddings. So it’s best to take a picture of your wedding gown before you go to your florist so that he or she can have an idea as to the color and flower types to use. That way, you can be assured of a beautiful wedding bouquet that will look and match with your wedding dress to a T.

Your height and weight

It’s also important that your bouquet is proportionate to your size and weight. Petite brides will look best with a round or wrist bouquet while tall and voluptuous women and plus size ladies will shine with a cascade, presentation or composite bouquet.

The season

Are you having a Christmas wedding? Then why not use poinsettias? That would be in season, making it cheaper and more in accordance with your theme. And do prefer local blooms over imported ones. Not only will these blooms give you more savings, you’ll harbor less guilty feelings about carbon footprints and all that green stuff.

Your budget

Sure, any bride would like to have a wedding bouquet that’s worthy of remembering and keeping as a souvenir, right? Just make sure that you’ll associate happy moments and not sad ones because you had to spend a fortune for it. Stick to your budget, even if the crescent bouquet displayed at your florist’s shop beckons you to purchase it.

Or you can choose a bouquet shape that you can do yourself. This will cut down your costs and enable you to have some extra cash to spend for your other wedding necessities.

These are the 6 considerations  that you have to think about when choosing a wedding bouquet. It also helps to bring a photo of your desired bouquet to your florist so that you can be sure that you’ll be getting what you really want.