There aren’t many occasions where you can hold a beautiful bouquet of flowers for half a day or be surrounded by seasonal blooms while in the presence of your nearest and dearest. So when choosing a bouquet for your wedding it’s essential to get it just right.

If you’re lucky, you will already have an idea in your head for the kind of bouquet you want on your wedding. While many of us have been dreaming of the day for years, our imagination doesn’t always give us the best combinations. That’s why it’s important to work with an expert florist.

We spoke to some florists who provide wedding bouquets for their advice. This is what they had to say.

Choose the dress first

Wedding theming is all about dependencies and the order you choose them. Ideally, you should decide on an overall wedding theme, then get a dress and then order flowers, then the cake and so on. Each decision depends on the preceding one, so order is important in this regard.

A wedding bouquet should complement the dress and bring out one feature or other within it. An accomplished bouquet will bring out key elements of your wedding dress while also not hiding any of it or taking over.

When you have ordered your dress, take a picture of you wearing it to your florist so they can see exactly what they need to work with.

Shape and size

Big isn’t always beautiful. Sometimes, subtlety trumps statements. A simple wedding dress should be reflected in a simple but effective bouquet. If you have a full dress with a train, consider a trailing bouquet. If you have a detailed skirt, keep the bouquet short.

That’s why it’s important to show your florist of choice exactly what you look like in your wedding dress. They can then design the perfect bouquet to bring out the best in the dress and you on the day.

Also, you’re going to be holding this bouquet for a few hours, so it needs to be a manageable size and weight.

Colour

Colour is everything when deciding on a wedding bouquet. While shape and fragrance have a bearing, colour is the primary effect of any flower arrangement. Another reason why you should bring that photograph of you in the wedding dress to your florist.

Depending on the colour of the dress, a good florist can suggest seasonal flowers that will highlight elements of the dress or complement a feature.

What’s in this season?

While fashion does play a part in wedding planning, it’s less important than you might think. Couture is all very well if you have the budget for it but it can be expensive and date quickly, so bear it in mind when planning.

Florists are more concerned with what flowers will be in season during your wedding than what the latest style is. Reflecting the natural world with a fresh and vibrant bouquet adds a lot of colour and character to your outfit, which is what we’re all looking for right?

Something old or borrowed

A nice tradition we see a lot is using a swathe of wedding dress material to wrap the bouquet in. This ties the two together nicely and provides the means to use something old or borrowed to hold the wrap.

For example, family heirlooms such as pocket watches and brooches make for lovely additions to complete the bouquet.

Keeping it fresh

If you want to keep your wedding bouquet fresh throughout the day, ensure there is enough stem to be able to cut a couple of centimetres off and soak them in water for a while between events. You’re going to need to drink throughout your wedding day and your flowers are too!

Choosing a wedding bouquet is easy when you use the right people for the job. Knowing your wedding theme and wedding dress in advance will help your florist when deciding what to suggest for your wedding bouquet. Make sure to bear that in mind when it’s time to order your flowers!