Wedding bouquets. Figuring out what you want is such a delight (ohhh pretty flowers), while also somehow such a headache. What kind of flowers are in season during your wedding month? What style is even achievable with a normal non-celebrity florist? How do you blend your dream bouquet with what you can realistically have? And, you know, what if you need to need to DIY your wedding bouquet? (Don’t worry DIYers, we’ve got you covered too.)

When pondering wedding bouquets, there are often two camps. Either you have no idea what the hell it is that you’re actually looking for, and maybe someone could just tell you already? Or you know exactly what you want, because you’ve spent a million hours on Pinterest sorting through tons and tons of images of bouquets. But the problem with that endless research is that it turns into what I’ve dubbed the “Infinite Pinterest Garden,” meaning everything is beautiful, but it all starts to look the same. And then there you are, lost in the virtual garden and you can’t find that one image you forgot to pin. No matter where you are in this process, from “DEAR GOD JUST TELL ME WHAT TO DO,” to “I know the perfect wedding bouquet is somewhere in this pile of photos,” it’s time to ask yourself a few questions.

Do you have a color palette you’re using? Do you have flowers that you absolutely must use? (Side note: are those flowers actually available in the month you’re getting married?) Are there bouquet styles that make you gag or that you think are just totally outdated? These questions will help you weed out what you don’t want and help you better communicate your wedding bouquet dreams to your florist. And sometimes, you may think you want one thing when you actually want another. A consultation with your florist will help open your eyes to styles that you may not have seen or heard of while staying within your design limitations.

Things to keep in mind

Lucky for you, I have a side gig as a florist. I’ve had many (many) of these conversations about wedding bouquets, so I’m here to help a sister out. A typical request I get is something along the lines of this: “I want a white bouquet with peonies.” And that can mean so many things. The more descriptive you are with your florist the better; that way they can let you know exactly what’s doable. For instance, peonies aren’t in season year-round and are super fragile. So, if you’re getting married in the middle of summer in the desert, it might not be the best choice to have peonies in your bouquet. Fortunately, if you’re using a florist, they’ll be able to recommend flowers that are in season that can convey the same look as a peony without having to worry about your bouquet wilting away. If you’re making your own bouquet it’s best to do your research online and see what’s seasonally available in your area. If you’re lucky enough to have a flower mart near you, chat up your local vendor or farmer who can make suggestions as well.

Something that people forget about wedding bouquets is that shape is important. Take a look at the photos you pinned to see what shape really catches your eye. I’ll bet there’s a common theme, and you didn’t even notice! Round bouquets tend to be more traditional, whereas asymmetrical bouquets skew more toward untraditional. And, if you feel like really pushing the boundaries, maybe your florist will turn a cascade bouquet into your very own badass floral whip, like this one. (If you rock a floral whip, crack some pictures our way, yes?) There are so many styles of bouquets, and unless you’re in the industry (or obsessed with flower arrangements in general), chances are you haven’t thought much about this aspect of floral design. Lucky for you, we’ve got you covered! See below for the full roundup of wedding bouquet styles.

Types Of Wedding Bouquets

1. Floral Design by Justine Rose, Photo by And a Day Photography via Nouba, 2. Image via Ever After Guide 3. Photo by AMW Studios via Style Me Pretty

Cascade Bouquets

Cascade bouquets are perfect if you’re looking to bring the drama on your wedding day. Remember that floral whip I mentioned above? Whether or not you want soft garden roses with trailing greens or you’re looking to mix it up by incorporating feathers and apples in your bouquet, you’re guaranteed to make a statement. No wonder this style of bouquet is amongst the most popular! (Also, real-world note: Flowers are heavy, so if you’re going with a bouquet that’s a little extra, remember that the weight is gonna be extra too.)

1. Floral Design and Photo by Dilly Lily via Elizabeth Anne Designs, 2. Paper Composite Flower by KatyaPaperie via Etsy, 3. Image via Mon Cheri Bridals

Composite Bouquet

You may be asking yourself, is that ONE flower?! Nope, no it isn’t. A composite bouquet is typically made to look like one giant rose, when in fact, it is typically a dozen roses (or more) designed to look like a single stem. This process consists of one rose as the center of the bouquet, with singular rose petals assembled around the center flower to achieve the look of one giant rose. This style is perfect for those of you looking to achieve a vintage style, as this style bouquet was most popular with brides in the 1940s and ’50s. But damn, it can be made fresh and modern, and people will be talking about your bouquet for many Thanksgivings to come.

1. Floral Design by TFS Flowers, Photo by Hayley Savage via Love My Dress, 2. Photo by Ryan Price Photography via Loverly, 3. Floral Design by Commerce Flowers, Photo by Erin Heart’s Court via Elizabeth Anne Designs,  4. Image via Pinterest 

Round Bouquets

If you’re planning to DIY your bouquet, chances are you’re going to make a round bouquet. (And we have got you covered on that with everything you need to know about DIYing flowers, plus how to construct this type of bouquet, and a whole section on flower tutorials.) Round bouquets are the simplest and most straightforward kind of bouquet to construct, and unless you have some serious floral skills, your wedding weekend is not the time to try to make something outside the box. Round wedding bouquets are also a great design to use if you want to use just one type of flower, typically flowers that are round in shape like roses or peonies. Using naturally round flowers to craft a round bouquet easily forms the shape that you’re looking to achieve by layering the flowers on top of each other until they form a perfect sphere. Filler flowers and greenery can be added for additional texture and color to really make these types of bouquets pop!

1. Floral Design by belovely, Photo by Emily Wren Photography via Green Wedding Shoes, 2. Floral Design and Photo by Floral Artistry, 3. Floral Design by Nectar Floral Design, Photo by Ruth Eileen Photography via Style Me Pretty 4. Image via Pinterest

Hand-tied Bouquets

If you’re looking for a loose and carefree bouquet, a hand-tied bouquet might be perfect for you. A lot of hand-tied bouquets are featured in outdoor weddings because they give off an organic forest and wildflower vibe. Hand-tied wedding bouquets are great because you can use any type of flower in this type of arrangement without it being overbearing and still maintaining an organic look and feel.

1. Image via Pinterest, 2. Floral Design by Rebecca Dawn Design, Photo by Orange Girl Photography via Style Me Pretty, 3. Photo by Haley Sheffield via Ruffled Blog

Pomander Bouquet

While pomander bouquets are usually reserved for flower girls, who says you can’t have a bonkers adult version of your own? Modernize this look by leaving the boring “kissing ball” in the past and updating it with colored flowers like chrysanthemums or dahlias instead of the traditional all-white rose pomander bouquet. And, if you’re really feeling like bucking tradition go for an all greenery bouquet. Another plus: you can wear this around your wrist!

1. Floral Design by Tumbleweed Floral Truck, Photo by Cari Courtright Photography via 100 Layer Cake, 2. Photo by June Photo via Junebug Weddings, 3. Floral Design by Jana Brown Design, Photo by Tara Bennett Photography via Joy Wed, 4. Floral Design by Sara Winward, Photo by Chudleigh Weddings via Honey of a Thousand Flowers

Asymmetrical Bouquet 

I may be biased, but asymmetrical bouquets are my absolute favorite! Sometimes things need to feel a little… off to feel just right. You can use any type of flower or greenery to achieve this perfectly imbalanced look, and on the plus, they just feel so dang lush. Pack them to the brim with whatever you want, and you’re sure to steal the show (not like you weren’t gonna do that anyway)! And again, remember, when your bouquet is extra, it’s gonna be extra heavy (so do those bicep curls).

And because I love y’all so much, here’s a bunch more wedding bouquets to get you inspired! Or ya know, drooling over what’s out there.

Cascade

Floral Design by Orchid and Auahi, Photo by June Photography via Junebug Weddings

Floral Design by Sally Cunningham, Lynn Kiske, and Friends of the Mother of the Bride, Photo by Adam Barnes Fine Art Photography via Style Me Pretty

Floral Design by Justine Rose, Photo by And A Day Photography via Nouba

Floral Design by Signature Floral Design, Photo by Peggy Saas via Nouba

Floral Design by Los Plebeyos, Photo by Ricardo Enrique Photography via Junebug Weddings