photo from kin_ryuu Your big day is coming up. Your wedding! You�ve been dreaming about this day since you were a little girl. Everything�s beginning to fall into place now. You�ve set the date. You�ve got the venue arranged. You have your guest list organized, and invitations are on their way out to everyone. You�ve even picked out your dress, and your bridesmaid�s dresses. Everything is coming together, and all you want is for all your plans to come together perfectly, making your wedding day as special as you�ve dreamed.
But just as you start to think that everything is prepared, you remember all kinds of other little things that you have completely forgotten to think about. What about the cake? The transport? The flowers? Don�t worry! The worst thing you can do as a bride-to-be is stress too much over the small things. Everything will come together perfectly, and everything will be just as you dreamed.
The following information will focus on one of the smaller things that you need to prepare for you wedding � your wedding flowers, and in particular, you wedding bouquet. Throughout the course of this information, you�ll learn about lots of different types of flowers that are the most popular choices for weddings, and hopefully by the time you have completed reading, you�ll know exactly what the best choice is for you, and you�ll be able to tell the florist exactly what you would like!
photo from Wedding or Party Decorations 1. The most popular, or at least the most obvious, flower choice for your wedding may be the Garden Rose. The rose is, of course, the traditional sign of love and romance, so may be the perfect choice for your wedding. A traditional red rose bouquet may look dramatic and eye catching against your white gown, whereas another choice of colour, such as a white rose, may look more subtle and elegant. Roses are also useful to decorate other areas of your wedding. Single rose petals may look good scattered across your dining tables, for example, or bunches of roses to decorate the aisle where you will walk down.
2. Depending what time of year you are getting married, daffodils could be the perfect choice. If you are getting married in the springtime, a bright and cheerful arrangement of springtime flowers may be ideal, including daffodils, orange gerbera, and orange freesia.
3. Alternatively, if your wedding is in the late summer or fall season, a rustic looking bouquet may be appropriate. Autumn-coloured dahlias, especially when accented with a picking of wild raspberries, and hand picked wildflowers can give a beautiful fall feel to your wedding bouquet.
4. Calla lilies make a great bouquet if you are going for a more contemporary look to your wedding. Calla lilies come in a variety of different colours, including peach, purple, yellow and black (which is actually more of a dark purple). The peach and yellow choices are brighter, and would look great in a more summery bouquet. The black calla lilies are very dramatic and eye-catching, and have a very wintery bouquet feel to them.
5. Casablanca lilies also come in a variety of colours, though the most commonly seen is white. These have a very spring/ summery feel to them, and would complement a number of other flowers in a bouquet, rather than being singularly on their own. Casablanca lilies are known for their beautiful scent, but may cause problems for sufferers of allergies!
photo from roseofsharon-eventflorist 6. The gardenia is another beautiful white flower that would look extremely elegant held as a bouquet, either by itself, or assorted with other flowers. If the flowers are left with their leaves, the pure white colour of the gardenia stands out stunningly against the bed of green. Gardenias are also great as flower decoration in other areas � single blooms of the flower can look stunning floating on water in a glass bowl as a reception decoration, for instance.
7. Another flower that comes in a range of colours is the hydrangea. This is a more contemporary choice. Its typical colour is blue, but it is also found in purple, antique and a white /light blue shade. With its variety of colours, the hydrangea blossom can complement any colours, and always looks stunning against a white gown, either by itself, or mixed in a bouquet with other flowers.
8. Orchids make a beautiful choice for any wedding, though tend to be more contemporary. They symbolize beauty and love, so what could be more perfect for your perfect day? They are a very expensive choice, however, as the orchid is a very high maintenance flower.
9. Stephanotis, though not the most common word in our vocabularies, is actually a very popular flower in wedding bouquets. It is a small white bloom that grows on a vine. They are great to complement larger flowers, and look perfect in an all white bouquet alongside white Casablanca lilies, or white roses.
10. Tulips come in a variety of bright colours, and so can complement any number of other flowers or ensembles. They are a long lasting flower, so they are not going to wither towards the end of your big day � they will look their best all day long. The tulip is another flower that acts as a romantic symbol. In general, it symbolizes the perfect lover. Red tulips are a declaration of love for your partner. Yellow tulips mean that you are desperately in love with your husband-to-be, and cream coloured tulips are symbol that you will love your partner forever.
photo from shirley77 11. The gerbera is a great flower for a summer wedding, as it is very bright and vibrant. They come in orange, yellow, and two toned � a mixture between orange and yellow. These are perfect in the middle of summer, especially if you are having an outdoor wedding.
12. Peonies are a beautiful choice for any bridal bouquet. They also come in a variety of colours, and because of this, they are suited to any season or any type of weather. There are many types of peonies - single bloom, Japanese bloom, semi double bloom, bomb, and full double bloom. Each of these are beautiful, but look very different from one another, so look at all the different types of peonies before deciding. The peony represented happy marriage, beauty and prosperity. What other three things could you possibly want more for your big day?
13. The flower that is used most often in bridal bouquets is the stargazer lily. This flower symbolizes �purity of heart�. They are a very big flower, however, so if you are using stargazer lilies, you need to make sure that your bouquet does not get too big overall.
14. Carnations are an ever popular flower, if not a little too common. They are inexpensive though, so if you are looking for a versatile flower that is well within your limited budget, then this may be the one for you. Carnations are available in almost every colour � except blue. The most popular colours are shades of red, pink and orange.
15. The water lily is a great flower to use in your bouquet if your wedding is in the heat of summer. Water lilies come in a variety of colours, including white, pink and purple � all colours that will look stunning against the backdrop of your beautiful white gown.
photo from daffodilparker 16. Yet another flower available in a multitude of beautiful colours is the hyacinth. The most common colours are pink, peach, white and blue, but hyacinths are also available in more unusual shades such as light oranges, egg-yolk yellows, bright reds and deep purples. The word hyacinth derives from Greek mythology, and the name Hyakinthos, who, in Greek mythology, was a good looking young man who was loved by the Greek sun god Apollo.
17. You may not automatically associate sunflowers with a wedding bouquet, but it is actually a rather popular choice, especially in the warm summer months. Their bright yellow appearance makes a very attractive bouquet for an outdoor summer wedding, or even an indoor wedding, if you want to bring the �sunshine indoors� with you. Sunflowers are naturally traditionally yellow, but more varieties have appeared in recent years, including sunflowers with tan, maroon, orange or even striped petals. Some sunflowers don�t even have the middle disc, but are instead fully covered with petals.
18. Tulips are a beautiful choice for any wedding bouquet. They are available in all colours except blue and black. They are popular and inexpensive, and look beautiful by themselves or to compliment a bouquet with a mixture of flowers. The name tulip comes from the Turkish word for turban, because of its rounded shape.
19. An unusual and beautiful choice may be the ranunculus. They are readily available from February until May, and although the swampy ground where they grow might not sound like the most ideal place for a beautiful flower to grow, ranunculus flowers are full of beauty. They are as romantic as roses, but no where near as common, and come in a variety of warm colours including reds, oranges, and yellows.
20. Freesias are a popular choice of flower for your bouquet, being that it is yet another one that comes in a variety of colours! Its varieties of lavender and purple blossoms look great by themselves or with a selection of other flowers, and the white freesias look stunningly beautiful as part of an all white bouquet.
photo from bloomsdayflowers 21. Despite its name, Lilacs are available in white, pink, mauve or violet. They are a very popular wedding choice for your bouquet, but have a very short season of about six weeks, so may not be available at the time that you want them. They have a very strong scent, and are a beautiful addition to any kind of bridal bouquet.
22. Delphiniums are a great flower to use in your bouquet if you are wanting to bring in a touch of colour. They come in a variety of shades of blues � right from a light sky blue to a dark rich blue. They are very high, which means they have to be cut to make your bouquet perfect. They look stunning on their own, or complementary to other flowers, especially white coloured ones.
23. The Lily of the Valley is a prized and somewhat rare flower. Its season is very short and only in April. In fact, this flower is so prized that people have been known to plan their weddings in April just so they can use this flower!
24. Lisianthus is a popular purple wedding flower. It is a bell shaped bloom when fully open. When in bud, it has a fascinating spiral pattern running through it. It makes a beautiful and eye catching bouquet, which looks stunning against a white dress, and will also go well with purple dresses.
25. Although they sit on top of 24 inch high stalks, amaryllis make beautiful additions to a wedding bouquet. Of course, the stems have to be cut to the right size, but the beautiful pink flowers are very dainty and elegant for any type of bouquet. They are also known as Belladonna lilies or naked ladies.
photo from merrypics 26. The Lotus flower is a beautiful oriental flower, that is symbolically seen floating on a bed of water. They can be used in bouquets though, for an unusual and beautiful effect. In Chinese culture, the lotus flower is a very symbolic wedding flower, as the outer petals of the lotus�s bloom represent four different virtues: purity, softness, scent and loveliness.
27. Chrysanthemums are a great choice of flower, especially if you are having a winter wedding, as these are in season in the colder months. They are available in a variety of colours, including white, red and purple, and make a beautiful bouquet.
Hopefully now from that list of 27 of the most popular wedding bouquet flowers you have a better idea of the type of flower you want to use in your own bouquet. You can use any of these flowers by themselves, or you can choose several different varieties of flowers, and have a varied bouquet.
After choosing the types of flower bloom you want to use, you are left with the decision of what type of bouquet you would like to use. It�s not just as simple as tying up the stalks with a ribbon (though it can be if you wish!) The type of bouquet you have may be dependent on the types of flowers you have chosen, as some flowers are more suited to a particular type of bouquet.
The nosegay bouquet style is one of the most popular, especially in recent years. It is a simple style � a small and round uniform bouquet of flowers, with their stems neatly wrapped in a pretty ribbon. This type of bouquet is mostly suited to compact blossoms, such as roses and carnations.
The cascade style of bouquet is a rather dramatic and lavish style, which was more popular in the 1980s, but some people who are wanting an all-out traditional wedding may still favour this style. In a cascade bouquet, the flowers and greenery flow down from the holder, so leaves and blossoms trail over your arms where you are holding it.
The arm bouquet is a bouquet of longer stemmed flowers that are designed to be cradled in your arm. The stems are tied together with ribbon, just as with a nosegay bouquet. It is less popular in most of today�s weddings, because a lot of people think this bouquet style looks too much like the bunches of flowers that are given to beauty pageant winners!
photo from soul101 The hand tied bouquet is one of the most popular bouquets with brides wanting a more modern or contemporary wedding. It has a natural style to it, which works well for understated and simplistic wedding ceremonies. A selection of flowers are secured together with a piece of ribbon, or alternatively, the flowers are placed in a cone-shaped holder, known as a tussy-mussy.
When it comes to throwing the bouquet, so many brides are reluctant to give away their beautiful bouquets, but don�t want to miss out on this fun piece of wedding tradition! What you may wish to do is have a second, less expensive bouquet made, especially for the throwing the bouquet ceremony, so you can keep your own bouquet to treasure a little longer.
The option of having another bouquet is something many brides find appealing and also well within the budget. Get a simple and inexpensive arrangement to be able to throw so you wont miss out on the fun.
Picking out flowers for your wedding can be a fun and exciting adventure for both the bride and her groom to be. Enjoy learning about the different flowers and looking over different arrangements and bouquets too.
I�m sure you will have a lot of fun not only with the flowers but the entire amount of things that must be done to have not only a wonderful wedding but a wedding that stays on budgets but appears like a million dollar day!
