LookLoveSend Blog

Reception Site? Check. Guest List? Check. Wedding dress? Check. Around the time that engaged couples are sending out their Save the Date cards, brides usually turn their attention to the many fun wedding details to be arranged – including the bridal bouquet.  Not surprisingly, the variety of flower arrangement options is great.  Luckily, online inspiration boards, Pinterest, and sites like TheKnot offer thousands of beautiful bouquet photos, but these sites are overwhelmingly sorted by color or style alone.  Another aspect of a bride’s bouquet is its shape, so read on to learn about the many shapes of the bridal bouquet before meeting with your florist.

Hand-tied: A hand-tied bouquet is ideal for a casual outdoor wedding, especially to complement a more informal wedding dress style.  This type of bouquet usually incorporates just one or two different types of flower and provides a beautifully simple floral vibe.

nosegay bouquet

Nosegay: The nosegay is a round cluster of flowers and foliage. This style of bouquet can be either formal or informal depending on the type of flowers used and the choice of fabric covering its stems.  A Nosegay is a very versatile bouquet choice for any wedding.

Cascade: The cascade bouquet looks like a waterfall of flowers flowing down the bride’s dress.  This bouquet type is most commonly seen in formal and traditional weddings but should be avoided by petite brides so she is not overwhelmed by flowers.

Pageant: The pageant-shaped bouquet is easy to imagine – think Miss USA carrying her floral bouquet tucked into the crock of her arm!  Long-stemmed flowers such as calla lilies are perfect for this versatile bouquet type that works for both formal and informal events.

composite bouquet

Composite: This unique bouquet type provides the illusion of a single large flower but is created by starting with a central flower and attaching multiple petals of the same flower to create an oversized bloom.  The composite bouquet provides a modern vibe and is well suited for a chic simplistic wedding style.

Free-form: inspiration and guidance aside, there are no set bouquet rules for any bride.  The free-form bouquet has no specific shape and allows the bride to collaborate with her florist to design a one-of-a-kind arrangement for her special day.  Peacock feathers, tropical flowers, berries – the sky’s the limit for the unique free-form bouquet.   

When meeting with your florist, bring a photo of your wedding dress and don’t hesitate to tap into their expertise to pick the best flowers and perfect bouquet shape. For your wedding stationery needs, checkout the growing selection of fresh wedding  invitations, save the date cards, and other coordinating stationery elements available at LookLoveSend.com. For the chance to win $500 towards your complete wedding invitation suite, enter our monthly Sweepstakes today!