To Bouquet or not to Bouquet?

There’s no denying the beauty of a field of fresh wildflowers bursting with color.  However, the traditional floral bouquet isn’t for every bride.  Whether you’re allergic to them or simply interested in a craftier accessory for your walk down the aisle, there are so many fun alternatives to a bouquet of flowers.  With the incarnation of “brooch bouquets” has come a slew of other new trends for your trip to the altar.

From elegant plumes to playful paper blooms, there are all sorts of creative options for your non-floral wedding bouquet.  The most popular, perhaps, is the brooch bouquet.  Recently given plenty of exposure when carried by country music star Miranda Lambert during her wedding to “The Voice” coach, Blake Shelton, the brooch bouquet is a vintage-inspired amalgamation of assorted brooches, pins, and other jewelry pieces that come together as a sort of gem-studded collage.  Pieces included in a brooch bouquet often have sentimental value and color schemes can be adjusted to coincide with any wedding décor.  This new trend is a great way to incorporate your “something borrowed,” perhaps by including a grandmother’s antique cameo or your mom’s sorority pin.  In this vein, the brooch bouquet is also a wonderful way to commemorate lost loved ones and have them with you on your wedding day.

The brooch bouquet isn’t the only alternative that’s out there.  A similar option is the use of antique doorknobs and drawer pulls to create an arrangement.  For a spring or summer wedding, paper pinwheels have become a popular handheld for the bridal party as they march towards the altar.  Breezy and whimsical, a pinwheel brings a bit of inexpensive and lively style to the ceremony.  Still feeling the idea of going natural for your bouquet?  Try an arrangement of succulents, which lends an eco-friendly vibe while forgoing the heady scent of floral blooms. Jenny, a floral pro and owner of Upstate NY’s Jenny Lynn Design Décor (check out her site at jennylynndesignanddecor.com!), says that succulents such as brunia are a “sultry and refreshing” choice for your bridal arrangement.

Another easy option is creating a bouquet of paper flowers.  There are so many varieties of stunning papers in all sorts of textures, prints, and colors that can easily be tailored to your wedding day mood.  Spruce up your paper blooms with rhinestones, pearls, or even buttons to add a bit of pizzazz.  While fairly simple to make yourself – there are plenty of online tutorials and kits at your local craft store – these can also be bought custom made.  In fact, Amorici an accessory line carried by Simply Stylish Events, offers an elegant selection of paper bouquets along with boutonnieres and corsages to match.  In addition to paper bouquets, the collection has a number of chic feather bouquets for brides wishing to go in a different direction.

With so many options out there for the bride to carry down the aisle on her wedding day, the only question that remains is, “to bouquet or not to bouquet?”

~Corine