Time for flowers
Thursday, April 6, 2006

Part II: Time for Flowers - "The Bouquets"

As I mentioned in my last column, my next two columns will be about flowers and the many details that go into choosing what fits your style and theme. Part I was a brief glossary of the most popular flowers used in bouquets. Part II will discuss the different styles of bouquets and centerpieces. Finally, Part III will be tips and questions to prepare you when it’s time to sit with your florist.

For this column I sat down again with Ana, owner of White Bouquet, to discuss the different styles of bouquets. Ana was also kind enough to give me recent photos of some of these styles as she prepared for a bridal show. My hopes are to help you vision your flowers and the style you like before sitting with your florist and finalizing details. Below is a description of the most common.


Bouquet Shapes:

Hand-Tied - This bouquet style is composed of a bunch of flowers that are tied or wired together. A ribbon of choice is then wrapped around the stems of the flowers creating an elegant look. The ribbon can wrap the stems to the bottom or leave the ends loose.

Photo courtesy of The White Bouquet, Dartmouth, MA.


Cascade – A mixture of flowers in a hand held base with greenery and flowers spilling over and fall to a point. To modernize this bouquet style, Ana suggests creating a smaller cascading bouquet with ribbon swinging down and attaching flowers cascading down the ribbon (see side photo).

Photo courtesy of The White Bouquet, Dartmouth, MA.


Nosegay - Round in shape, the nosegay consists of a tightly clustered group of smaller flowers. It works best with compact flowers such as roses, calla lilies and tulips. It is a lush and full bouquet style.

Photo courtesy of The White Bouquet, Dartmouth, MA.


Round - Larger than a nosegay but similar in style, the round bouquet is typically contained in a holder and often consists of large flowers that can be loosely arranged.

Photo courtesy of The White Bouquet, Dartmouth, MA.


Posy – Similar to the nosegay and round in design, the posy is a smaller than the nosegay and is mainly used for bridesmaids and mother’s of replacing a corsage.

Photo courtesy of The White Bouquet, Dartmouth, MA.


Presentation or Pageant – This bouquet is usually triangular or crescent-shaped and designed to be carried in the crook of your arm. The stems are kept long for this particular design and are usually tied with a ribbon to hold them together.

Photo courtesy of The White Bouquet, Dartmouth, MA.


Pomander or “Kissing Ball” – This bouquet is a ball of flowers which is worn from the wrist or hand-held by a ribbon. Often used by flowers girls.

Photo courtesy of The White Bouquet, Dartmouth, MA.


Wand – This is a new trend often seen down the aisle by the flower girl. It can be designed to look like a princess wand or a long stemmed flower decorated with ribbon and accessories.

Photo courtesy of The White Bouquet, Dartmouth, MA.


Centerpieces – Being the focal point of your reception tables, centerpieces can come in a variety of shapes, heights and styles. Pull photos from magazines and show them to your florist when designing your floral vision.

Photos courtesy of The White Bouquet, Dartmouth, MA.




Boutonniere – A flower often worn on the left lapel of a man’s tuxedo or suit jacket. It is traditionally worn by the groom, groomsmen and father’s of the bride and groom. Classic styles consist of a rose or calla lily mixed with just a hint of greenery. A more contemporary look is a branch of berries or fresh herbs.

Corsage - A single flower or small cluster of flowers accented with ribbon. Corsages come in pin-on, wrist, and hand-held styles and are typically worn by mothers and grandmothers.


Look for my final column with questions and tips to ask your florist.

Keep “petaling”, Leslie

Please send me your questions and feedback to asktheplanner@southcoastweddingbells.com

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