Colour

In the past the bride's bouquet was composed of white flowers to symbolise purity. Although some brides still choose to have a white bouquet, many choose colours which complement the bride and bridesmaids' dresses as well as the general colour scheme of the wedding.

When choosing flowers it is worth taking a sample of fabric from the bride's dress to the florist. This can be a great help when matching colours. This applies even if the bride has a white wedding dress and wants a white bouquet because whites can vary in their shade and intensity.

Shape

There are several classic shapes of bouquet and good florists have a selection of photographs to demonstrate them. The florist should also be able to advise on which flowers match the chosen shape bearing in mind the colour scheme and seasonal availability.

The most popular designs include the "trailing waterfall" shape and the round "posy" of tightly arranged flowers.

The "trailing waterfall" shape draws the eye from top to bottom and can therefore have a slimming effect. However, it can overshadow a petite bride if its too big. The cascading shape of bouquet best complements a full length skirt. It can result in an unbalanced look with shorter skirt lengths.

The posy style of bouquet draws attention to the middle of the body. It may not be suitable for brides not wishing to draw attention to their hips and also for very tall brides.

The bouquet is held just below waist level. If this is likely to obscure a feature of the dress which the bride particularly wishes to be seen then she can choose a bouquet which lies across the arm.

As a general rule large bouquets suit formal, long dresses while smaller bouquets or even a single bloom are more in proportion with a knee-length dress.

The bouquet ribbons are tied at the ends into knots to symbolise unity.

Preserving the Bouquet

There are several ways of preserving the bouquet as a souvenir.

The bouquet can be dried and kept whole or dismantled and a collage made from the dried, pressed flowers.

A replica of the bouquet can be made from silk flowers.

Suitable shoots can used as cuttings to grow new plants.

Alternatives to Floral Bouquets

Instead of a bouquet the bride may choose to carry a:

• bible
• white prayer book
• parasol
• fan
• dorothy bag