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Find out which type of bouquet and flower arrangement is right for your celebration.
From classic round bouquets to stylish cascading arrangements, discover 11 popular wedding bouquet types and decide which type of flower bouquet will complement your wedding theme and venue.
By Kelcy Christy
Brides have been carrying wedding bouquets since ancient times, and while the style of these wedding floral arrangements has changed throughout the years, there are a few main types of flowers that women choose to incorporate on their wedding day for their flower bouquet. From classic round wedding bouquets to stylish cascading arrangements, the choice you make will likely complement the formality of your wedding celebration, as well as your wedding theme and wedding venue. Your floral designer can help you select which one is right for you, but we've also gathered some inspiration to ignite your floral interest.
You may have a particular flower that you want showcased in the bridal bouquet for your wedding– and this can certainly influence which type of wedding bouquet you choose. Roses, spray roses, garden roses, and peonies work extremely well for round wedding bouquets, while brides who want to focus on greenery may choose a cascade style or arm sheath for a more glamorous wedding celebration, or a hand-tied wedding bouquet that fits beautifully with an alfresco garden ceremony or rustic fête.
Other brides decide on the style of their bridal bouquets first and then choose the best blooms for the flower bouquet itself. Perhaps you've always envisioned walking down the aisle at your wedding ceremony with a perfect round arrangement of orchids or you've always wanted to have a wedding bouquet with only one type of bloom. For these brides, we recommend letting your florist know, so they can recommend the flowers that will work well depending on color choices and various shades, season, wedding location, etc.
Popular Wedding Flowers & Wedding Bouquets
Take a look at some of the most popular wedding bouquet styles and wedding flowers, below! To get more wedding floral inspiration, click the link below each wedding photo of bridal bouquets to view the rest of the real weddingcelebrations that incorporated these gorgeous bouquet ideas.
Round Wedding Bouquets - Ideas
One of the most popular types of wedding bouquets is the round style – a very classic bouquet with lush blooms. While most round wedding bouquets showcase one type of flower, such as roses or peonies, many brides feature a variety of flowers with a similar look, such as ranunculus, garden roses, or other popular wedding flowers. These types of arrangements don't have to be monochromatic either – feel free to mix up the color of your wedding flowers! Photo by Duke Photography; Planning & Design by Tessa Lyn Events; From Real Wedding:Jewish Ceremony + Classic Ballroom Reception in Beverly Hills
Presentation Wedding Bouquet
Also known as a pageant-style wedding bouquet or arm sheath, these gorgeous wedding arrangements feature long-stem flowers and foliage or verdure that the bride cradles in her arms. It's an elegant look for a modern or classic wedding and also allows the bride's wedding dress to take center stage in a fun way since these flower bouquets are held off to the side. Photo by Justine Ungaro; From Real Wedding:Modern Wedding at Historic Washington, D.C. Ballroom
Cascade Wedding Bouquets - Ideas
Made popular by the late Princess Diana, the cascading wedding bouquet features flowers that fall gracefully towards the floor in a dramatic style. If you're looking for flowy bouquets, this floral arrangement is beautiful, regal, and makes quite the statement as brides walk down the aisle with cascading bouquets on their wedding day. Photo by Brandon Kidd Photography; From Real Wedding:Vibrant Alfresco Ceremony + Ballroom Reception in Newport Beach, CA
Nosegay Wedding Bouquets
These typically smaller bouquets are perfect for bridesmaids to hold at a wedding. Popular for a rustic bouquet or rustic arrangement, the compact cluster of flowers is wrapped tightly and often places an emphasis on greenery. It's a more petite arrangement of flowers, which can also be a lovely wedding bouquet for a more intimate wedding or even an elopement. Photo by Strand Photo; From Real Wedding:Vibrantly Hued Catalina Island Wedding Inspired by the Ocean
Posy Wedding Bouquets
Like a nosegay, this floral arrangement is small and easily held in one hand. It's often round in shape and the flowers are also frequently tied with ribbon. Consider personalizing your ribbon with your wedding monogram to create a unique wedding bouquet of flowers for your big day.From white blooms with seeded eucalyptus accents for classic stunning bouquets to a deep burgundy bouquet with purple blooms for a bold bouquet look, you don't need many flowers to create absolutely stunning arrangements.Photo by Karlisch Photography; From Real Wedding:Elegant Beachside Destination Wedding in Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Pomander Wedding Bouquets
Also known as a kissing ball, a pomander wedding bouquet features a tightly arranged sphere of flowers that's held with a loop of decorative ribbon. It's mostly carried by flower girls as it's easy to hold – plus it looks adorable! However, we've also seen a number of wedding ceremonies showcase this type of floral arrangement as décor, with flowers suspended from trees or even shepherd hooks along the wedding aisle. Photo by Images by Berit, Inc.; From Real Wedding:East Coast Countryside Wedding with Vintage Details
Composite Wedding Bouquets - Ideas
Also known as a glamelia bouquet, these floral arrangements feature individual flower petals that are designed to look like one large flower bouquet. This type of wedding bouquet is quite popular for brides to hold, as well as bridesmaids. They can look lovely for a classic wedding or even a modern wedding celebration. The extended flower petals also create a nice display for photos of your wedding ring!Photo by Studio This Is; From Real Wedding:Glamorous City-Style Real Wedding at a Luxury Hotel in Chicago
Hand-Tied Wedding Bouquets
These types of wedding bouquets are popular for a number of wedding styles and colorful bouquet looks, but they're mostly used for boho-chic and rustic wedding fêtes. The casual, loose look showcases flowers that appear freshly picked from the garden, which also beautifully complements an alfresco wedding ceremony. Photo by Ryan Ray Photography; From Real Wedding:Outdoor Wedding with Vibrant Pink + Orange Décor in California
Single Stem Wedding Bouquet
This particular wedding bouquet – ideal for a tropical bouquet – features three stems, but it provides the same look as a single-stem wedding flower arrangement. Often a great choice for small-budget weddings, brides can carry just one long-stemmed flower that can make quite a statement. We love when brides use larger flowers, such as king protea, lilies, peonies, or even tropical leaves in lieu of flowers. Photo by Kir2ben Photography; From Real Wedding:A Millennial Blogger's Festive Post-Wedding Styled Shoot in Florida
Arm Wedding Bouquets
Since many brides feel that a large flower wedding bouquet covers the most beautiful part of their wedding dress, a recent trend is the arm bouquet. Showcasing the same flowers that would appear in a traditional floral arrangement, this style wraps around the arm with ribbon to stay out of the way, so the bride is free to greet her wedding guests. Photo by Christine Bentley Photography; From Real Wedding:Real Housewives of Orange County: Tamra Barney's California Wedding
Brooch Wedding Bouquet Ideas
This final popular wedding bouquet doesn't even feature flowers. A great choice for brides who want to keep their wedding bouquets as a keepsake for years to come after the wedding, jewelry and brooches can be arranged into a round wedding bouquet-like shape in lieu of fresh flowers. This look is especially popular for vintage-inspired weddings since the wedding arrangements can often include family heirlooms. Photo by KLK Photography; From Real Wedding:
For more wedding ideas, discover seasonal flowers perfect for a summer wedding, fall wedding bouquet, winter wedding, or spring wedding. Discover even more bridal bouquets perfect for rustic weddings, see rose wedding bouquet ideas, pampas grass floral arrangements, gorgeous wedding bouquet ideas featuring blushing bride protea, jasmine vine, white roses, Queen Anne's lace, baby's breath, dusty miller, sweet peas,tulips and fringe tulips, orchids, Italian ruscus, dried palm leaves,eucalyptus leaves, trailing greenery, and more – all from real weddings.
Did you have a beautiful wedding bouquet or wedding flowers that you would like to share with us? We accept submissions for real weddings here. We can't wait to see your celebration!
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