Your bridesmaids are your best girls. You’ve decided on a dress scheme that makes each of them feel amazing, while still being cohesive with the rest of your wedding. Because flowers hold such visible importance in a wedding style, choosing your bridesmaids’ bouquets is just as important as their dresses. We’re so excited to be joined today by Seattle wedding florist Kate Fadden of In Bloom Designs who is sharing 5 ideas for your bridesmaids bouquets that will be perfect for your unique day.

Before diving into the ideas, here’s a little insight from Kate about how she approaches designing the bridesmaids bouquets for your wedding:

My approach when working with clients is to first decide on the look and style of the bride’s bouquet and then work on how the bridesmaids will compliment her. Factors I always take into account when coming up with design ideas are the color and style of the bridesmaid dresses – will they all be wearing the same color/style or is there going to be a variety? What about accent colors? These things are all really important elements in coming up with an overall look that is going to be visually pleasing to the eye and reflective of the client’s vision for their wedding day!

1. Same Colors, Different Flowers:

Image by Eldad Efendi Photography at Lairmont Manor

In Bloom Designs: Carli and Kyle used a monochromatic style color palette which lent itself really well to using a ton of different flowers for a super textured bridal bouquet. Since her bridesmaids were all wearing different dresses in different shades of grey, we chose a unique type of varying bridesmaid bouquet. Each bridesmaid’s bouquet was compiled of just one type of flower from the bridal bouquet in the same super soft pale peach color. The result was four very different bouquets, each with their own unique texture and look but still consistent with the color palette.

2. Smaller Versions of the Bride’s Bouquet:

Image by Joe and Patience Photography

In Bloom Designs: This color palette was a very soft, romantic, semi-neutral combination of whites and ivory, blush and a few darker pink tones. The bridesmaids were all wearing different dresses in different shades and colors. So, to keep the bridal party looking visually balanced, we opted to do a smaller version of the bride’s bouquet with the subtle difference of some darker pops of pink and saving the dark centered anemones for the bride’s bouquet for a surprise pop of contrasting color. The touch of greenery was a great way to include a bit of whimsy to this romantic spring wedding.

3. Let Each Bridesmaid Stand Out:

Image by Matt Priestman Photography

In Bloom Designs: When I first met with Lindsay and asked her about her color palette she told me she wanted to use the colors of a sunset – how gorgeous is that?! She knew her bridesmaids would all be wearing black so we decided on a unique approach to their bouquets. Each would be a made up of a single type of flower and each bouquet would be a different color. The bride’s bouquet was a compilation of all those flowers and colors. The bright colors really stood out against the black dresses and gave a distinct look to each one.

4. Play With Texture:

Images by Joe and Patience Photography

In Bloom Designs: This couple’s color palate was so full of color and personality, just like the bride and groom! The groom is from Mexico and the bride from Canada and the two met in culinary school – so they had a lot of really great elements to incorporate into their wedding day design. Overall, they wanted a fun, festive feeling and I think the color palate they chose to work with really suited their vision.

All of the bridesmaids wore the same dress in the same color, so their bouquets needed to have some variety. Because their dresses were a really beautiful vibrant color, we softened their bouquets up with some hints of ivory which played really well off the bride’s dress. In contrast, the bride’s bouquet was more full of color and had some dramatic hanging amaranth to make it pop. The long ribbon streamers helped keep the look romantic and festive at the same time.

5. Simple Is Elegant:

Image by J. Jackson Photography

In Bloom Designs: Rustic, vintage and simple: that’s what Megan and Joel wanted their wedding to be. The color palette was light ivory and blush tones and champagne. Since the bridesmaids were all wearing the same color dress but in a different style, Megan wanted to do an all-baby’s breath bouquet for them. The dainty and textured look of the baby’s breath played really well off the blush/neutral tone dresses and also helped the bridal bouquet to really stand out. The bride’s bouquet was filled with ivory and tones of blush hydrangeas, garden roses, stock, mini calla lilies and dusty miller. It was a perfect compliment to the bridesmaids dresses and the peak-a-boo pink tulle underneath the bride’s dress!

A big thank you to Kate Fadden of In Bloom Designs for sharing these brilliant ideas for bridesmaids bouquets!

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I’m just giddy working on this post…not only do I get to spend some time on my very favorite topic (I’m the flower girl here at Junebug amongst a die-hard group of loyal photography junkies!), but I get to share one of my favorite designers with you too! Junebug member Nancy Liu Chin is brilliantly talented, and as an expert in the industry she has a lot of great ideas for couples as they are planning and working with a floral designer. Today she is sharing some of her beautiful designs AND tips on what you can do to ensure a successful meeting with your florist!

Photos by Jose Villa

From Nancy Liu Chin : Perhaps it is naive of me to think that all people who are newly engaged should know how to work with a floral designer. After all, there are endless wedding planning books, articles on how to plan the perfect wedding, and plenty of blogs…yet, today, a bride asked me if it was necessary to meet with me in order to get a floral proposal. Of course, meeting a floral designer is a must unless you are planning a destination wedding and even at that, I recommend a phone interview.

So to help newly engaged couples, I’m writing this post on how to prepare for your meeting with your floral designer. I truly hope this is not only helpful for engaged couples but for all event planners, floral designers, wedding enthusiasts…and many more. I will be using the term Floral Designer in this post for simplicity. Keep in mind that I am using both these terms – florist and floral designer – to mean someone who will be creating wedding flowers. It’s interchangeable!

Photos by Scott Andrew Studio

So, the question is, what should you prepare for when meeting with your floral designer? Follow these steps, and your floral desgn

1. Flower Knowledge – Do you need to know the names of all the flowers?

My God, I hope not! If all clients knew the name of all cut flowers, then most of the floral designers around might be out of a job. To me, it’s like asking if a patient needs to know all the medical terms before they see their doctor. It would be unproductive and a waste of one’s time. If gardening is a hobby, I can imagine that you might want to know more about how flowers are produced, cultivated, and cared for. However, for someone who is planning a wedding, there are more productive things to spend your time on.

Keep in mind, a good, knowledgeable, informed floral designer should have a portfolio with plenty of flowers for a couple to look through. I keep a “deck” of colorful cards which are coordinated by color and alphabetized so that I can “flip” through it during meetings and show clients what flower I am describing.

Here are some good examples of the type of phrases that would be helpful for you to use:

• Romantic, fluffy, large head flowers like roses and peonies that evoke a garden feel.
• Modern, architecturally interesting blooms that have beautiful, shapely stems. French Tulips in a single vase are very elegant to me.
• Something unusual with lots of spiky tips, fussy, different. Something that wouldn’t be fun to touch but would look very different from the standard fluffy flowers.
• Simple, happy flowers that make me smile, like sunflowers, daisies, mums.
• Bold, dramatic flowers that work for a grand ballroom.

Bottom line: Describe characteristics of what you want the flowers to look like!

Photos: BLR Photography

Photos by Jennifer Skog Photographers

2. Get Organized and Create a Check List

It is very helpful to create a check list of things you need. Emailing a copy to your floral designer ahead of time is wonderful. You can also bring a copy with you to the meeting. Of course, since you may not know all the flower pieces that you might need, here is my check list.

Personal Flowers:

• Bridal Bouquet
• Bridesmaid Bouquets
• Groom’s Boutonniere
• Groomsmen’s Boutonnieres
• Usher(s) Flowers
• Reader(s)
• Officiant
• Mothers and Fathers
• Grandparents
• Sponsors
• Ring bearer, Coin bearer, other little boys who need flowers
• Flower girls, Junior Bridesmaids, other little girls who need flowers

Ceremony Flowers:

• Altar or Ceremony Large Pieces
• Chair or Pew Decorations
• Aisle Decor
• Welcome Table
• Gift Table
• Foyer Arrangement
• Door or Entryway
• Car Decor
  

Reception Flowers:

• Centerpieces
• Head Table or Sweet Heart Table
• Bride and Groom’s Chair
• Bar
• Food Stations
• Dessert Stations
• Cake Table
• Dance Floor Decor
• Cocktail Table
• Place Card Table
• Door Ways
• Lounge Decor
• Walkways
• Fireplace Mantels

Bottom Line: Get organized and have a list ready!

Photos by Lisa Lefkowitz

3. Style, Color, Concept

Of course many couples go to meetings thinking that they will see something in a floral designer’s portfolio and instantly love it. I wish this were the case. But it is so NOT.

I think many couples come for inspiration. That’s wonderful! However, to make your wedding flowers truly unique, come with as many ideas and examples of things you love as you can. There are so many resources filled with ideas! Some things to bring:

• Tear-sheets from magazines
• Tagged images you love in wedding and floral design books
• Images from wedding blogs, and individual blogs from wedding professionals
• Pinterest boards
• Swatch samples of fabrics you are using – your dress and bridesmaid dresses
• Color swatches – you can go into Home Depot and pick out some “paint” chips so that you can clearly communicate your wedding colors. I guarantee you, when a bride walks into my office and tells me her wedding color is green, I ask her, “is it moss, forest, sea, celery, pea, chartreuse, apple, lime, sage, vivid, Kate Spade, Kelly, spinach, or pepper green?”
• Your wedding invitation
• Photos of your venue

Bring all the things that you think are useful for someone who is creating your weddings flowers. And it doesn’t have to be a whole novel – a few printouts, consolidated into something concise is perfect.

Bottom line: Go to be informed, and be prepare to show and tell.

Photos by Greg Slick Photography

4. Ask and you shall receive

In advance of your meeting, be sure to have a list of questions that you need answered. During the meeting, many will be addressed. However if you don’t have a prepared list, you might forget a few important questions. Jot down at least a few key questions. Some things you might want to ask:

• Can you suggest a few cost saving tips?
• What flowers hold up the best during the month of my wedding? (This question will show if the floral designer is truly knowledge about flowers and thinks off the cuff.)
• Have you worked at my venue before? If not, would you mind going to do a site visit. (This question shows that a floral designer is attentive to the details and wants to be prepared. It also reflects their experience level.)
• Do you drop off the flowers or does your staff or crew do the complete setup? (This question will answer what type of day of service you will get. And if the price for such service is warranted.)
• What was your favorite wedding? Do you have an example in your portfolio? What made it so special? (This question will show you what the floral designer deems tasteful, interesting to them. I love this question because only a couple brides have ever asked me this and I think this one is by far the most interesting. It shows me that a couple wants to get to know me as a designer. )
• How many events do you do a week? Will my wedding be the only one that day? (This question might be important to some of you if you feel that you need your team to focus on just you for that week.)
• Have you ever gotten so ill that you couldn’t complete a job? If so, what would happen to my wedding? (It’s important to know if a floral designer has contingency plans. I know that we do, so I think others should be prepared as well)

Bottom line: Whatever quality is important to you, make sure you leave that meeting feeling that you get a good sense of a floral designer’s values, creativity, knowledge, and depth.

Photos by Vero Suh Photography

Thank you so much for sharing your expertise and knowledge with us, Nancy ! Readers, for more great advice and ideas from Nancy, be sure to visit her blog “ Nancy’s Brown Bag ” and follow her on Pinterest !

And for more Wedding Planning 101 advice, don’t miss our posts on how to… hire a wedding planner , hire a wedding photographer , choose a wedding reception venue , pin a boutonniere , and take good care of yourself on your wedding day .

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This has been such a fun week! Beautiful flowers wedding bouquets have been pouring into my inbox from our Junebug member florists, and it’s like Christmas came early! Each designer sent their personal favorite bouquet of the year and a little information about their creations. And lucky you, because I’m going to regift, and send all the beauty and inspiration to you!
Bella Rugosa: I loved designing this for my bride who wanted a bold mix of pink florals in a tight pave design with lots of textural interest.

Photo by Dan DeLong of Red Box Pictures

Christopher Flowers: This is my favorite from this year because it was kind of an unusual color palette! The wedding style was a mix of antique and modern touches.

Photo by Lucas Mobley Photography

Fiore Blossoms: Pure white peonies, ruffled garden roses, and dark viburnum berries were full of wintery romance. This bouquet, created for a winter bride, was so gorgeous in the snow!

Photo by La Vie Photography

Flora Nova: I loved the softness and the vintage touch of this bouquet lots of David Austin English garden roses made this a super romantic bouquet. Trailing amaranthus add old English garden flair.

Photo by Ashley Paul Studio

Floressence: I made this bouquet in June for a super sweet bride who sent me a few inspiration images and then let me roam free in the wholesale market. Poppies were just starting to burst from their casings, while overripe peonies and garden roses carried the sweet promise of warmer days. The whole bouquet totters on the cusp of spring and summer, freshness and decay – and pretty much says everything I love about flowers.

Photo by Laurel McConnell Photography

Garden Party Flowers: This bouquet epitomizes seasonal and sustainable. It was designed for a bride who embraced those ideals and loved the palette and texture of late summer’s bounty and glory. I loved the challenge of creating a piece without flower blooms to showcase nature’s beauty in every season.

Isari: A romantic loose spring bouquet with blush roses, anemones, poppies, trailing jasmine vines, pieris, ranunculus, dusty miller foliages and scented geranium bound with pale nude silk ribbon.

Photo by onelove photography

Kathy Wright & Co.: Composite flowers unto themselves are not anything new. Since I was a very young floral designer, I have been pulling the petals off poor unsuspecting blooms, and making them into larger than life specimens. I love the new and unusual shapes and textures they take on in their newly enlarged state, and find that I get the most amazing responses from my clients as they truly have never seen anything like it before.

Composite flowers are time consuming and also can wear on your patience, as each individual petal must be put into position. But the end result is pretty cool, and for some brides, it is the perfect solution to finding a unique statement to compliment their beautiful wedding dress! This composite rose was crafted from the petals of a white Anastasia rose.

Photo by Barnett Photographics

Krista Jon: I love the simplicity and subtle edginess of the color fade. We did quite a few ombré bouquets this year, but this peach one maintained such an elegant and soft feel with a slight nod to the unexpected…I also happen to adore the bride on a personal level, so you can imagine the love that was put into each bloom for this entire wedding.

Photo by Paula Luna

Peony & Plum: This romantic bouquet had all the classic English flowers…garden roses, delphinium, Queen Anne’s lace, and ranunculus. The end result was feminine and so summery!

Photo by Love Life Studios

tic-tock: An uncommon, yet signature tic-tock bouquet featuring intricate work, blended seamlessly with a mixture of soft, pastel florals and embellished with sparkling details.

Photo by Kris Kan

Willow & Bloom: Ashley and Chad are New Yorkers with southern roots that were planning a pacific northwest wedding. We loved incorporating flowers and foliage in Ashley’s bouquet that reflected each of these locations. We used elegant white roses and callas (so chic New York!), southern magnolia foliage, and northwest thistles and blackberry.

Photo by Laurel McConnell Photography

Wisteria Lane: I love this bouquet because it is unusual – the raw cotton and the dried pods juxtaposed next to the frilly garden rose are a striking combination!

Woodland Flowers: This is a bridal bouquet from a spring wedding that we did this year that incorporated some our favorite flowers: black-centered anemones, pink peonies, ranunculus and tulips. We also loved the owl timepiece the bride Kate chose for her bouquet handle that represented her steam punk theme.

Photo by Christopher Gendron Photography

So much loveliness! A huge thanks to our member florists for sharing their work with us. And for more floral inspiration, visit our image gallery where you can browse through flowers from real weddings and even search them by color.

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