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Bridal bouquets are the most popular accessories for brides to walk down the aisle. But what if you want to be a bit different? Here are 5 alternative ideas that will work for both brides and bridesmaids:
This is a small arrangement of flowers that is secured to the wrist. Roses, orchids and other small-headed flowers work best.
The great thing about a wrist corsage is that both of your hands are free - ideal if you're going to be hugging lots of guests.
Bianca Jagger looked very chic having chosen a wrist corsage instead of a bouquet when she married Mick Jagger.
A pomander (also called a kissing ball) is a round ball shape of flowers that has a delicate ribbon handle. This is easy to carry as the ribbon just slips over the wrist. Roses are the most popular choice for pomanders but you could also use gerberas or carnations.
Pomanders are often carried by bridesmaids and flowergirls, but can look spectacular for the bride herself.
Hair decorations can be both elegant and stylish. You can choose one large flower such as a lily to form the focal point of your arrangement. This type of arrangement is worn on the side of the head.
Alternatively you could go for a circular 'halo' arrangement, such as Audrey Hepburn wore at her wedding. She had a halo arrangement of white roses that was worn on top of the head.
In addition to flowers, you can incorporate beads, jewels and feathers into your hair decoration. Have a quick chat with your florist and you could come up with a unique design that suits your personality and complements your bridegroom's boutonniere.
Another choice instead of holding a bridal bouquet is to hold a prayer book or bible. Some brides like to decorate the prayer book with a small arrangement of flowers and/or ribbons.
You could use a cherished bible that was given to you as gift, or you could buy a new one as a symbol of your new life and how you plan to lead it.
These are great for church weddings, especially if it is an evening ceremony. Candles are very romantic and will add to the ceremony. Use non-drip candles and a lantern design that fully encloses the naked flame to reduce the risk of an accident.
The base of the lantern or candleholder can be decorated with a small arrangement of flowers to match the colors of your wedding theme.
Paul Ajao is co-founder of wedding florists Pure Botanics.
For great ideas on creating beautiful bouquets, centerpieces and
boutonnieres for your wedding, check out his website at http://www.wedding-flowers-guide.com
Paul Ajao may be contacted at http://www.wedding-flowers-guide.com
It's easy to spend a fortune on your bridal bouquet alone, so finding some money-saving bridal bouquet ideas is a must. Although bridal flowers are beautiful, it's important to keep your costs in check. So here's a run down of what to avoid and some tips to reduce your bridal bouquet cost.
Firstly, what to avoid
Bouquet arrangements tend to be the most expensive type of
bouquet, simply because they take a lot more time to complete.
They're also very heavy and you'll probably get arm ache carrying
it around for a few hours. It may also do some damage when you
come to throw it at the end of the night!
Long cascading bouquets also tend to be very heavy, since there are lots of flowers and greenery. They'll also hide your beautiful dress, so it seems a bit silly to spend a fortune on a dress only for it to be hidden by your flowers.
The last thing to avoid is exotic flowers. It's difficult to grow them locally, so they tend to have high transportation costs, which are then passed onto you.
It probably seems that your options are somewhat diminished. Not so and here's a run down on how you can save on your bridal bouquet.
Low-cost bridal bouquet ideas Hand tied bridal bouquets are usually half the price of arrangements. The florist selects the flowers, then arranges them together and ties them with floristry string or wire. A ribbon is then tied around the stems to protect the bride's hands and finish the bouquet. Simple and effective.
You can use most flowers in a hand tied bridal bouquet, they're versatile and more importantly, cheap.
Single stems can also be effective bridal flowers. Having a single stem is a dramatic look and works well with elegant, slinky dresses. You could have one stem, or even increase it to three stems tied together in a simple hand tied bouquet. Either way, it's more cost effective as you use fewer flowers.
Lilies, roses, gerberas and sunflowers looks great as single stems.
Go for flowers in-season as they'll be fresher, grown locally and therefore cheaper. There are lots of blooms available all year round, so ask your local florist what's in season at the time of your wedding.
An alternative is find stems with lots of flowers so you get more blooms for your buck. There are lots of flowers that can give you this effect, including lilies and hydrangea.
Nicola Ray is the owner of Cheap Wedding Success, a website dedicated to planning and creating the perfect cheap wedding. With lots of advice, tips and ideas to lower the cost of your wedding, Cheap Wedding Success is the perfect place to start. This article is taken from the Wedding Flowers section. Nicola Ray may be contacted at http://www.cheap-wedding-success.co.uk or nicola@cheap-wedding-success.co.uk