Wedding Bouquets: Shapes, Seasons & Types

By: AnnaBeth Feltner, Devoted Cincinnati Dayton

If you do not have a lot of experience with floral design, choosing the flowers for your wedding can be a stressful experience. You may have ideas about colors you want to feature, or even specific blooms you like. One area many couples struggle with is choosing the shape of their bouquet. To make life easier for you, here is an overview of some of the most common bouquet shapes.

1. Pageant bouquets are known for their striking presence – these are big, beautiful bouquets are easy to carry because they are design to lay in your arm. These bouquets typically are made with spiky greenery like baby blue eucalyptus, olive branches, and Italian ruscus, and feature long stemmed blooms like roses, delphinium, and calla lilies.

2. Crescent shaped bouquets sound just like they sound – subtly arched bouquets. These bouquets can be whimsical and asymmetrical, or more straightforward, depending on the flowers and your personal aesthetic. These bouquets tend to feature lots of cascading ivy and hanging Amaranthus. These bouquets strike a dramatic silhouette and appear very voluminous without being as heavy as other bouquets like the pageant bouquet.

3. The most well-known bouquet type is the round bouquet. Round bouquets tend to feature round blooms like roses, anemones, and dahlias. Greenery is usually very minimal. This style is a common choice for very traditional and formal weddings.

4. Hand-tied bouquets are extremely popular for rustic weddings. These bouquets have a relaxed vibe and are an excellent choice for DIY. These bouquets tend to feature lots of greenery, with a focal bloom at the center, with others spiraling out around to make an oval-shaped bouquet. There are no rules or limits with hand tied bouquets – just pick your favorite blooms and let your imagination run wild!

5. Cascade bouquets have been trendy for the past five or so years. This huge, draping bouquet gives a dramatic appearance and slimming effect. These bouquets tend to feature lots of greenery like eucalyptus and Israeli ruscus. For a classic look, choose traditional flowers such as peonies and garden roses. For a more boho style, blooms like lilies, Queen Ann’s lace, billy balls, and dahlias.

6. A nosegay is a small, classically elegant bouquet that usually focuses on one focal flower with several smaller blooms flanking it. It typically skips greenery and is a popular selection for bridesmaids’ bouquets. With its small size, it is budget friendly and easy to DIY too.

7. Posy bouquets are the next size up from size from a nosegay. Like a nosegay, posy bouquets usually skip greenery and instead focus on the blooms. These small, round bouquets are perfect for petite brides. They are designed to be held in one hand, so some brides love the ease and feel of these streamlined bouquets. Ranunculus, gerbera daisies, and sunflowers are commonly featured in posy bouquets.