4 Tips For Holding your Bouquet on Your Wedding Day
Bouquet by Wild Indigo Floral Designs
What could be hard about holding your bouquet? This detail many times escapes brides as they plan guest counts and centerpieces but it is a major part of your day. You are holding your bridal bouquet in the majority of your formal photos. I mean, it IS the color in your once-in-a-lifetime outfit. The flowers are what tie the bridesmaids dresses to the bride and make the different parties “go together.” The color touches in the boutonnieres pull from the dresses, ties and bouquets which just make everything…perfect. So we want to ensure we are prepared to let them shine in all their glory.
It’s not as easy as “holding flowers” sounds. Here’s why: When humans are stressed or nervous our bodies instinctively go into “protect mode".” What does this have to do with holding your bouquet? Believe it or not, keeping this in mind can make or break your walking down the aisle shots! I’m going to shed light on 4 things I want you to keep in mind to help you properly hold your bouquet for your pictures on your wedding day:
1. Melt Your Shoulders
Bouquet by Laura of Lauxmont
When humans are nervous we tense up our shoulders. Instinctively, tensing our shoulders to our ears and hunching over slightly while holding the bouquet up to our chins protects our throat from attack.
Even though you may be terrified of walking down the aisle in front of all those people it is doubtful any of your guests are going to jump out of their seats and go for your jugular….you will want to melt those shoulders down and back, to show off your beautiful neck and shoulder line.
2. Stand Tall and Proud
Bouquet by Custom Florals
When humans are nervous we make ourselves as small as possible. We squeeze our elbows into our sides trying to become as small as possible to “hide” from possible attackers.
Because you are also holding the bouquet in your hands, you may also absentmindedly use it to hide behind holding it up to your chest to cover your vital organs. By bringing the bouquet down to about your belly button if not slightly below and loosening your elbows, standing tall and proud you will look confident and ready to marry your best friend.
Think power pose. You want to be seen on your wedding day! When you stand tall and proud like a princess, we are able to see your beautiful dress and it will allow your arms to look their sleekest when they are not pressed against your sides.
For photos, I want to see the neckline of the dress and the smallest part of your waist above and/or to the sides of your bouquet.
3. Tip the Blooms towards the Camera
Bouquet by Bixler Blooms
In an attempt to hold our bodies as still as possible to go unnoticed from predators and also to prepare for fight or flight action, we tense up in general, locking our joints like a stature so that we can take in everything with our eyes and prepare for flight.
Now, you can’t lock your legs while walking down the aisle but you will most likely do this at the elbows and wrist. While holding the bouquet this instinct will cause us to hold it starkly up and down (which also covers your vulnerable stomach area). Even if you remember to melt your shoulders down and back, and bring that bouquet down to your belly button or slightly below, you will most likely hold it “locked” up and down if you have not prepared ahead of time.
From the photographer’s perspective, we want to see the blooms in the photos so we need you to “tip” the blooms gently towards the camera. This requires that you unlock your elbow and wrist joints and loosely point the bouquet towards the camera. A great florist will create the arrangement so that it naturally is held pointing towards the camera.
Occasionally bouquets are made to be photographed up and down and, in this case, it is best to just think about loosening your joints while holding it. All you need to do is ask your florist which way is front and the best way to hold it so that you know for sure and you can tell your photographer if he/she isn’t able to talk to the florist her/himself.
Bouquet by Sweet William Floral
4. Hone your inner child and PRACTICE!
Bouquet by Beyoutiful Blooms
Without practice to make these tips feel natural, in the moment, you will not be able to remember them as the adrenaline is pumping through your body so I suggest bringing the little girl inside you out in the weeks/days before your big day to practice walking down the aisle holding a practice bouquet (psst…real bouquets can be really heavy…so factor that in).
If you are being escorted, will you loop your right arm through your escort’s arm and hold the bouquet in just your left hand or will your escort(s) hold your elbow(s) gently so that you can hold the bouquet properly with two hands???! If you loop your right arm and hold the bouquet with just your left hand, it may be difficult to hold the bouquet pointing towards the front if it is very heavy…something to think about. Food for thought and it’s up to you!
Bouquet by Ram Floral
For your wedding portraits, your photographer should be right there to tell you exactly what to do and how to hold your bouquet so that it looks perfect in your photos. You know I will if I’m your photographer!
When planning your arrangement design with your florist, its good to keep some of these questions in mind and decide together on:
1. Do you want it be viewed from the side up and down or as a bunch pointed towards the camera?
2. How heavy will it be when it is put together?
3. Will the stems be cut short so that when it’s “tipped” towards the camera the stems won’t poke against your stomach getting your dress wet/discolored?
Bouquet by Floral Designs of Mount Joy
Brides,
Have fun practicing! And, remember, even if you end up holding your bouquet up to your nose, you will still be married at the end of the ceremony…and that is what really matters.
XO - Megan
P.S. Did you know I have a free PDF guide called GET THE PICS just for wedding florists. It is a simple, step-by-step approach to getting more wedding day photos delivered right to your inbox from the photographers after wedding days. I even included an email template to save you precious time and tell you exactly when to send it. I hope it blesses your business this year.
Bouquet by Cheryl Broomell