bridal bouquet question

[sapphireblue]

Hi,

A dear friend from college is getting married for the first time. We're in our 50s and have been friends for 30 years now, maybe 8 of us that will be there.

Anyway, she wants us to each come down the aisle, carrying a rose that we give to her at the altar, and that would then become her bouquet.

The idea we have so far is that she has over her arm a lace mantilla or possibly a silk scarf that everyone can lay their rose on, and then the last person can tie up the scarf so it's a holdable bouquet.

Are there any other good ideas? I'm stumped but people here are clever and always have so many good ideas!

Thank you!

[momin2013]

Another idea might be the last one to come up has a rose but also has a wide length of lace/ribbon. They hand her the rose, then the bride holds the roses together while that person ties the ribbon around them.

[nsl]

Logistically how does she see herself and her FI interacting during the ceremony? Because I have most often seen (and experienced in my own wedding) the bride handing over her bouquet after the processional so she and the groom can hold hands, exchange rings, etc.

ETA: What about adding roses to a vase that the bride and groom can then use as a keepsake?

[sapphireblue]

nsl, that is a nice idea but I think she wants them to become her bouquet.

I'll get more information, I know some of them are going into a vase for the reception but the rest will be her bouquet.

Thanks!

[sapphireblue]

momin2013, Yes, that is a great variation on it! I'll see what she thinks, thank you!!!

[georgeglass]

So she is walking down the aisle first? With no flowers?

[sonrisa]

8 roses is a really manageable number. If that is her whole bouquet, it should be easy to hold even unwrapped (prpviddd the stems have been stripped or thorns and excess leaves). Adding the ribbon at the end can be mostly decorative so no one has to adjust, wrap tightly, or anything else that could be awkward.

As someone noted, the bouquet is often handed to a bridesmaid at the altar, so the tying could even be done by two bridesmaids after the hand off So it’s ready for her to take back at the end.

[VillainV]

Jan 14, 2024 6:09:40 GMT -5 georgeglass said:

So she is walking down the aisle first? With no flowers?

This was my thought as well. While it sounds like a lovely idea to have her bridesmaids make a bouquet, this means she would have to walk up first with nothing in her hands (which kind of feels awkward), then the bridesmaids will walk up with a single rose (and no bouquets of their own). And as soon as the bouquet is assembled, she’s going to immediately hand it off.

There’s nothing wrong with any of this! But it’s worth thinking through how the ceremony will go and who will be holding what/what the photos will look like. It’s also worth doing a trial of this to see what the eventual bouquet would look like, because my guess is that unless she has like 18 bridesmaids, the bouquet is going to look pretty sparse.

[georgeglass]

A lifetime ago, I worked for a florist. 8 roses is a really, really, really small bouquet - especially without filler and thoughtful arranging. Typically 24 was the smallest recommended for something like a bridal bouquet and even then, it's not as simple as just tying ribbon or lace. Flowers slip pretty easily.

Like VillainV, I think this all sounds lovely and thoughtful, but I do worry that what she envisions in her head won't quite translate.

[lilafowler]

Jan 14, 2024 6:09:40 GMT -5 georgeglass said:

So she is walking down the aisle first? With no flowers?

Not to be all traditional but this sounds like a backwards procession-usually the BMs go first and then the bride. So the bride will walk down the aisle and then all the BMs will proceed?

It’s a lovely idea but may need to be tweaked.

[lilafowler]

Or is she not walking down the aisle but her BMs are? We need more info!

[stemmie]

I love the symbolism of this, but the logistics sound challenging to pull off into something that doesn't look like a $3.99 bunch from Trader Joe's. Even the simplest-looking ribbon tied rose bouquet has been wired and taped into submission. And then there's the processional-- bride or couple first isn't unusual but I would wonder what she's do with her hands during the processional assuming there is one.

I wonder if the florist could break down a traditional rose bouquet into sprigs/sections with wired flowers and greens/filler that she could just hold or slip into a tussie-mussie. Some antique versions ($$$) of these do have little legs that can be opened to allow the bouquet to stand on its own as a centerpiece type arrangement. A florist might be able to supply one or have better ideas.

www.amazon.com/Liards-Nickel-Wedding-Bouquet-Engravable/dp/B00WRRCCNM/ref=sr_1_6?adgrpid=1330409643446816&hvadid=83150817048542&hvbmt=bp&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=95604&hvnetw=o&hvqmt=p&hvtargid=kwd-83150970432411%3Aloc-190&hydadcr=19109_13352925&keywords=posy+holder&qid=1705243405&sr=8-6

[nicolewi]

I also think she should talk to a florist. Maybe she could carry a bouquet with greenery and some smaller, filler flowers, and then add the roses as the people walk down the aisle. And the bouquet could already have a way to hold each rose so that they wouldn’t be flopping or falling out.

I think it’s a cool idea, but I think the eight roses tied together are going to be flopping and falling and looking really small.

[sapphireblue]

These are all very good questions!

I am mostly getting this secondhand so I'm not clear on how she's walking down. One friend is communicating the bride's ideas to all of us. I'll ask my friend and report back!

I know we are supposed to get 24 roses for her so maybe her bouquet will be bigger.

[mrsukyankee]

She could always have each bridesmaid stop at a pew and then hand her as she walks down the aisle with her fiance helping her put them all together at the end (or her maid of honour).

[minzy]

Not the same but we recently did a rededication ceremony for one of my Girl Scout troops and we used a flower ceremony as the vehicle. I loved the idea of it. Each flower was supposed to represent a different principle and they each got them one at a time. It is supposed to be kind of formal and quiet. Anyway, I laid everything out beforehand and we did wet paper towel for the bottom, Saran Wrap, brown paper, twine. I probably should have used rubber bands, too. The prepping at the end (per girl) just took awhile, longer than I intended, and they got antsy. It wasn’t a big deal as it was just our troop, but it kind of threw off the vibe I was going for, the solemnity/gravitas. It felt more like, okay, stand and say one little thing, take the flower, and then wait two minutes for the leaders to hurriedly try to tie it up, kind of half-assed. Some of paper towels leaked and the brown paper got wet. I would try to have a plan for that (maybe water tubes?) so that she doesn’t wind up with water on her dress. I can imagine if you spend too much time/“real estate” on the flower assembly part (like I unwittingly did) people will wonder what’s going on and why that part is seemingly prioritized over the rest of what happens. I think that’s why our ceremony felt off-kilter (to me). Of course you’d be dealing with one bouquet and adults, so this will hopefully go smoother!

[Eagles]

Jan 14, 2024 18:08:35 GMT -5 sapphireblue said:

These are all very good questions!

I am mostly getting this secondhand so I'm not clear on how she's walking down. One friend is communicating the bride's ideas to all of us. I'll ask my friend and report back!

I know we are supposed to get 24 roses for her so maybe her bouquet will be bigger.

My only advice is for her to rethink this. It's not going to work out well in the execution, especially with 2 dozen roses. They need to be stripped and taped, then wrapped with ribbon or lace that's pinned into place. They also need to be kept in water until the last possible moment. Then you've got the fuss of trying to tie them together during the ceremony, it's going to be distracting.