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How to Make Your Bouquet Shine
Bling has been big on the bridal runways for a few seasons now — think shimmering fabrics, sequins, jewels and plumage — but a little luxe embellishment also can lend glam personality to your signature bridal accessory.
It’s always gorgeous to add a cameo or some sparkle to your bouquet’s handle (e.g. a rhinestone wrap, buckle or brooch), says Katie Armstrong Althoff, co-owner of Dallas-based DiFiori; but depending on the type of flowers you choose, you can also feature bling within the actual posy itself. “We love to trim the petals of peonies and ranunculus and top them with a simple brooch,” Althoff says. She also notes that elegant stephanotis is a classic way to incorporate glitz into your bouquet – florists often stud the center of each waxy, star-shaped bloom with pearls or crystals.
In addition to peonies, ranunculus and stephanotis, button mums and anemones are the best flowers for ornamentation, Althoff says. “We don’t recommend sticking a pearl pin into rose heads, as it severely damages the petals and you’ll end up with brown or yellow centers by the time your ceremony starts.”
Similarly, the owner of Bay Area-based Tomobi Floral Art, Tomoko Jarrell, says she’s most often concerned about white blooms because they’re so easy to bruise. She advises nixing bling that’s heavy/big or spiky or stick with colorful, hearty blossoms. Draping strands of jewels or an heirloom necklace from the bottom of the bouquet is also a glamorous alternative.
Avoid any risk of damage by inserting gems on flexible sticks (a.k.a. bouquet jewelry or picks) between flowers. And don’t forget about fabulous feathers. Placed among the flowers (try wispy white, bold black-and-white stripes, or playful purple or crimson), plumage provide a soft accent, says Jarrell, who notes that you can also surround the bouquet with feathers like a cuff.
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