Wedding bouquet perfection...How to choose.

Steph & Tim
Sep 29, 2025
4 min read

Updated: Dec 20, 2025

How do you know the bouquet you've chosen is perfect for your dress?

wedding bouquet — Classic line dress with a classic cascade bouquet

The Perfect Match: Bouquets and Dresses

Choosing the right bouquet for your wedding dress is essential. The style, fabric weight, and embellishments of your dress will guide the floral design process. Your bouquet should complement your dress beautifully.

A skilled florist will help you select sizes and styles of bouquets that enhance your gown. They will provide pictures and examples for you to consider. Remember, choosing your bouquet should be as personal as selecting your wedding dress.

Consider Your Dress Style

First, think about the style of your outfit. Is it a Princess/ball gown or a body-hugging dress? The design of your bouquet should reflect this. The proportions of your overall look are crucial. Choosing the wrong size bouquet can create an imbalance. Your height also plays a role in the size of the bouquet you choose.

Classic Ballgown princess dress — Ballgown/Princess Style dress

For a Princess dress, a bouquet that follows the sweeping line of the dress looks stunning. It might be tempting to opt for a tiny bouquet with a big dress, but that simply doesn’t work. The bouquet doesn’t need to be enormous, but it should complement the long lines of your dress. If your dress has a long train or a cathedral veil, your bouquet should be in proportion.

A longer cascade bouquet will balance the overall look.

Cascade wedding bouquet — Shower or Cascade Bouquet compliments a dress with a longer train

If you are petite, a smaller teardrop bouquet will lengthen your overall outline. Conversely, if you have a curvy figure, a full hand-tied bouquet looks fantastic. A longer cascade bouquet can also elongate your silhouette.

Upright hand-tied posies or classic tied sheaves suit a body-hugging style like a Mermaid dress. This style showcases your outline, creating a striking visual impact. Notice how your eye travels from top to bottom along the curves. Your bouquet needs to follow the line of your body. It’s all about the lines!

A curving, slim trailing bouquet would look incredible with a dress like this.

Embrace Natural Styles

Natural, wild-style bouquets look stunning against unstructured, free-flowing dresses. Alternative gowns demand bespoke bouquets. Your professional florist can design a bouquet inspired by your dress.

Boho wedding dress — Natural bouquet with free-flowing dress

The colour of your dress and your bridesmaids’ dresses will also influence your flower choices. You may want to create a mix-and-match theme with your flowers.

Texture Matters

The texture of your dress is vital. If the surface is completely matte, choose soft, gentle textures for your flowers. If your dress fabric has any shine, like silk or satin, opt for textures that have a bit of shine. This way, your bouquet will blend seamlessly and not detract from your dress.

If your dress has lots of bling, include some sparkle in your bouquet. This will make it feel uniquely yours.

Compact white rose posy with bling — Compact posy with sparkles

Finding Inspiration

Pinterest is a fantastic place to start your search for inspiration. However, be mindful that images may come from different countries with varying seasons. Flowers available in one location may not be accessible in another. Your florist can advise on suitable substitutes and alternatives.

Moderate the number and variety of highly fragrant flowers in your bouquet. While scent is important, it needs to be balanced.

Bouquet Design Ideas

Here are some basic design ideas to get you started:

A. Traditional Bouquets

Teardrop, shower/cascade, or waterfall styles are all held at your natural waistline and flow down the skirt. Remember to breathe and drop your arms just beyond your waist when being photographed.

Lilac and white teardrop wedding bouquet — Classic Compact Teardrop bouquet

Red rose cascade bouquet — Natural style Cascade Wedding bouquet

B. Contemporary Bouquets

Designed bespoke bouquets come in many shapes and styles.

Modern bouquet with shells — Contemporary bouquet with Threaded shells

C. Natural Bouquets

Free-flowing bouquets and just-picked wild meadow posy styles are lovely options.

Peach wild wedding bouquet — Matching your bouquet to your hair colour, looks fantastic.

Wild style wedding bouquet — Wild 'just picked' bouquet

D. Compact Posies

Often, a minimal selection of flowers creates a neat, compact mound. If you love a tidy, unfussy style, this bouquet is for you. Your dress should reflect neat lines too.

Compact wedding posy of white and blush pink flowers — Compact posy with fabric ribbon matching dress fabric.

E. Historical Bouquets

Bouquets and flowers can represent a specific period in history.

F. Themed Wedding Bouquets

Flowers and styles can match your wedding theme, such as Boho, Rustic, Vintage, or Rainbow.

Dried wedding bouquet — Meg chose a mix of Dried and fresh to reflect her Boho style dress and the woodland surroundings for her wedding

G. Tied Classic Sheaf

A slimline style bouquet is suitable for Mermaid dresses or body-hugging contours.

Calla lily bouquet — Stylish sheaf of Calla lilies reflect the simple lines of the off the shoulder dress.

Colour Harmony

If you choose a dress with colour, ask your florist to provide a colour harmony based on the artist's colour wheel. This way, one colour can be dominant, with accents of related colours. Alternatively, you could opt for a complete rainbow!