It’s one of those little things that you probably haven’t given any thought to and I don’t blame you, but it’s a question that frequently gets raised just as the bride is getting ready to leave to walk down the aisle, which is not the time to be asking google! So here are my top three tips on how you and your bridesmaids should hold your flowers!
1 – Height
When carrying your flowers, there’s a temptation to hold them near your chest with your arms at a right angle, it’s how we carry most things, so it feels pretty normal. However, in order to get the most flattering look, what you want to do is aim to hold the flowers at your belly height as this achieves a few things. Firstly, your arms will be elongated with a slight bend, this, as a general rule, is the most flattering position for your arms. Having your flowers positioned at this height will also allow for the bodice of your dress to be on show and will make you look less tense (even if you aren’t feeling it!). The same “rules” apply when you are carrying the flowers with one hand such as going up and down the aisle.
2 – Posture
I can hear my mothers’ words ringing in my ear “stand up straight Patrick”! Of course, good posture is always important, but having a straight back with your shoulders pulled back on your wedding day will make the world of difference to your photos. With two hands on your bouquet, it’s easy to allow your shoulders to roll forward, so try and remember to pop them back and imagine someone is tugging you up by a string attached to the crown of your head, sounds daft, but it works!
3 – Orientation
Normally bouquets are designed to be carried in a certain direction and hopefully, your florist will have made this clear to you when they deliver your flowers. The general rule of thumb is that the pins that are holding the ribbon are located between yourself and the flowers so that they are obscured. If you still aren’t sure, then use a mirror to rotate the flowers and judge them yourself. Now you’ve worked out the best side for the flowers, you now need to remember to carry the flowers tilted slightly downwards so that the stems are less on show and the glorious arrangement is visible to all!
Naturally, you are going to have a lot going on already with your day, so don’t worry too much if you don’t manage to stick to the optimum bouquet holding tips, the priority is that you are enjoying your wedding day, everything else comes second!
