The Great Saltair Bridal Session

Horizontal Bridal Bouquets

Today is all about the horizontal bridal bouquet! This is a big trend we've been seeing in the wedding industry for the last couple of years and I'm totally crushing on it. You can go small and sweet like this bouquet here or it can be a show-stopper like this bouquet featured on Utah Valley Bride!

Things I love about a horizontal bridal bouquet for all my Utah brides:

1. Strong, linear movement and lines. If you're looking for drama, a horizontal bouquet is going to draw the eye across all your wedding images! I love how this bouquet shape pairs with wedding dresses that have an ultra sleek silhouettte like this dress by Anthony Gual.
2. Versatility: The horizontal-shaped bouquet can be very structured, classy, and traditional like the bouquet shown here, or it can be more organic, with sweeping, asymmetrical elements! A more flowing horizontal shape looks amazing with boho bridal gowns by Kite and Butterfly. 

Is a horizontal bouquet shape right for me?! Here are three points to consider before committing!

1. Can your florist create this style? The horizontal bouquet requires different mechanics and foundational work, both of which are difficult and require training and practice! If your florist hasn't ever made one before and you absolutely love their work, you may want to go with something they are more comfortable doing so that you get their very best work on your big day. Otherwise, you'll need to find a florist who can do this style. I'd recommend me :)
2. Has your photographer ever shot a session with a horizontal bouquet? Because of the strong linear elements and the directional nature of a horizontal bouquet, it's trickier to photograph than a traditional round or even cascading bouquet. Inexperienced photographers end up capturing a lot of edge and underside shots of your wedding flowers, leaving you with images full of stems instead of blossoms.
3. Are you going to be comfortable holding the bouquet? Most of my brides here in Utah County don't realize how awkward it is to hold and pose with a bouquet, but it's also totally uncomfortable to stand there in your wedding dress holding nothing. The models in magazines make it look so effortless! When compared to a round bouquet, the horizontal shape is even more awkward to navigate. It's like having  two extra elbows lol :)

But those concerns aside, if you love the style, then just a few tips and tricks will ensure that you get the very best images from your bridal session and wedding day!

Tip #1
Make sure you're holding your wedding flowers at the right level. Bouquets look very best when they're held in a relaxed grip a few inches below your belly button - at about the same level as your low-rise jeans! When your arms are dropped to that level, your elbows create negative space around your waistline and help define it. It also keeps your flowers from covering up the bodice of your dress! Brides tend to clutch flowers just under the bust which means that all the visual weight of your flowers, your dress bodice, your bust, the neckline of the dress, and your hairdo are all right there clumped together. You're going to look and feel heavier in all those images, so unless your photographer is directing a specific pose, relax those shoulders and drop the bouquet to just below the waist or hip level.

Tip #2
Get those beautiful blooms seen! Instead of holding the bouquet upright at a perpendicular angle to the ground, just ever so slightly tilt the top of the bouquet towards the photographer until the center of the bouquet and the focal point of the blooms are "looking" right at the photographer. No one cares about the edge or underside of your bouquet and you certainly don't want to see it in your images, so don't "show" that to your photographer. It's sub-conciously natural when you're doing your photo sessions, to tilt the bouquet so that you can see it, but all you'll get in your images later is the underside of a bouquet. By tilting the bouquet forward, you'll help your wedding photographer capture the flowers at their best angle and be able to remember your wedding flowers for years to come through those stunning images!

Tip #3
And last but not least, don't forget to interact with your flowers throughout the shoot! Everything will look and feel more natural if you do what natural comes to you. When I get a bouquet of flowers, the first thing I do is smell it! It always brings a smile to my face. I also love to touch the different petals and greenery. They all have unique textures and shapes. Be sure to do this with the hand wearing your wedding ring for some great detail shots. When I design bridal bouquets, I always try to make it a textural treasure hunt for the eyes to feast on, so be sure and take a moment to rove over the bouquet and find all the interesting little snippets I've hidden in there just for you!

And if you're looking to do a horizontal bridal bouquet for your wedding for sure Contact Us!

Vendors
Photography
@rachelrrossphoto
Flowers
​@emily_pearblossom
Dress
​@sweetheartbridal
Tuxedo
@dctuxedos
Models
@kandie_ryan
@ken.j13