Should I carry a brooch bouquet at my wedding?
Undecided about a brooch bouquet? Don't be. Here are 11 reasons why...
1. A brooch bouquet lasts forever
While you can always preserve your floral bouquet after the wedding at an extra cost, a brooch bouquet won't require any more maintenance after your big day. You could put it out on display or keep it safe in its box, ready to pass down to the next generation, which leads me to number 2...
2. You're creating an heirloom
Your bouquet will be a legacy that you pass down to your children, who may even pass it down to their children. The epitome of something old and borrowed!
3. Your personality will shine through
You could opt for all vintage brooches, bright coloured gems, enamel flowers, buttons...you're bound to have some old bits of jewellery lying around somewhere that could go into your bouquet. Go crazy with colour or keep it muted with a single coloured metal - your personality will lead the way.
4. It's a chance for friends and family to get involved
If you're going to have a brooch bouquet, you could ask friends and family to donate a brooch or button to your bouquet. Be clear with them about colour schemes and your preferred metal colour and see what they come up with - it'll be a lovely way of getting people involved and they'll love hunting for the pieces they donated when they see the finished bouquet!
5. You can make it yourself
Making a brooch bouquet is time consuming but it's a great project if you have the time to do it. Again, it's the chance for you to put your personality into it. There are a few ways you could make your bouquet; you could use a floral foam or buy a bouquet armature to help give you the shape, or you could wire up your brooches so they have stems and arrange them as if they were flowers. If you're interested in making your own bouquet but need some guidance, take a look at this and learn from the mistakes I made when I did mine!
6. It's a great way of including lost loved ones
Maybe you inherited your grandfather's watch or your nan's earrings...you could include them in your bouquet and feel their presence as you walk down the aisle.
“I felt like my grandparents were there with me”
7. It doesn't mean you have to shun flowers completely
I love flowers, but floral bouquets just didn't strike a chord with me when we were planning our wedding. Just because you have a brooch bouquet doesn't mean you have to forego flowers altogether; invest in beautiful table centrepieces instead, which you could give as gifts to the bridal party after the wedding, or give your bridesmaids simple posies to carry.
8. You can always include flowers in there too
You can get some lovely brooch bouquets made with artificial flowers if you'd prefer a softer look. If you're making your own, you could use artificial hydrangeas as a base or wrap single silk rose petals around the stem of each brooch and secure them with floristry tape. The added bonus of this is that you can use fewer brooches, which may help to keep the cost down. Brooch bouquets can be made with fresh flowers, although it's worth speaking to your florist to see what would work best.
9. They're perfect if you suffer from allergies
They certainly are ;) let the tears in your eyes be from the emotion of the day, rather than hay fever.
10. If you like them, that's all that matters
I'm going to take a guess here and say that part of the reason you may be undecided is because of other people's reactions. I can understand that; we had a few comments while I was making mine. But do you know what? It didn't matter. Everyone loved the bouquet. And even if they didn't, it wouldn't have mattered because I knew it was personal to me. Always remember, you're too unique and special to follow a trend or blend in. If you like something, that's all that matters.
11. You won't regret it!
Honestly, you'll have so much fun making it or at the very least choosing elements of the design. Just don't throw it...you may regret that when you knock someone out!