Image via DUO events Creative Studio
Let’s take a trip down memory lane! I say that because bouquets have changed dramatically over
the years. It is rare these days to see what was known as the famous tight round bouquet of the
early 2000s.
But let’s go back even further for a moment. My grandmother was a florist in the late 1970s, and
the signature style back then was the cascade bouquet, fully wired and heavy! It was commonplace to wire each flower and then create a “waterfall” bouquet, think Princess Diana’s wedding bouquet! I am a little bit embarrassed to admit that in 2003 I was still making this type of bouquet. I am sure I speak on behalf of a lot of florists that are glad this trend hasn’t come full circle!
Image via DUO events Creative Studio
There are some styles of bouquets that were common in the late 80s, 90s & 2000s, which were the nosegay bouquet, a tight round bouquet of different blooms. The Biedermeier bouquet, a tight round bouquet, where concentric circles of contrasting coloured flowers form the bouquet. The pomander bouquet, literally a sphere of flowers that hung off the brides’ arm with a ribbon. The composite flower bouquet, which was an entirely constructed bouquet using lots of single petals wired together on a single stem to look like one large flower, and lastly, the sheaf bouquet, which is a flat style bouquet held in the crest of your arm.
Sheaf style of bouquet / Image: Ammon Creative
It is rare in today’s wedding world to see many of these styles. The only three that have stood the
test of time would be the round bouquet, the cascade and the sheaf bouquet. There was a patch in the mid to late 2000s where small bouquets where all the rage, think The Duchess of Cambridge where she had an exquisite mix of myrtle, lily of the valley, sweet William and hyacinth, while her bouquet was a traditional wired bouquet. It was small and delicate, which kicked started the small bouquet trend we see with some brides today.
Image: Shoshana Kruger Photography
Fast forward to 2018 and to present day, and the style of wedding bouquets are commonly referred to
as “free form” or “unstructured.”
Images: Kyle Black Photography & DUO events Creative Studio
It may seem that there are no rules for making bouquets these days, but if you look hard, you will see that today’s bouquets pay homage to the cascade and round styles! Today’s bouquets are wild, free, big & bold; it is common to see A-symmetrical bouquets which are essentially a perfectly unbalanced bouquet! They are much harder to make than one would think, getting this style of bouquet to look good is exceptionally challenging.
Images: Kate Drennan & DUO events Creative Studio
A lot of the designs we see today are based on the round bouquet; they are just a lot looser in structure and often more than not they will have gorgeous wispy elements that give it that free
form look. Also popular is the hand tied loose style bouquets that give that “picked from the countryside” look. 
Image: Jasmine Ann Gardiner
About DUO events Creative Studio: DUO events is a full service planning, design, floral and production studio; they create and execute one-off event designs. Their events are more than a gathering they are an exceptional experience. Every detail is bespoke and every element considered suiting your vision. DUO events are distinctive, flexible, considerate and meticulous and these principles drive the quality of their work.
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