Choosing your wedding bouquet is one of the most fun elements of styling your bridal look. From picking blooms for their special meaning, to colours and textures, there's a lot going on to ensure your bouquet complements your gown, and the aesthetic of your wedding. But what people often forget to include in their wedding bouquet moodboard is shape, even though it's just as important a factor to consider when brainstorming with your florist. So if you don't know your nosegays from your shower bouquets, we're sharing the many wedding bouquet shapes and styles you can choose from for you and your bridal party.

Bouquet Shapes

Round Bouquet

Full and voluptuous, the rounded bouquet form is a timeless shape that goes very well with classic bridal style. Think a princess ball gown or a classic, formal wedding party aesthetic. The are usually made up of a variety of floral types, but also work beautifully with a single flower variety, such as roses. Stems are kept short, and flowers are tightly arranged together with no gaps and bound with ribbon.

Posy & Nosegay Bouquet

Posy bouquets, are similar to nosegay bouquets, as they are both small handtied bunches, but there is one difference - a posy is usually all flowers, while a nosegay often has greenery peeking through. Tiny blooms like gypsophila (baby's breath), lavender and most Irish wildflowers are ideal for this type of bouquet, but petite posies can be created with almost any flower if the ratio is correct.

Top Tip: These can be held in one hand, so they are the perfect size and style for bridesmaids and flower girls as a little sister of the main bridal bouquet. It's also a great choice if you have a wedding dress that's difficult to manage.

Hand-Tied Bouquet

The vibe of a hand-tied bouquet is relaxed - as if the flowers have just been freshly picked. The silhouette can be quite wide, and flowers are arranged at different heights, with lots of greenery adding to that wild feel. It's perfect if you're looking to create a laid-back aesthetic, especially with boho or rustic themes.

Top Tip: This wedding bouquet shape works really well when tied off with bright trailing ribbons or textured twine.

Garden-Style Bouquet

Just like the hand-tied bouquet, there is a lovely looseness to this type of bouquet shape that is free-form and gives seriously romantic vibe. It often centres around a larger style of flower like peonies, dahlias or garden roses and is paired with smaller flowers, leafy foliage and branches, that you might naturally find sitting alongside this bloom in your garden - just as nature intended.

Long-Stemmed Bouquet

Long-stemmed bouquets work exquisitely well with roses. Instead of shortening stems, wedding florists keep them extra long and free of leaves to create a bouquet that is chic and sleek - simple but with a touch of drama. This style complements the minimalist bride to perfection.

Top Tip: For an extra touch of glamour, ask your florist to wrap the handle in a silk ribbon.

Cascading Bouquet

Cascading bouquets are also referred to as shower, overflowing, or waterfall wedding bouquets and are the ideal style if you want a statement bouquet. It gets its name as the blooms appear as if they are flowing over and down the holder's hands. This wedding bouquet shape can really tie everything together if you're using a lot of vines and foliage in your other flower arrangements. Mermaid and trumpet gowns complement this style bouquet as they accentuate the distinctive flow of these dress silhouettes.

Top Tip: A word of warning - these bouquets can become rather heavy simply because so many stems are required to make the shape.

Free-Form Bouquet

Oversized bridal bouquet shapes also known as free-form bouquets are large in size and arranged in an airy and whimsical style. The beauty of these bouquets is that the shape can cascade in every direction, upwards, downwards and outwards. We have lots more oversized floral inspiration here.

Pageant & Presentation Bouquet

For the bride who adores the appearance of long stems and wants a bouquet that is especially romantic, pageant bouquets are wonderful. Due to the arrangement's delicate form and long lines, these lovely bouquets have a classic, vintage mood and, when held properly, over the arm, work really well in photos.

What to Consider When Choosing Your Wedding Bouquet:

Dress Style: Complement rather than overwhelm your dress with your bouquet style.

Season: Choosing flowers that are in season is a very sustainable option and can be less expensive.

Theme: Style, venue and season all feed into aesthetic details like texture, colour and size of your wedding florals.

Weight: You and your bridal party should to be able to carry your bouquet comfortably for the day.

Allergies: Mention to your florist if you have allergies!

If you enjoyed diving into bouquet shapes and styles above, there's more floral inspiration below!

• An Essential Guide to Spring Wedding Flowers
• An Essential Guide to Summer Wedding Flowers
• An Essential Guide to Autumn Wedding Flowers 
• An Essential Guide to Winter Wedding Flowers

Now all you need to do is choose who'll make your bouquet come to life! Check out the best wedding florists in Ireland right here!