{Wedding Series 101}:: Bouquet Style 101

Today I am truly in my glory, we are talking all about wedding flowers. This will be a multiple step process and today we are talking about different bouquet styles. Did you even know their were names for the different types of bouquets? While it’s important to pick an arrangement to suit your personal style, you don’t want to be over-shadowed by your bouquet on your big day. Read on to find out some of the most common styles and find the one you love for your wedding day!

ROUND

This style bouquet has been one of the more popular styles for weddings. You may also have seen this as referred to as the European Hand Tied. This will always be a popular style with brides, and radiates traditional, elegant, modern and chic all from the same style bouquet with unlimited possibilities. Some of the charm in this round bouquet is that it is always created with the natural stems showing using Ribbons to hold the flowers together. This also allows for an area to personalize the bouquet by adding antique brooches or family heirlooms to the bouquet.

CRESCENT

This style resembles an half moon shape known as the crescent. Similar to the cascading as the way the bouquet is formed in a bouquet holder, but the designs are different. Usually symmetrical, these flower arrangements are preferred for their natural look. The flowers just seem to "flow" across the hands. (The bouquet is thick in the middle and tapers down as it nears the floor.) Depending on the flowers used and the length of the "arms" the crescent can be made to look traditional or more modern. These bouquets are true floral art and an individualist representation of the bride's personality. This style is perfect for sophisticated and contemporary weddings.

ARM

All bridal bouquets are lovely, but an arm bouquet has a special elegance that can carry a bride to the next level of beautiful. While arm bouquet remains less common, which makes it all the more captivating for guests - not to mention the groom. An arm bouquet can be used in virtually any type of wedding since the arrangement goes well with almost every style - casual to formal, traditional to contemporary, rustic to whimsical. 

 The flowers are arranged in a bunch of around ten to 30 stems with all of the blooms facing the same direction. The stems are tied with a ribbon, and the bride carries the bouquet with blooms resting on or draping over the crook of her elbow as she clutches the stems in her hand. An arm bouquet may include green leaves or grasses for added dimension, or it may contain only the flowers. This is completely a matter of personal preference, and both types are equally beautiful.

CASCADING

Cascading bouquets have a long history as the arrangement du jour for formal weddings and was made popular by Princess Diana. While the cascade bouquet seemed to disappear after the 80's, it has been making a lovely comeback. The cascading bouquet is something that eludes elegance and is a complete show stopper. Because of the nature of the bouquet, you need to be able to use flowers of different lengths, more importantly flowers with long stems like roses, orchids, callas, etc. 

With modern techniques making blooms from around the world available year ’round, brides are now using more exotic flowers such as orchids, which really have a free-flowing look as well as being a stunning flower. There are a lot of flowers that can make these bouquets unique to each bride and the possibilities are endless.

LOOSE ROUND

Although this is not technically a professional named bouquet I wanted to throw this in there. The loose bouquet (also referred to as organic or hand-tied) is exactly what the name says. A collection of loosely tied flowers and ribbon, this bouquet lends an air of relaxation and tranquility. They are ideal for outdoor venues or beach weddings. While the shape is very similar to the round and european hand tied bouquet, it does boast some subtle differences. More and more this style is gaining ground in the wedding industry. Loose bouquets and arrangements that resemble awild, natural, and free formed style are being seen everywhere. The look is completed with loose and hanging pieces that create a whimsical and loose look that boasts a playfulness.

 Sources: Round Unknown, Cascade, Crescent Unknown, Loose Round, Arm Unknown

{Wedding Series 101}:: Designer vs Planner

Today's post is meant to clear up a lot of confusion in the Wedding industry. So many people confuse Wedding Designers with Wedding Planners and vice versa and use them interchangabaly. A planner is almost always a coordinator, but a coordinator is not always a planner. A planner can be a designer as well, but a designer is not always a planner or a coordinator, and some are all three. Stay with me as I try to clear the confusion up a bit.

EVENT DESIGNERS

Greyson Design is know as a boutique Event Design and Floral Design company here in Grand Rapids, Michigan. We specialize in both Event Design and Floral Design for the wedding and party industry. Meaning, I am like an interior designer to an event, thinking about the visual aesthetics of an event and thread the design through each element of the event. We look at the big picture!

An Event Designers job is to make everything beautiful :) We deal with working with professionals in  lighting, photography, and florists. We cover aesthetics like tablescapes, stationary, florals, linens, rentals, draping and more. Not every Event Designer is a florist either, but it is an added plus to be an florist in my opinion. Not only does it create a cohesive business and event, but also allows for the client or bride to narrow down vendor meetings without going to so many vendors. 

 We simply are not wedding planners but do more of the creative and artsy jobs when it comes to events. Don't be fooled though there are lots of planners who do design also, the difference is some are just merely designers. And some are merely just planners and hire third parties to handle the design aspects. 

 WEDDING PLANNER/ COORDINATORS 

A planner deals with all of the logistical elements of an event whereas a designer deals with all of the aesthetic elements of an event. Logistical elements include hiring vendors, creating schedules and making appointments. Most of them are involved from the very beginning of the planning process. A wedding planner will also help coordinate the day of the wedding since they are so involved from the beginning. 

COORDINATORS 

A wedding coordinators primary duty is to be there on the day and ensure that it runs according to plan. You often hear them referred to as day-of-coordinators. Many jump in a month before the wedding to finalize the last minute details, confirm vendor obligations, create a timeline, and oversee the set-up of the decor. Many wedding planners offer wedding coordination serves to their clients as part of their service package. But be aware that wedding coordinators/day-of-coordinators are very different from venue coordinators.

VENUE COORDINATOR EVENT/ MANAGERS

A venue coordinator or event manager is hired by the venue to ensure your wedding follows the regulations of the space. They may help with your timeline but more often than not they will not help you with set-up or troubleshooting. Most importantly, a venue coordinator works for the venue; their job is to answer your questions about the venue, their loyalty is to the venue not your wedding.