Bridesmaid Bouquet Inspiration | Wedding Planning Tips

As a wedding planner with an in-house florist, we get the pleasure of not only helping our couples with the overall aesthetic of their wedding day, but also the floral design details. And one of its most important elements, the bridesmaids' bouquets.

This is where, as floral designers, we get to be creative but also set the tone for the rest of the wedding. Besides the ceremony backdrop, it is one of the first floral design pieces that guests notice (and will definitely be featured in many of your photographs), therefore it is a great way to preview what is to come later at the reception.

Based on our bride's preferences and the bridesmaid dresses, we put together a complimentary color palate for the bridesmaids' bouquets. While the bride's bouquet tends to be lighter in tone, her maids' bouquets are where we can really play with color and texture. 

As you can see in many of the images below, we like to inject colorful blooms that represent the season. Beautiful lilac in the spring, orange garden roses in the fall. However many of our brides are looking for a neutral color palate, which lends itself to a beautiful wedding that will never go out of style. Either way you will have beautiful flowers to compliment your beautiful girls!

Which of the bouquets below are your favorite? Comment down below!

Image by Lauren Carnes Photography

Image by Britt Croft Photography

Image by Ashley Seawell Photography

Image by Andrew Donnan Photography

Image by Ashley Seawell Photography

Image by Ashley Seawell Photography

Image by Lauren Carnes Photography

Image by Ashley Seawell Photography

Graphic Image by Lauren Carnes Photography.

3 Signature Cocktail Ideas + Tips

One of the biggest trends in weddings over the last couple of years is creating a signature cocktail that represents you and your groom. In the last few years we have had several brides and grooms request a special drink for their guests to sip on. 

There are a variety of reasons why it can be a great idea to include a signature cocktail in your bar menu! For one it can help tell the story of you and your partner! Did you bond over your love of a good red wine? Or did you both order Moscow mules on your first date? Or maybe one of your favorite things to do is visit breweries on the weekend! A signature drink can help give a little backstory on you and your loved one and it's always a good idea to include those personal details in your big day.

Another reason to consider a specialty drink is if you don't want to host a full bar but you would like your guests to have options. Having a signature cocktail (or two!) is a great way to give your non-beer and wine drinkers another option to sip on! Having a His & Hers options, such as an old fashion and a margarita, can give your whiskey lovers AND tequila lovers a chance to sip on their drink of choice!

However if you don't have a strong opinion either way on creating a unique drink for your reception, don't stress about it! We encourage our couples to stay focused on the details that really matter to them and if that doesn't include a special drink, then it may be best to skip that detail!

Now for some of our favorite drinks from weddings past! Being based out of the great state of Georgia, we do tend to lean towards tasty concoctions that include our favorite fruit, the peach! Do you have a favorite cocktail that you are thinking of including on the libations menu? Leave a comment below!

Fresh Peach Bellinis

Fresh peach bellinis were a must for Melissa and Bettis' peach orchard wedding. The reception took place on the grounds of her family's historical peach farm right outside of Augusta, Georgia. Nothing is sweeter, or more refreshing, on a beautiful spring evening! Image by Ashley Seawell Photography.

Pond-side Refresher

For a refreshing non-alcoholic treat, freshly squeezed peach juice was the perfect thirst-quencher for this stunning pond-side ceremony. Plus personalization always adds an extra special touch! Image by Robin Gerrard Photography.

Chi O Lemonade

One of our most recent brides wanted to take it back to her college days with her signature drink, "Chi O Lemonade." A simple mix of peach-flavored vodka, lemonade and fresh peach slices was a huge hit among the guests who were looking for a sweet treat during cocktail hour. Image by Ashley Seawell Photography.