Do Bridesmaids Need to Carry Bouquets or Flowers?
Flowers can make a huge difference in elevating your wedding decorations, whether it’s glamming up your table centrepieces or adding elegance to your signage. However, since they can be used in various parts of your wedding, the cost can quickly spiral, which can lead to exceeding your wedding budget
Flowers are not only used as decor pieces in weddings, but can also be used as props amongst the wedding party including: the bride bouquet, bridesmaid bouquets, groom’s boutonniere, corsages, flower crowns and more. While the use of flowers is a tradition in these cases, they aren’t mandatory and it is acceptable (and cost-effective!) if you decide you want less flowers as props for the wedding party. If you’re considering ways to reduce your wedding budget, flowers can generally be a good place to start.
Many brides wonder whether their bridesmaids need to have a bouquet for the purpose of walking down the aisle, and the answer is no! Having bridesmaid bouquets is completely optional, and there are many other alternative props that can be used instead. Lets’ take a look at some of the alternative ideas below…
What Can Bridesmaids Carry As An Alternative to A Bouquet?
Your bridesmaids don’t have to carry anything at all when walking down the aisle, but it generally looks better when they do, as it helps to keep all poses uniform for the photographs.
Bridal Bag
A simple clutch bag or bridal purse can work as an alternative to a bouquet of flowers. This is a natural item that won’t stand out as being odd, but it still gives the bridesmaids something to hold to keep their pose as they walk.
Lanterns or Candles
A slightly different but lovely idea is to have your bridesmaids carry lanterns or candles. Lanterns are a popular alternative option, however, this idea is probably best suited to an evening wedding or a venue which has a darker ambience.
Decorative Fans
Perfect for a summer wedding, a decorative fan makes a pretty alternative to holding a bouquet of flowers for your bridesmaids. You can get some gorgeous fans from marketplaces like Etsy or Not On The Highstreet.
If you still want to keep it elegant, you could opt for a dried flower fan bouquet which is generally cheaper than a fresh bouquet, and looks just as gorgeous. Even better, a dried bouquet can make a long lasting keepsake, too.
Hoop Bouquet
A hoop bouquet still has some foliage or flowers to decorate, but it makes a lovely, unique prop for carry down the aisle if you’re looking for something a bit different. This option also makes a lovely keepsake too, as it can double up as a decor piece after the wedding making it even more sentimental.
