5 Alternatives that Brides can Carry Instead of a Flower Bouquet

Real flowers are simply the best, but for some, they need an alternative.

Flowers are great for weddings and the staple of the wedding flower is the bride bouquet.

In Ancient Rome, brides carried or wore flower garlands, believing that flowers signify new beginnings, fidelity, and hope of fertility.

In the Middle Ages, strong-smelling herbs and spices were thought to ward off and drive away evil spirits, bad luck, ill health and help mask the smell of body odor.

Some brides in the 21st century, however, may not want a bouquet of flowers for any number of reasons, having bad allergy’s or having budget constraints or sometimes flowers don’t mix with the overall tone of the wedding day, Carole and I have come up with 5 great alternatives to these traditional flowers.

Paper Bouquet

One of the really cool things that I saw back in 2014 was a bride that loved music, so much so she had a bouquet made of sheet music, paper, and it looked amazing.

She found a DIY on making paper bouquets and learned how to make them herself. Not only was it a huge hit, it truly fit her style for the wedding day too!

Wood Bouquets

Kate with Kate’s Kreative is a local company in SWVA that offers wooden bouquets rather than real flowers. Her process uses sola flowers, made from tapioca wood, that are dyed to match your wedding colors.

She can add various ad broaches, sports logos, pictures, and other things to them to make them truly unique!

The process is not only interesting but the bouquet is designed to last a lifetime. Long after the ceremony, you’ll be able to display your flowers in your home as a centerpiece or in a vase, or in a shadow box.

“My bouquet was absolutely gorgeous. Kate created exactly what I had envisioned for my fall wedding. She sent me pictures every few days to make sure I liked the progress and to see if there were any other flowers I wanted to add. I was so happy with the final product and the best part is that I will be able to hold on to it forever and not have to worry about preserving it!” – Bride

This is a great affordable way to have flowers and preserve them in the process.

Feather Wedding Bouquet

Feathers are becoming a popular trend much like the micro-wedding trend has taken off for 2020 and 2021, we’re starting to see feathers as replacements for the popular floral arrangements.

Websites like Etsy offer many types of feather bouquets ranging from about $10 to upwards of $100. The trend really hasn’t hit us in Virginia yet, mostly in New York and Louisiana.

Fruit Wedding Bouquet

This is perhaps the most popular alternative in Roanoke, Lynchburg, and most of Southwestern Virginia, especially if you’re getting married at a vineyard, orchard, or a rustic wedding venue that matches any sort of fruit theme.

We really like this as an alternative because you can use fruits to create your masterpiece, additionally, some couples opt to have everything dried out to make the bouquet lighter.

Just ask any former bride-to-be and they’ll tell you that flower bouquets are heavy in nature most times!

You’ll find this a great alternative during the months of August where the fruit is plenty available locally and December, where lots of reds and greens are popular color choices. Mix in a little greenery like pine needles and you have a wonderful arrangement that will be pleasing to the eye for all to see.

Silk Butterfly Wedding Bouquet

This is another popular DIY (do it yourself) trend, buying silk butterflies’s from your local craft store and building the bouquet yourself.

Head to places like Hobby Lobby or Michael’s and you can purchase silk butterflies and build the wedding bouquet with ease.

I’ve only seen this type of arrangement once before and that was back in 2017 when I filled in for a buddy filming a wedding at Center in the Square near the butterfly exhibit they have.

Best Way to Make a Wedding Bouquet?

The truth is there is no right or wrong way to make an arrangement to hold where you walk down the aisle.

I’ve heard and seen some pretty amazing ones of the years both large and small and variations from burlap to metal car parts and all sorts of variants’ on traditional wedding flowers too.

According to a poll conducted by Easy Weddings in 2016, only 9% of brides considered having an alternative to traditional wedding flowers.

These are by far the most popular alternatives in the United States right now and I suggest that you seek one of them out if normal florals are not for you.

The great thing about weddings is that it’s YOUR day and YOU can choose whatever you want that fits your style, budget and ‘feel’ to your wedding.