Wedding Flower Shapes

Pick the Best Flowers  for Your Wedding Flower Arrangements

Understanding the diversity of flower shapes can help brides communicate with their florists about the best flower choices for their bouquets and wedding arrangements. Learn to categorize flowers into these eight basic shapes, discover the best way to incorporate certain shapes into arrangements, and review examples of each flower shape.

1. Circular Flower Shapes

These symmetrical flowers are adaptable for all types of wedding flower arrangements. You can add daisies to a mixed flower centerpiece for a fresh, simple look, or you can create a monochromatic bridal bouquet out of hot pink gerbera daisies that looks very contemporary.

•          Anemone
•          Daisy
•          Gerbera
•          Sunflower

2. Dome Flower Shapes

Dome shaped flowers can be large or small, but they serve well as focal points in a wedding flower arrangement because of their dense flower heads. Dome shaped flowers with many small florets, like hydrangeas, can be a feature flower in a small bridesmaid’s bouquet with the addition of only a few roses or some greenery.

•          Celosia
•          Hydrangea
•          Chrysanthemum

3. Flat Topped Flower Shapes

These umbrella shaped flowers consist of many tiny flowers atop short stalks that form large clusters. Flat-topped flowers have a lacy appearance that makes them ideal for weddings with a romantic, vintage look. Brides who want hand-tied bouquet may consider adding some flat-topped flowers to aid in development of the round, domed shape characteristic of this bouquet.

•          Queen Anne’s Lace
•          Trachellium
•         Yarrow

4. Globe Flower Shapes

Large globe shaped flowers, like allium, don’t combine well with other flower shapes and work best in minimalist ceremony or reception arrangements. Brides can have fun tucking the unusual craspedia flower into their bouquets for a playful element, or creating a tropical theme with proteas.

•         Allium
•         Craspedia
•        Protea
•       Thistle

5. Rosette Flower Shapes

Rosette shaped flowers include the most popular and traditional wedding flowers, loved by all brides for their lush look and versatility. You can use rosette flowers throughout your wedding arrangements and bouquets, as they combine well with other flowers, come in a wide range of hues, and can feature in traditional or contemporary designs.

• Carnation
• Dahlia
• Peony
• Ranunculus
•  Rose

6. Spear Flower Shapes

Spear shaped flowers sport clusters of many individual medium to large flowers growing on short stems at the end of a long stalk. The structural drama spear shaped flowers provide make them a must for large wedding ceremony or reception arrangements. These flowers also provide the foundation for most arm sheaf, or presentation bridal bouquets, which the bride carries cradled in her arm.

•          Delphinium
•          Gladiolus
•          Liatris
•          Lupine
•          Orchid

7. Spire Flower Shapes

Spire shaped flowers differ from spears in that many flowers grow at the end of a stalk, but the flowers are without stems, which gives them a spiky appearance. These flowers are welcome additions in posy wedding bouquets, breaking up the tidy dome shape of the bouquet and giving it interest.

•          Hyacinth
•          Lavender
•          Lily-of-the-Valley
•          Scented Stock
•          Veronica

8. Spray Flower Shapes

Spray shaped flowers offer the bride branching stems with many flowers, making them suitable as filler flowers in bouquets and table arrangements. Wedding flowers with many spray shaped flowers tend to have an informal look.

•          Freesia
•          Lily
•          Lisianthus
•          Spray Rose
•          Wedding Flower Arrangements

By Jamie McIntosh,

http://flowers.about.com/od/Special-Occasion-Flowers/tp/Wedding-Flower-Shapes.htm