1. Relax.
Relax your arms. Let the weight of the bouquet bring your arms down so that the bouquet is at your bellybutton and your arms are resting on your hip bones. This will make you look longer and more relaxed than choking the bouquet up by your neck. Don’t strangle your flowers.

2. Show your bouquet.
Make sure the most decorative part of the bouquet is facing forward – even if your bouquet consists of all of the same flower. Ask your florist (or a member of your party) for tips if you can’t find the most decorative part. (Remember, you’re looking down at the bouquet.)

3. Be graceful.
Hold the bouquet gracefully. You’re a beautiful bride, not a nervous Nelly. Relax your grip and keep from interlocking your fingers. The bouquet is part of your wedding-day outfit, not a clutch to get your down the aisle. Stand straight, put your shoulders back, take a deep breath, relax your grip on the bouquet and keep your eye on the groom. Remember: You’re carrying flowers, not a weapon.

4. Have fun after the ceremony.
The hard part’s over. The planning is done. You walked down the aisle and pledged your love to the man of your dreams. Now it’s time for post-ceremony pictures. Have fun! hold the flowers to your side. Hold them in one hand. Let your husband hold the flowers. Listen to your photographer’s suggestions. Whatever you do, enjoy the moment. And have fun. The fun pictures are the ones you’ll love the best.

A bouquet filled with orange and red roses, burgundy mini calla lilies, yellow daises, orange montbretia and red hypercium berries make a beautiful arrangement for an Autumn wedding.

Photo Caption: Chelsea Floral Design, Atlanta; Photo by Andrea Taylor

A good rule of thumb when wanting to follow a clean, chic and classy design when choosing your wedding flowers is going with green. This monochromatic bouquet of mini green hydrangea blooms and cymbidium orchids add a subtle yet sophisticated look to the bridesmaids dressed in chocolate brown.

Photo Caption: Crimson and Clover Floral Design, Baltimore; Photo by Meaghan Elliot Photography

10-inch, hand-tied bouquet of assorted spidery gerbera daisies, trimmed with eyelash wire ribbon; self-adhesive Austrian crystals (which can be purchased at specialty craft and florist supply stores) were added to match the bride’s gown

Brides who are looking for something new and different can easily incorporate innovative design by simply choosing flowers with varying textures to complement the wedding’s location and enhance the texture of her dress.

The plant world is full of soft textures, especially in fall, when grasses produce a wide array of inflorescences (flower spikes) that look like feathers. If you want softness in the spring and summer, you can always incorporate feathers into a bridal bouquet to soften its lines. Also in the spring, a soft-textured gown looks great with soft, spidery daisies or fringed tulips that are frayed and look like they have been given a razor cut. “Chopped up” petals diffuse light in an elegant way.

Stems of pampas grass inflorescence taped upside down around a bouquet's base make a stunning "feathery" wrap

Fringed tulips diffuse the light in a soft and elegant way

Source: Bouquet Chic, Kimberly Aurora Kapur, Photos by Jim Henkens, ©Crown Publishing Group, ©2008

An alternative to the classic rose petals in a basket, flower girls are carrying innovative and original flower designs down the aisle. This rose ball consists of white roses and peony orchids typed with a satin ribbon.

Photo caption: Lisa Foster Design, Knoxville; Photo by Steven Bridges Photography