Wedding Bouquet Alternatives

After attending a bridal fashion show this weekend I started thinking of alternatives to carrying a bouquet down the aisle. I know that it is traditional to carry flowers down the aisle and all, but I’ve also seen some pretty neat and creative alternatives to carry. Feel free to share any of yours too!

Fan:
A paper fan is a great alternative, especially for a destination wedding! You can find really pretty ones from wedding shops or party places, even checking out some Asian store that might carry these pieces. You can find lots of different colors and designs that would suit most wedding themes. It’s a great choice to have for both down the aisle and to fan yourself in the sunny south!

Purse:
Women and their purses! Most ladies like to have their necessities close by, lip gloss, mirror, cell phone, etc. So choosing to walk down the aisle with a clutch is another awesome alternative. You can find any type of fabric from lace to beaded, and of course you will be able to find loads of options for designs and colors too to match your special day.

Seashell:
For a destination wedding what could be cooler! Seashells are a beautiful centerpiece in any destination wedding but consider carrying a larger size conch shell, or making a bouquet of shells (using a Styrofoam ball then gluing or inserting different sized shells). Variations of this could be carrying a Starfish.

Parasol:
Twirling a pretty paper parasol down the aisle would provide great visual effects. You can find them in lots of colors, shapes and designs to match your style and wedding theme. You can chose to have it open or closed and you’ll get great use of it on a sunny day and it will look perfect in photos!

Feathers:
Depending on your colors and the overall theme of your wedding, walking down the aisle carrying large feathers would be a great alternative. For example paring peacock feathers with a beautiful ivory gown would look lovely with a blue/purple/green wedding theme.

Lantern:
You can find lots of different sizes and shapes of candle lanterns. Small enough to carry and some even come with an attached holder to hang the lantern from a tree or post. This is very pretty because you can chose whichever color, size and shape best suits your wedding and carry a lit (or one of those faux lit candles) down the aisle in a lantern. This would further enhance the glow at a sunset beach wedding.

Balloons:
Balloons aren’t just for kid parties! You may think this is a little out there but balloons really do look great in photos. There are plenty of colors and shapes and sizes to pick from and lots of different ways of arranging them. It’s a great feature to capture in photos and something to hold on to down the aisle.

My personal favorite choice for a bride to carry is:
Nothing. Brides are beautiful whether they walk with flowers, a purse, a parasol or whatever else they think of! Personally, I think a bride shouldn’t hide behind anything but her smile when coming down the aisle. Of course, that’s just my opinion.

Besides just these there are lots of option to pick from rather than the traditional flower bouquet. You can keep it somewhat traditional yet chic by switch a regular floral bouquet to a single stem of a calla lily or long sunflower. You can choose to stay in the flower family by finding interesting corsages. You can really switch things up and carry something special to you, a book of love poems, a musical instrument (let’s keep it small and light) maybe a triangle or wind chime, or maybe wear some eye catching gloves, like fingerless lace gloves (could be your something blue!). Or find a muff in your wedding color that you can keep your fingers in while walking towards your groom! Even try walking down with a colorful pinwheel for some eye catching effects! There are plenty of great ideas out there if you are willing to try something less traditional or just prefer something besides flowers.

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