33 Bridesmaid Bouquet Ideas You'll Love

If you’re planning your own wedding, you’ve got a lot of choices to make, including what you’d like to see your wedding party hold on the big day. These bridesmaid bouquet ideas will help you figure out what style best suits your wedding.

You’ll also get plenty of related details like how much you should budget and what you can use instead of flowers to save a little money or create a unique look. Then, learn about some of the best flower arrangement recipes for popular categories like budget-friendly blooms and even greenery-centric designs.

Should bridesmaids have bouquets?

Besides symbolizing good luck, bridesmaids often carry bouquets because it gives them something to do with their hands as they stand at the altar. Plus, it looks great in photos!

Still, they certainly don’t have to! As we’ve outlined below, there are plenty of great bouquet alternatives for couples who would rather do without the extra flowers.

Who pays for bridesmaid bouquets?

Traditionally speaking, the bride and her family or the engaged couple are expected to pay for the bridesmaid bouquets as part of their overall wedding flower order. Since bridesmaids are often expected to pay for their own outfit and travel expenses for both the wedding and wedding-related events, this makes sense.

However, if you skip the bachelorette and/or bridal party, or even choose to cover bridesmaid dress expenses, you can consider asking your bridal party to chip in.

How much do bridesmaid bouquets cost?

Bouquet cost largely depends on how big you want the bouquet to be, how many stems you’ll need of each flower, what types of flowers you’d like to include, and how many bridesmaids you have.

With so many factors to consider, it’s hard to pinpoint exactly how much your bouquets will cost. However, survey data suggests that florists in higher cost-of-living states like California charge an average of $65 per bouquet (that’s on the low end; some say couples spend closer to $125 per bouquet).

If you choose to make your own bridesmaid bouquets, you save on labor but you’ll have to be willing to put in the time yourself. This can be overwhelming if you’re also doing other DIY crafts like decor. And you’ll have to get the timing right — fresh flowers look best up to 48 hours after they’re first arranged.

Also, you’ll want to keep an eye on the cost of your supplies. Make sure they don’t end up being more expensive than a professional florist by buying your stems and fillers in bulk, borrowing reusable tools like floral scissors, and matching your bouquet flowers with your centerpiece flowers.

What can bridesmaids hold instead of flowers?

Save money on your florist with these creative alternatives. These ideas are fairly easy to find and do yourself. Choose something that goes with your theme, is comfortable for your bridesmaids, and suits the overall tone you’d like to create during the ceremony.

Pinwheels

Use oversized pinwheels made out of patterned or plain paper that matches your overall wedding color scheme. This works especially well for boho-themed weddings or ceremonies that will take place outside. Here’s a tutorial for how to make giant painted pinwheels using highly affordable materials.

Puppies

This surprising trend has been used at many weddings where couples are involved in animal rescue. A wedding in Florida featured bridesmaids posing with rescue puppies wearing tiny flower crowns to promote the Adopt Don’t Shop movement. And just in case you’re wondering, only one of the puppies had an accident, and it didn’t get on anyone’s dress!

 

 

 

 

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Lace fans

This bridesmaid prop is perfect for Southern or country-themed weddings, especially if it’s going to be hot outside. Lace fans come in lots of different styles which include gothic, Spanish, and Victorian. With that in mind, be sure to choose a pattern that goes best with your theme, or try a mismatched look for a little added interest.

Paper bouquet

You can use origami flowers, hearts, and cranes to create a lavish (and budget-friendly) bridesmaid accessory. But you’re not limited to traditional designs or symbols. For example, this celestial bridal bouquet on Etsy uses shiny stars and a crescent moon, which just goes to show that the sky really is the limit when it comes to creative bridesmaid bouquet ideas.

Lanterns

Battery-powered or unlit wax candles look nice inside of this bridesmaid accessory. Lanterns come in a wide variety of styles, sizes, and prices so you’ll have plenty to choose from. Use these for dusk ceremonies and leave them lit around any outdoor reception areas for a little extra lighting.

Ribbons

Use ribbon bouquets or ribbon wands as a whimsical alternative to flowers for your bridesmaids. You can buy them (like these pretty blush and gold wedding wands) or make your own.

Balloons

Give them a bunch in complementary colors or a single giant balloon. After the reception, your bridesmaids can place these balloons at venue entranceways and on either side of your sweetheart table. You can also use them as photo props for your official wedding day photos.

Dream catchers

Perfect for any flavor of boho wedding, dream catchers are soft and muted enough to go with most color schemes. Add some trailing ribbon to make them more dramatic. You can also substitute macrame yarn art instead.

Wreaths

Planning a winter wedding? Take advantage of the holiday season and provide lavishly decorated wreaths for your bridesmaids. Make sure they’re on the smaller side (6” to 12” diameter is best) and that all decor hangings are double secured so they don’t go rolling down the aisle. Some DIY versions use wood or gold hoops and faux greenery to create a lighter version that looks great during the warmer months.

Instruments

Tambourines are a popular choice for music-loving couples. You can even add an interactive portion of the ceremony where your bridesmaids get to play! If tambourines aren’t your style, you can also use maracas or, if your wedding party is really talented, invite them to prepare a short song using their musical gifts.

Mason jar candles

Same rules as lanterns — just make sure you use electric or unlit wax candles to be safe. Colored jars cast a light hue around each person while clear ones offer plenty of decoration options including glitter dip, lace overlays, and even paper cutouts.

Explore 33 of our favorite bridesmaid bouquet ideas:

In this section, you’ll find bridesmaid bouquet ideas that are budget-friendly and easy to DIY. You’ll also find flower arrangement recipes in three very popular wedding bouquet categories including rose designs, greenery designs, and all-white bouquets. Each idea was chosen based on its relevance to each category and its attractiveness.

Cheap bridesmaid bouquets

These flower recipes use the most affordable base flowers to create a full design at a fraction of the cost of most other bridesmaid bouquets. To save even more money, consider using these ideas as corsages instead of bouquets. Or, if you want your bridesmaids to hold flowers, keep empty vases on your reception tables so your bouquets will do double duty as centerpieces after the ceremony.

1. Sunflower, baby’s breath, blue ribbon

2. White waxflower, pink waxflower

3. Gladiolus (by themselves)

4. Freesia, eucalyptus

5. Carnation, seeded eucalyptus, spray roses

6. Queen Anne’s lace, pink peony

7. Alstroemeria (by themselves or mixed with wildflowers)

8. Baby’s breath, lavender

9. Daisy, sunflower, twine

10. Chrysanthemum, daisy, larkspur

 

 

 

 

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DIY bridesmaid bouquets

These are the easiest flowers for amateur florists to arrange because they have sturdy stems, look good with most other flower types, and don’t require too much upkeep once they’re arranged. Besides the succulents, you can get all of these blooms fresh or even dried to create a totally distinct look. Combine any of the flowers listed with our other flower recipes or use them solo in a bouquet of their own.

11. Succulents

12. Peruvian lilies

13. Wildflowers

14. Birds of paradise

15. Billy balls

16. Roses

17. Hydrangea

18. Thistle

19. Peony

20. Poppy

Bridesmaid bouquets with roses

This classic wedding flower pairs well with each of the following:

21. Bridesmaid rose, mother of pearl, sea star fern

22. Light pink rose, matthiola, David Austin rose, silver dollar eucalyptus

23. Juliet garden rose, tillandsia, sword fern, peony, poppy, honeysuckle

24. Quicksand rose, ranunculus, seeded eucalyptus

25. Pink rose, baby’s breath, silver dollar eucalyptus

26. David Austin rose, peony, mum, lilac, spirea

27. White rose, dusty miller, cotton, wax flower

Bridesmaid bouquets with greenery

Greenery-forward designs are cost-effective, go with every wedding theme, and look great during any season.

28. Fern, moss, blue thistles, succulents

29. Oats, eucalyptus, astilbe, sorghum, millet

30. Silver dollar eucalyptus, seeded eucalyptus, dusty miller

White bridesmaid bouquets

Make your white wedding dress stand out even more with these matching bouquets.

31. White garden rose, white anemones, Sahara rose, white peonies, jasmine vine

32. White rose, white garden rose, white peony, white tulip

33. Cream rose, cabbage rose, ivory rose, wild weed, blue berries, eucalyptus

Need even more wedding inspiration?

We’ve got plenty more bridal bouquet ideas to help you figure out what will go best with your chosen bridesmaid bouquet designs. And, if you’d like to save some money on your reception, make sure you check out our DIY wedding table decorations too!