Bouquet alternatives
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The idea of the bride and her attendants carrying bouquets of flowers is nearly as old as the tradition of weddings, itself. However, like every wedding tradition, the bouquet is easily updated and altered to reflect the personality of the people getting married and to enhance the atmosphere of the ceremony. The important thing, as always, is to be true to yourself. If you're getting married in your pajamas, think about trading the roses for a teddy bear. If you're getting married in grass skirts, use a lei rather than a bouquet.
A single calla lilly or long-stemmed rose carried in the crook of the arm is a simple, elegant solution. To add a bit of color, ribbons can be wrapped or tied around the stem.
While these are generally seen as being the domain of flower girls, baskets of flowers could also be carried by the bride and/or her attendants. Perfect for a spring wedding.
In a pomander bouquet, flowers are arranged in a ball and are carried by a ribbon or beaded string. The look ends up being more casual than a traditional bouquet.
Non-floral alternatives
For a Christian religious wedding, the bride might opt to carry a bible or prayerbook down the aisle to the altar, especially if part of the ceremony calls for the couple to read from it. Family heirloom bibles or decorated bibles/prayerbooks are becoming more popular for today's Christian weddings.
Both romantic and dramatic, candles can be carried down the aisle and placed on or around the altar during the ceremony. Note: It is important to clear this idea with the wedding coordinator of your location, to ensure that both the fire code and the location's policy allow for it.
Wiccan and pagan handfasting ceremonies use the chalice as the symbol for the feminine, so it makes sense that the bride could carry it to the altar in lieu of flowers. The groom, of course, would carry the athame.
Oriental or other folding fans make for a fun, flirty alternative to bouquets. These would be perfect for outdoor summer weddings.
Winter brides and bridesmaids might like the idea of keeping their hands warm on the walk down the aisle, and muffs are a lovely way to accomplish this. Perfect for vintage-themed weddings of certain eras.
Whether dainty and lacy or bold and colorful, parasols can pull double duty during outdoor weddings as both an alternate to bouquets and shade for the bride and bridesmaids. Anyone doing a Victorian-themed wedding should definitely consider this possibility.
While the target wedding for this idea might be small (outdoor weddings on or around Independence Day in the US is the only one I can come up with), it's still a fun concept and worth a mention. Like candles, sparklers have obvious downsides, and one will need to consult with someone in charge of the location to make sure that they are fine with the idea. |
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