Florists Reveal 2022's Hottest Bridal Bouquet Trends - Exclusive

With 2022 projected to be the busiest year for weddings ever, per The Wedding Report, it can be hard to make your wedding day stand out. One of the ways brides can make a statement is with their bridal bouquet.

The bridal bouquet's purpose has evolved over time, but originally, floral garlands were carried and worn by ancient Romans to symbolize "fertility, fidelity, and new beginnings," according to Blooming Haus. This shifted to bouquets filled with herbs and spices being carried to ward off bad luck during a wedding ceremony in the Middle Ages. It wasn't until Queen Victoria was pictured carrying a small bouquet of flowers during her wedding to Prince Albert in 1840 that bouquets returned to an aesthetic and symbolic statement rather than a practical one.

Today, the purpose and style of the wedding bouquet reflect the Victorian era. Of course, there are modern twists; wedding florist Maxine Owens told Brides that bridal bouquets should be comfortable and should represent the couple and their style. This is just one of the changes the wedding industry has seen since COVID-19: a shift in focus back to the couple. Tradition is nice, but in a time where microweddings and curating every detail are still major wedding trends in 2022, it's not selfish to want your big day to reflect you and your future spouse.

This retro bouquet style is making a surprising comeback

Florists are seeing two very different styles trending this year. Mary-Anne Da'Marzo of London's The Last Bunch told The List that many of their wedding clients are drawing "inspiration from wild, natural-looking garden arrangements as opposed to traditional shapes." Instead of the traditional domed bouquet, Da'Marzo said the "wild garden style" is what brides are gravitating towards, with blush pink peonies and white roses still major focal points. The popularity of the vintage vibes is thanks in part to Bridgerton's success, Bri Marbais, a bridal stylist at The Bridal Finery in Winter Park, Florida, told Wedding Wire. Marbais says the flowers you'll want to consider for this aesthetic include garden roses, baby's breath, peonies, and snapdragons.

Clarissa Marchia, founder of Boston's Lucy Blooms, told The List that she's also noticed a minimalistic trend for bridal bouquets, where brides opt to carry only a few unique stems rather than a big bouquet of roses and lilies. Other trending flowers for bridal bouquets, per Wedding Wire, are flowers you might find in your own backyard: tulips, daisies, hydrangeas, and even Queen Anne's lace.

The most surprising trend Jacyln Watson — of Jaclyn Watson Events in Stowe, Vermont — has seen is brides wanting cascade bouquets (via Wedding Wire). Watson says for 2022, brides have been including things like vines and other greenery mixed with flowers like anemones, orchis, and jasmine.

You'll be seeing bridal bouquets in these color palettes

While many brides are continuing the neutral romantic palette trend, with blushes and creams, Clarissa Marchia of Boston's Lucy Blooms has noticed a dramatic shift away from the safe shades. "I've been seeing a need for a lot of color and really fun installations," Marchia told The List.

Many couples are also making the choice to go bold with their colors, stepping outside the monochromatic color palettes popular in pre-pandemic weddings. Lilli Wright, owner of Mimosa Floral in Brooklyn, told The Knot that for her, "it feels like everyone wants to be surrounded by joyful color this year." Combined with the extreme rarity of white flowers right now, couples have been emboldened to push back at a traditional color palette and trade it in for trending color tones. With Pantone's Color of the Year being "Very Peri," a soft periwinkle, florists have seen color palettes trending in lavenders and periwinkles in addition to very pastel versions of blush and sage.

"Whether our couples are focusing on what truly is important to them or a push towards individuality," Nora Shields, founder of Bridal Bliss in Lake Oswego, Oregon told Wedding Wire, "we are seeing more of our couples marching to their own drums, picking colors they love, flowers and colors they are drawn to, and celebrating with their favorite people." 

Bridal bouquets in 2022 will have more texture

One way the flower shortage has affected florists is that it's pushed them to get more creative. Jaclyn Watson, principal planner at Jaclyn Watson Events in Stowe, Vermont, told Wedding Wire that the trend of using pampas grass that exploded in 2021 is here to stay, with the addition of locally-sourced dried or fresh flowers and foliage.

If you want to follow in Kate Middleton's wedding bouquet footsteps, but with a 2022 twist, ask your florist to incorporate elements of your own garden into your bouquet. The duchess used sprigs of myrtle cut from the same bush Queen Elizabeth used for her own wedding bouquet — a creative way to add a subtle "something old" to your wedding day. The other benefit of working with dried or preserved flowers and foliage is that it adds dimension and depth to your bouquet's design (via The Knot). Brides going for a boho vibe especially have been seen carrying bouquets that are full of color and texture — a far cry from your traditional rounded bouquet of white roses. Not only do these bouquets stand out more, but they also help express who the bride is.

When it comes to the creation of your wedding flowers, the key thing to remember is that you can trust your creative team, said Inside Weddings. With flower availability and price constantly changing, your floral designer needs the freedom to be creative in order to do the most with your budget.