Ms Jaclyn Lim, co-founder and florist of The Bloom Room, shares tips on matching your bouquet and wedding outfit.

Outfit Types

Frilly dresses: A traditional round bouquet, such as this white one (right, photo 1), will do. The David Austin "Patience" buttermilk roses in the bouquet have ruffled petals when in full bloom, which will match your skirt.

Heavily embellished dresses: Go easy on the flowers to avoid an over-the-top look - a basic bouquet with a few types of flowers, like the blue one (photo 2), will do.

Simple, fitted dresses: Opt for a sheaf-style bouquet that features slender lines, and does not cover your figure's fitted form. Have a variety of flowers, like those in the reddish-pink bouquet (photo 3), to add sophistication to the overall look.

Rompers: Stick to a more casual bouquet, such as the hand-tied versions which are very popular now. The bride will look like she just picked the flowers from a field before walking down the aisle.

Bouquet Size

This is related to factors like the bride's silhouette, gown design and venue choice. Determining this should be the wedding florist's job. As a rule of thumb, though, the bouquet should not be wider than the bride's waist or hips, nor so small that it looks like an afterthought.Colours

There is no hard and fast rule on how to match your bouquet to outfit colour, but consider these tips.

White outfits: They provide a neutral base, and allow for a variety of colours in the bouquet.

Coloured outfits: Go for white flowers, or use the Floral Colour Wheel (accessible online) in these ways.

- Have your outfit and bouquet in complementary colours - in other words, warm and cool colours which are opposite each other on the colour wheel, for a bolder look. Have orange flowers if you are wearing a blue dress, for example.

- If you are unsure, having your bouquet and outfit in variations of a colour is a safe option. For example, dull pink or dark red bouquets can go with a red dress.

- Have your bouquet and outfit in analogous colours, or colours that are next to each other on the wheel. For example, if you are wearing purple, opt for red flowers to create variety.

Quirky Blooms

There are many, so brides-to-be should research online and then ask their wedding florist if their picks are available locally.

If not, the florist should be able to suggest substitutes.

Scabiosa Pods and Kyushu Hydrangeas give an organic feel to the bouquet without being too distracting, which is important if you are already in an unusual outfit.

In the white bouquet (photo 1) are Pink Spirae (dusty pink flowers). Viburnum Snowballs (green ball-like flowers) are in the blue bouquet (photo 2). In the red bouquet (photo 3) are Pink Astilbes (long feathery flowers) and Butterfly Milkweed (small pink flowers) are used.

This article was first published on August 1, 2014.
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