Picture this: it’s your wedding day.
You’re standing at the bottom of the aisle, music in the air, surrounded by the people you love most. You take a deep breath and then step forward—looking absolutely stunning, of course. During the ceremony, you might wonder, “What do I do with my bouquet?”
Each step feels like a moment suspended in time. You’re walking with confidence: no tripping. And your partner? They’re standing there, looking impossibly gorgeous, their eyes locked on you like you’re the only person in the world.
You reach the end of the aisle, flawless as ever, the crowd settles into their seats, and then it hits you: “Wait… what am I supposed to do with this bouquet?”
Don’t worry—I’ve got the perfect solution for that.
Hand your bouquet to your Maid/Matron of Honor/Man of Honor.
They can hold any bouquets and be a rock star for you. You’ll be hands-free and able to hold hands with your best friend, wipe away tears, and exchange rings. Perfect. This is just one way to handle the question, “What do I do with my bouquet during the ceremony?”
Well…what if you don’t have a Maid or Matron of Honor?
Hand the bouquet to a Mom or Grandmother! They’ll love holding your bouquet for you and will feel extra important. This option also answers, “What do I do with my bouquet during the ceremony?”
What if you don’t want to do that either?
Have a table behind where your vows will take place. Gently lay the flowers directly on the table. Or, be super prepared and have a vase all ready to go with water and place the flowers in the vase.
What do I do with my bouquet during the wedding?
At almost every wedding, I get asked how to hold a bouquet when it comes time for the ceremony or any pre-ceremony photos. I am here to provide you with the best tips and tricks photography-wise to get those great shots and look picture-perfect.
Here are my tips on how to walk down the aisle with your bouquet:
Hold the bouquet at your belly button.
So many times I see the bouquet being held up high, even blocking part of a person’s face! This is not photogenic and is not pleasing to the eye. Have it at your belly button with your arms slightly bent and relaxed. Your arms will look slimmed down and you won’t look nervous or awkward.
Hold the bouquet at an angle so guests see the blooms, not stems
You want to practice holding the flowers in a mirror so you’re comfortable with both the blooms pointing the right way and your arms slightly bent with the bouquet at your belly button. You’ll look like a rock star!
Hand-off your bouquet to someone else
Hand-off your bouquet to the Maid/Matron or Man of Honor/Mom when either you are standing face to face and will need to hold hands to do your vows and place rings or choose to hand it off right after walking down the aisle and when your future spouse joins you up at the front. Just don’t be like me and forget to take it back at the end of the ceremony (oops!). I was so nervous and happy, I walked to the back of the church without my bouquet and my MOH had to walk with two bouquets…..whoops.
When in doubt, ask your florist!
A good florist will still check on you when they deliver the flowers, so ask them how they recommend holding it. They’ll know better than anyone where the front and back of the design are how often you need to water it, how easily it’ll bruise, etc.
Hopefully, these tips will make you feel comfortable and confident with your flower-holding skills. Because you got this! *high five*
