What Goes Around...Comes Back Around

Within the last decade, cascading bouquets have had a shaky past full of ups and downs. They were once the norm, then went almost obsolete, and have now been starting to make their way back fighting their reputation as being the antithesis to modern design. The blame lies on the shoulder of none other than Martha Stewart who popularized the round, hand-tied nosegay bouquet. As a result, the cascade became known as "your mother's bouquet," and only the most traditional brides carried them down the aisle.

In my past life at the magazine, we dedicated editorial space to promote the comeback of the cascade and our attempts have had a fairly positive effect. I must admit, I am still biased towards the hand-tied bouquet, but I have a great appreciation of cascades and in particular, the smaller tear drop bouquet. To me, tear drop bouquets are the modern cascade. They are shorter in length, skinnier in width, and as its name states, shaped like a tear drop. With vivid images of French countrysides (from watching the Tour de France with my husband) and Irish green pastures (from forcing my husband to watch the chick flick P.S. I love You with me), I was inspired to make a tear drop garden style bouquet. I also made a nosegay version, which I will post on my next blog entry, so you can see the two styles side by side.



Advantages of a Cascading Bouquet:

1. Inherent in the style is the feeling of romance and movement.
2. If designed in a bouquet holder, the flowers can be placed so they have room to breathe and do not appear crushed.
3. If designed in a bouquet holder, delicate flowers can survive longer since it will have a water source.
4. Due to mere size, the bouquet becomes an instant focal point.

When considering a cascading bouquet for your wedding, make sure the bouquet will be made proportionate to your body size. I can't begin to tell you how many times I've seen a small framed bride being overwhelmed by a humongous blob disguised as a bouquet. These extra flowers also unnecessarily adds weight that you will have to bear throughout your entire event. Cascades also take more time to prep in order to ensure the flowers do not fall out. I don't think all florists take time to do this step and I always find it sad seeing a bride picking up parts of her bouquet off the ground as she walks.


I hope that cascades do come full circle because they add another dimension to floral design. In essence, cascading bouquets are almost analogous to letterpressing in invitation design. They are both classic forms that have found a place in modern day application.