Video: How to Make a Cradle Bouquet (AKA a Pageant Bouquet)
Ingredients Used in This Cradle Bouquet:
Bridal Veil Spirea Foliage
Dart's Gold Ninebark
False Solomon's Seal (A North Carolina Native, Similar to Astilbe)
Mock Orange
Foxglove (Polkadot Pippa Hybrid)
La Belle Epoch Tulips
Ranunculus
Geum
Coral Bells
The cradle bouquet (also known as the pageant bouquet) is often overlooked by designers. This bouquet shape is perfect for gracefully draping over one arm. It is similar to a cascade, but it moves out and away from the body rather than in front. It's pleasant and easy to hold, surprisingly lightweight, and perfect for a bride who likes to keep her flowers close.
Key Points for Arranging a Cradle Bouquet:
Use ingredients and stems that naturally have the shape you’re going for with a cascading pageant bouquet shape. You can wire and manipulate other stems, but using foliage that flows organically will make the process much easier.
When making a design like this, it is important to know which way the bride will be facing—that way you know which way to make the bouquet cascade.
You want to keep the design forward facing and shaped so it can be held close to the body but not flat. Create depth by layering and creating lines from front to back.
Whenever you are working with flowers that are a little bit smaller, you can group them together to have a greater impact.
Doing a mirror check is helpful. That way, you can see all the different angles that the bouquet will be viewed and photographed from, determining if there are any adjustments that need to be made.
