One of the details from our wedding that I get the most questions about was my brooch bouquet. Friends, family, and complete strangers who have seen our wedding on Pinterest all seem to agree that it was beautiful and unique. It really was unique and held so much meaning. From the lace handkerchief that my sister-in-law included on the handle (that once belonged to my husband's great-grandmother), to the charm that was once my grandmother's engagement ring, my brooch bouquet is something that I will cherish for the rest of my life
The first question everyone asks me is "where did you get it?" That's a long story and I'd prefer to not say where it originally came from. Long story short, the bouquet I received in the mail was not the bouquet I walked down the aisle with. When I opened that box and saw a flat, misshapen bouquet, I was heart broken. The sellers only suggestion was to fasten fishing string from the brooches to the handle, to try to pull it into shape. I don't know about anyone else, but fishing string wasn't on my list of must-haves for my bouquet.
I was lucky to have a sister-in-law who ran over, pulled the bouquet apart, ordered 50 more brooches, and made the bouquet so much more personal for me. The best advice I can give when you're looking at brooch bouquets is, do your research. I thought a brooch bouquet for under $200 was a steal. These babies generally run $500-$1500. Sometimes if it sounds too good to be true, it possibly is. Just be careful. Read through as much of a sellers feedback as you can stomach. Contact them about your concerns, anything special you may want included. Feel them out. I was lucky that I felt a bond with the bouquet designer, I still believe she is a very talented and kind person. What upset me the most was that I dedicated a lot of time to promoting her shop, and referring MY brides to her. When one of my brides comes to me and tells me about a horrible experience she had with a vendor that I referred her to...well that reflects badly on me. It also hurts me because I know how important a wedding is. I know how important the details are.
If buying a bouquet isn't for you, and you're more of a DIY bride, don't be intimidated. Brooch bouquets are insanely easy to create. There are tons of tutorials out there, this tutorial at Project Wedding is a great one. You can get amazing deals for brooches on Ebay. We even ordered bulk costume jewelry rings to use on mine. They were cheaper than the brooches and you can't tell the difference. (My sister-in-law even snuck in a cow ring!) You can also find whole sets of brooches on Etsy! Ask your friends and family members if they have any brooches they'd like to include. I see brooches at all the antique shops and estate sales we go to. You won't believe how quickly you can acquire them. Put a little added thought and a few personal touches into your bouquet, and it will be something you can hold onto forever!
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