Floral Design 101: Recognizing the Different Types of Flower Bouquets

Flower arrangements add beauty, texture, and fragrance to a home. Our eyes are naturally drawn to their stunning colors and bouquet designs. Did you know that flower arrangements have different shapes? Test your floral design expertise, and see how many of these common bouquet types you can recognize.

Different Types of Bouquet Flowers

The anatomy of a flower arrangement starts with the flower types. When it comes to flower bouquet types, it’s quite often the combination of flower types that truly make it beautiful. Some designers choose types of bouquet flowers based on what they add to the arrangement, and mixing various shapes is ideal. Here’s how floral experts classify flower types when constructing an arrangement.

Focus Flowers

Focus flowers are the belles of the ball. These statement flowers are the ones you notice immediately when you glance at an arrangement. Some are bright and colorful, and others are stately. No matter what, they are part of the reason people choose certain types of bouquets. Some bouquets can consist of only focal flowers, like a rose and sunflower bouquet. Most common focus flowers include:

• Roses (both traditional and English)
• Hydrangea
• Calla lilies
• Peonies
• Sunflowers

Filler Flowers

Filler flowers are blooms with smaller head sizes that compliment focus flowers. One great pairing is a rose and carnation bouquet. However, they are lovely in their own right, even if these types of bouquet flowers are there to enhance the overall look. Some filler flowers like Alstroemeria can stand alone as a bouquet. Common filler flowers include:

• Baby’s breath
• Queen Anne’s lace
• Status
• Alstroemeria
• Carnations

Line Flowers

Although line flowers aren’t present in every arrangement, these tall, noticeable blooms add a different texture to various bouquet types. These are called line flowers because one stem is made up of many blossoms in a row. Certain line flowers, such as Liatris or Snapdragons can also stand alone in a single-stem bouquet.

• Bells of Ireland
• Liatris
• Snapdragons
• Larkspur
• Delphinium

Greenery

Many leaves, stems, and buds are beautiful on their own, and these flower parts are often referred to as greenery due to their color. There is an excellent debate about greenery and whether it’s a filler or a statement all its own. We agree with both sides! Our Emerald Isle arrangement is a gorgeous example of making a statement with greenery alone. 

• Ivy
• Eucalyptus
• Israeli ruscus
• Myrtle
• Fern

Different Types of Flower Bouquet Styles

Hand-Tied Bouquets

As far as bouquet ideas are concerned, the term hand-tied refers to how an arrangement is finished, not the overall shape. This bouquet type features flower stems that are gathered and then tied with twine, string, ribbon, or an elastic. Hand-tied bouquets can either be used as a wedding bouquet or placed in a vase to keep the blooms tightly bound together. Every bouquet created and shipped by Overnight Flowers is hand-tied by our floral experts.

Round Bouquet Types

As its name implies, the round bouquet is an arrangement of flowers that forms a circular shape. This arrangement style is one of the most common, especially when it comes to bridal bouquets. A round bouquet can also be the base for other types of arrangements—such as the cascade or crescent—which makes it truly versatile. 

Pomander Bouquets

Ideas for special event décor can center around floral arrangements, and the pomander bouquet is one of the most unique styles. A pomander is a sphere of blooms, often hung by ribbon or twine to create a suspended focal point of flowers. It’s such a statement and can be quite stunning for an elegant event. 

Cascade Types of Bouquets

A cascade is reminiscent of a waterfall where there is a spray cascading down from the bouquet. These were extremely popular in the 1930s and had a resurgence—thanks to Princess Diana—in the 1980s. The cascade is seeing a revival with the uptick in loose, garden-style flower arrangements for modern day brides. 

Basket Bouquet Types

Some arrangement styles have more to do with the container they are styled in, rather than the overall shape of the bouquet. Basket bouquets are floral arrangements simply styled in decorative baskets. Ideas like this one can be so lovely as you search for both flowers and just the right basket to place them. From large containers to more demure baskets, grab a handled vessel, and create a basket bouquet, which will feel like it came fresh from the market.

Presentation Bouquet Ideas

From pageants to art gallery shows, the presentation bouquet is a lovely choice to give the winner. Designed to be given when presenting an award, these arrangements are laid along the arm to be carried around. This type of bouquet makes quite a beautiful statement. 

Nosegay Bouquets

Perfect for bridesmaids bouquets, these small arrangements consist of tightly packed blooms with stems all cut at the same length. This style focuses on one type of flower or a specific color palette, although rules can always be broken to create something truly unique. 

Crescent Types of Bouquets

If you’re looking for a unique bouquet idea, then looking at crescent designs can be truly inspiring. Like the cascade there are trailing parts, but a crescent forms an arc with the pieces springing out from the bouquet. Quite often, greenery is the focus of the trailing crescent parts, which are most commonly used for brides.

Contemporary Bouquet Types

Call them modern or cutting edge. Contemporary arrangements are unique and have some focal dramatic elements for these bouquets. Ideas on that point of focus range from individual, tropical flowers to greenery bent in creative ways. These flower arrangements can make a statement in a foyer or as a bridal bouquet.

Single Stem Bouquet Ideas

When it comes to single stems, this can mean one of two things. Either one flower type is used, such as red roses, or the entire bouquet is simply one single stem. Using only one flower can make a statement, whether you choose one bloom or a plethora of them. This style of flower arrangements are quite common for Valentine’s Day or to showcase someone’s favorite bloom, such as sunflowers. 

Posy Bouquet

The tiniest of bouquets, the posy, is perfect for a flower girl to carry or give someone a small thank you. These little sweeties are reminiscent of picking wildflowers as a child as each bloom is precious and adds to the entire miniature arrangement. 

Market Bouquet Ideas

Like hand-tied bouquets, market arrangements are named due to their presentation, where the blooms are wrapped in paper so that it looks like they just came from the market. Even though you may not have purchased your flowers straight from the farmer, market bouquets certainly make it look like it. 

Garden Style Bouquets

Again, this can be a combination of several of the above, but garden-style bouquets have the appearance that they were just picked from the garden. Blooms take on a very deconstructed, natural shape that adds interest to any container and are often used for dining table centerpieces.

No matter what types of bouquets catch your eye, send flowers that blend well together—or stand on their own—in gorgeous flower arrangements. Ordering flowers online that are hand-tied and come wrapped market-style will create a wonderful experience for the recipient.