A simple bouquet goes the other way. One kind of flower, or two. A single stunning bloom. A bunch of something you could almost gather yourself. It costs less, it’s easier to pull off, and it keeps the focus on you.
Here are a few of our favourite small bouquet ideas, all pulled from real Love & Lavender weddings. Maybe it’s a single King Protea, a cloud of baby’s breath, or a fistful of sunflowers. Click any look to see the full day. For even more inspiration, browse our Real Weddings directory.
Our Favorite Simple Wedding Bouquets
First up, the simple bouquets our real couples actually carried. Click any link to see the full wedding. Keep scrolling for shoppable options you can order yourself.
Single King Protea Bouquet
One flower. That’s the whole bouquet, and it’s plenty. A single King Protea fills the hand on its own, all spiky pink petals around a soft creamy crown.
Bette put her own flowers together for this budget wedding, and this was her wildcard pick. Simple and unforgettable turn out not to be opposites.
See Bette and Dan’s DIY Budget Wedding →
All-White Peony Bouquet
Fat, ruffly white peonies and nothing else. When the blooms are this lush, you don’t crowd them with anything.
A plain satin ribbon at the stems, and you’re done. This is the kind of bouquet that still looks right ten years of photos later.
See Megan and Ethan’s Lake Geneva Wedding →
White Hydrangea Bouquet
Two or three hydrangea heads, and suddenly you have a full, round bouquet with almost no effort. That’s the gift of a big-bloom flower.
The couple bought their stems from a local wholesaler and arranged everything themselves with family. The brown twine wrap keeps it rustic.
See this Southern Rustic Wedding with Lanterns →
Dried Lavender Bouquet
A tall bundle of dried lavender, held upright like a sheaf of wheat. It smells as good as it looks.
At their Lavender & Lace wedding, Kim kept the flowers simple and a little rustic, with touches of burlap tying the whole look together.
See Kim and James’s Lavender & Lace Wedding →
All-Red Rose Bouquet
Classic red roses packed tight into a clean dome. Nothing fussy, nothing trendy, just the one flower nearly everyone recognizes.
Danielle matched hers to a pair of red heels peeking out under her tea-length dress. One small wink of color against all that white.
See Danielle and Mike’s Tampa Wedding →
DIY Billy Ball Bouquet
Billy balls, those cheerful little yellow spheres, on bare stems with a few white berries tucked in. Sunny and a bit quirky.
Alyssa made this one herself and picked dried botanicals so nothing would wilt during a long fall day at the ranch. Smart bride.
See Chris and Alyssa’s River Ridge Ranch Wedding →
Billy Ball and Daisy Bouquet
A dense dome of billy balls ringed with tiny white daisies, finished with a burlap-and-lace handle. Bright, round, and easy to love.
It’s playful without trying too hard, which fits a sunny outdoor celebration.
See Chelsea and John’s School-Themed Wedding →
Sunflower and White Lilac Bouquet
Big, open-faced sunflowers with clusters of white lilac filling the gaps. It looks like a handful gathered from a summer field.
For a sunflower-themed day, going all-in on the real thing was the easy call.
See Joni and Scott’s Sunflower Wedding →
Sunflower and Daisy Bouquet
Another take on sunflowers, this time paired with white daisies and finished with a little cluster of vintage buttons on the wrap.
That button detail is such an Erica-and-Joe touch for a vintage camping wedding by the water.
See Erica and Joe’s Vintage Beach Camping Wedding →
Peach Rose and Succulent Bouquet
Peach roses mixed with grey-green succulents and a couple of white calla lilies. Ann wanted something that would settle into the old stone of Alder Manor House.
The roses came out a touch more orange than she planned, which honestly only made them warmer.
See Ann and Sal’s Alder Manor House Wedding →
Cream Rose and Calla Lily Bouquet
Cream and peach roses with deep-purple mini calla lilies and a few sprigs of lavender. A small engraved charm hangs off the ribbon.
Soft colors with one moody note. It reads romantic up close and simple from across the room.
See Aly and Nick’s Farmers Market Wedding →
Lavender and Pink Rose Bouquet
Lavender and pink roses rounded into a tidy shape, with deeper purple blooms tucked in for depth.
It picks up the purple running through their vineyard wedding without any extra fuss.
See Barbara and Brandon’s Russian River Vineyard Wedding →
Pink Peony and Cotton Bouquet
Pink peonies with real cotton bolls nestled in, wrapped in burlap. A little bit of the South in flower form.
Julie carried cotton through the whole day, and it’s the detail that makes this bouquet feel like theirs.
See Julie and TJ’s Tennessee Wedding →
White Peony Bouquet with Yellow Ribbon
A cluster of white peonies with a mustard-yellow, lace-trimmed handle. Photographed resting on a spiky agave, which is very San Antonio of them.
White blooms, one pop of yellow at the stem. Simple, with a sense of humor.
See Amanda and Steven’s San Antonio Wedding →
Two-Tone Pink Rose Bouquet
Two shades of pink roses, bunched simply and tied with white ribbon. The sort of bouquet you could put together at the kitchen table.
Sarah and Nathan married on her grandmother’s property, and this one fits that homemade, close-to-family feeling.
See Sarah and Nathan’s Backyard Wedding →
Blush Rose Bouquet
Soft blush and cream roses in a loose round shape, gentle enough to sit quietly against a lace ballgown.
It suits the vintage, pearl-trimmed feel of their backyard wedding.
See Carrie and Jeff’s Backyard Wedding →
Loose White and Greenery Bouquet
White flowers and trailing greenery left loose and a little wild, with tendrils curling out at the edges. It looks fresh-picked, because that’s the whole idea.
Sarah wanted an organic, carefree look for their New Hampshire farm wedding, and this is exactly that.
See Sarah and Jason’s New Hampshire Farm Wedding →
Baby’s Breath Bouquet
Whole bouquets of baby’s breath, tied off with purple ribbon. On its own, the tiny white filler flower turns into a soft cloud.
Nicole’s bridesmaids carried these in grey dresses, and the purple ribbon ties them back to the wedding’s palette.
See Nicole and Ben’s Mansion at Natirar Wedding →
Small Purple Posy
Little posies of purple blooms, carried by the bridal party in green dresses out in the woods. Small bundles, big color.
For a rustic wedding built around personal details, keeping the flowers modest felt right.
See Danny and Jillian’s Rustic Wedding →
White Tulip Bouquet
A simple bunch of white tulips on long green stems, held loosely at her side. Tulips don’t turn up at weddings often enough, which is a shame when they look like this.
Low-key and quietly pretty, which is the whole appeal.
See Kim and Brett’s Boho Backyard Wedding →
Petite White Elopement Posy
A tiny hand-tied posy of white flowers with a few purple sprigs. Elopement-sized, and exactly enough.
When it’s just the two of you on a Big Sur cliff, a small bunch of flowers is all you need.
FAQs
What flowers work best for a simple wedding bouquet?
Anything with a big, recognizable head does the heavy lifting: peonies, hydrangeas, roses, sunflowers, King Protea. Or go the other way with a single filler like baby’s breath or dried lavender. The trick is to pick one or two things and stop there.
Are simple bouquets cheaper?
Usually, yes. Fewer flower types and no elaborate structure mean a smaller florist bill, and several of the brides here put their bouquets together themselves with stems from a local wholesaler. Simple is one of the easiest places to save without anyone noticing.
Will a simple bouquet look too plain in photos?
Just the opposite. A clean, single-focus bouquet reads beautifully on camera and won’t date the way a busy arrangement can. A tight dome of red roses or a bundle of lavender photographs just as well as anything three times the size.
Can I make a simple wedding bouquet myself?
Plenty of brides do. A single King Protea, a bunch of tulips, or a cluster of billy balls needs almost no arranging, just a good ribbon or some twine to wrap the stems. Buy your stems a day ahead, keep them cool, and give yourself a calm hour the morning of.
How many stems do I need for a simple bouquet?
It depends on the flower. Big blooms like hydrangeas or peonies fill a hand with just a few, while smaller flowers like billy balls or baby’s breath need a fuller bunch. Buy a little extra, hold it in your hand, and add stems until it feels right.
