Bouquets: A Year of Flowers for the Bride [Hardcover]

Marsha Heckman (Author), Richard Jung (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 15, 1999

This book introduces more than 40 designs in flowers to complement the wedding gown, celebrate a special theme, honour a treasure family custom - and keep shaky hand occupied.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Established San Francisco-based floral designer MARSHA HECKMAN has planned more than one hundred weddings-and teaches courses on how to do it. The work of San Francisco-based food and travel photographer RICHARD JUNG has appeared in four cookbooks and in such magazines as Travel & Leisure, Sunset, Better Homes and Garden, and Metropolitan Home.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

The Bridal Bouquet is a tradition in almost every culture on Earth, and in this exquisite book, floral designer Marsha Heckman crates forty original bouquets to complement the wedding gown, communicate a special meaning, honor a family tradition, and keep shaky hands occupied.

Organized seasonally, the book provides three or four bouquets for every month of the year, each one exploiting the amazing variety and diversity of flowers available throughout the year. From daises with ivy for the August bride to mistletoe and roses for a Christmas Eve bouquet; from hydrangeas with glass beads and tiny seashells for a wedding by the sea to an Asian fan with amaranthus and chrysanthemum for an autumn reception to a bouquet of fragrant herbs for July, these unique designs are gorgeously photographed Each one is accompanied by step-by-step directions for wiring and taping, choosing flowers, leaves and ribbons, grooming the flowers, and making handles.

An integral part of the wedding, flowers provide beauty, perfume, and color. They help define the theme of the event. Bridal bouquets live forever in the wedding photographs and in the memories of all those who share in the day. "Bouquets" will help every bride-to-be, mother, sister, and friend recreate these bouquets or will inspire the florist to fashion that perfect handful of flowers the bride carries down the aisle. Here is the ideal engagement or shower gift for any prospective bride.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 112 pages
• Publisher: Stewart, Tabori and Chang; First Printing edition (December 15, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1556709668
• ISBN-13: 978-1556709661
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 8.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #84,361 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

64 of 65 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent how-to book for beautiful bouquets!, December 30, 1999

By 

Jill McAlester (Lawrence, KS) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bouquets: A Year of Flowers for the Bride (Hardcover)

This is the book to get if you want to make fresh wedding bouquets for a wedding. Especially helpful are the detailed materials list for each bouquet project, plus an estimate of how far in advance the bouquet can safely be made. Each project features flowers that are in-season for the time of year stated in the book, and styles range from the traditional to the unique and unusual. There is something here for every taste! I highly recommend this book!

31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A refreshing approach to bridal bouquets., March 11, 2000

By 

Anne Ryan (Lake Oswego, OR) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bouquets: A Year of Flowers for the Bride (Hardcover)

It's difficult to find unique and elegant wedding flower books. This book was a breath of fresh air! As a florist, I'm always looking for books to give brides beautiful bouquet ideas. This book has been a been a big hit with every bride who's seen it. Most of the bouquets have a look of understated elegance. If you're looking for ideas on modern bridal bouquets, this is an excellent source. NOTE: It does have some instructions on how to make the bouquets, but the directions seem like they would be difficult without floral design background.

31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Stunning arrangements, but not for beginners, January 18, 2002

By 

K. Hansen (Columbia, MO USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bouquets: A Year of Flowers for the Bride (Hardcover)

I bought this book together with "Creative Wedding Florals You Can Make" to get ideas for the flowers for my wedding in June. I am making my own bouquets and arrangements. As a gardener, I know a lot about flowers, but I have never tried anything like this before. The arrangements in this book are creative and absolutely beautiful, and I highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for creative ideas to give to a florist, or to someone who has experience in putting together floral arrangements. However, if you have never done floral design before, I would suggest that you buy another book along with this one (such as "Creative Wedding Florals") to supplement the how-to information in this book.

The bouquets are arranged according to season, but many can be used throughout the spring and summer. They include mixtures of garden flowers, roses, lilies, herbs, and hydrangeas, and the pictures are absolutely gorgeous. There are also instructions and ideas on how to make corsages and boutonnieres that complement the bouquets, which I found very helpful.

All in all, this is an excellent resource book for ideas, but it is a bit weak on the instructions.