Prom night is an event that many high school students look forward to for a long time. Students can dance the night away with their friends and get all dressed up to enjoy an evening with their classmates.
But before the big night, you need to prepare and run all your errands for prom. You get to try on an array of beautiful dresses, pick out accessories and, of course, look at prom flowers!
Flowers are a staple accessory at every prom. Girls can have either a bouquet or corsage for prom. Both arrangements are great options, but which one should you choose for prom night? Use this guide to prom flowers and learn about the different options you can have for the special dance to make your choice.
What Is a Corsage?
Wearing a corsage to prom is a popular choice for high school students. A corsage is a small flower arrangement secured around the wrist, and people wear them at formal events like proms, weddings and proper dinners.
If you have a prom date, they’ll usually gift you the corsage. Prom dates typically wear matching corsage and boutonniere flower arrangements, and a boutonniere is often the male equivalent of a corsage. Wearing a corsage is a long-standing tradition for prom accessories. Even if you’re going to the dance solo, you can treat yourself to a stunning corsage.
Florists make a corsage using a couple of statement flowers with some greenery to bring the arrangement together. You can select different types of flowers for corsages and boutonnieres to match your prom attire. Search online for ideas of the type of corsage you may want to wear on prom night or browse your local florist shop to see what arrangements they make.
What Is a Bouquet?
Bouquets are beautiful hand-held arrangements used as accessories at formal events like weddings and proms. Although bouquets are not the traditional choice for prom flowers, they make a glamourous statement in prom photos and can be a lovely gesture from a prom date.
Prom bouquets are smaller than bridal bouquets. Florists make the arrangements with various flowers and greenery to match your style on prom night.
Types of Prom Flowers
Prom flowers can nicely tie together your whole prom attire. After you finish your hair and makeup, put on your dress, add your shoes and accessories, your prom flowers are the perfect final touch. The correct flower selection can make you feel extra special on prom night, and there are many flowers you can choose from for your corsage or bouquet.
Deciding on bouquets and corsage flower types is a fun step in the prom planning process. Your flowers should be beautiful and strong enough to last throughout the entire night of dancing. If you’re curious what some of the best flowers are for prom, check out the following options and see if any of the flowers match your style.
Roses
Roses are a popular choice of prom flowers for many reasons. They’re classic blooms that look good and have a delightful scent. These romantic flowers come in a variety of colors, including red, white, yellow and pink. They also come in different shapes and sizes, so a florist can make your corsage or bouquet custom to your style. These flowers can pair with almost every style of dress, from classic to contemporary, so they’re a lovely choice for your prom flower arrangements.
Carnations
Carnations are one of the most known flowers because of their stunning ruffled features, lovely fragrance and long blooming season. They’re a part of many bouquets and make an eye-catching statement flower for corsages. Carnations are also available in numerous colors, and florists can even alter their colors by using dye. The variety of colors to choose from makes carnations an excellent choice for your prom flowers since they can complement almost any dress.
Orchids
With their alluring shape and magnificent colors, orchids are a flower many people love. They’re a wonderful choice for your prom corsage or bouquet because they come in a variety of colors, and their thin stems make them easy to incorporate into your arrangement. Orchids, along with some greenery, will look lovely with your prom attire, offering an eye-catching textured look.
Freesias
Freesias are bulb-like flowers that suit many floral designs. They are a popular prom flower choice because of their fun and vibrant colors, though they’re also available in an elegant white. They also offer a sweet scent and long vase life. Freesias will be an excellent choice for your corsage or bouquet.
Cornflowers
Florists often use cornflowers in prom arrangements. These flowers are known for their bright blue hue, but the blooms also come in white, pink and burgundy shades. Their collections of thin petals will also add unique texture to your corsage or bouquet. Cornflowers will look exquisite with your prom dress, especially if you love the color blue.
Alstroemeria Lilies
Alstroemeria flowers are known for their distinctive streaks and beautiful markings. The blooms often feature warmer hues, like pinks, yellows and reds. These colorful and delightful-smelling lilies look beautiful in floral arrangements and will be a great choice for your prom flowers.
Should You Choose a Bouquet or Corsage for Prom?
Choosing between a bouquet and corsage for your prom flowers doesn’t have to be confusing. Both look stunning, but they hold their own benefits. A major aspect of the decision is your personal preference. You want to feel confident and beautiful at prom, and your floral arrangement can help add a sparkle to your whole outfit.
Benefits of a Bouquet
Here are reasons you may want to choose a bouquet for prom:
- A bouquet looks amazing in prom photos.
- More flowers are in a bouquet floral arrangement than in a corsage.
- You don’t have to wear the bouquet on your wrist all night.
Benefits of a Corsage
Here are reasons to choose a corsage for prom:
- Corsages are much cheaper than bouquets — a custom bouquet can significantly drive up the price of prom flowers.
- Corsages are a prom tradition.
- You don’t have to worry about where to place your bouquet at the dance because you’ll wear the corsage on your wrist.
- You can wear your corsage in other places than your wrist, styling it in your hair or pinning it on your dress.
Ultimately, what you select comes down to personal preference and how much money you or your date are comfortable spending on prom flowers. Either option would make a beautiful addition to your prom dress.
Prom Floral Styles
Whether you decide on a bouquet or a corsage, your floral arrangement should match your dress and your personality. You can browse through many types of corsages or bouquets to get ideas of what you may want for your prom look. Choose a style you love that makes you feel confident, whether your dress is classic or unique.
Learn about some of the different styles of prom flower designs that can match an array of fashion preferences:
- Classic wrist corsage: This corsage is one of the most popular options for prom. It’s comfortable to wear on your wrist, and you can choose different colors to match your dress.
- Nosegay bouquet: A nosegay bouquet is a small hand-held flower arrangement. This style suits people who want a few extra blooms and would rather hold their flowers instead of wearing them on their wrist or dress.
- Metallic accents: You can get creative with the look of a wrist corsage and wear flowers that have metallic hardware details or cuffs. Choose from yellow or rose gold or silver shades based on what complements your outfit.
- Corsage rings: Instead of wearing the corsage on your wrist, you wear it as a ring with this style. These cute, tiny corsages are a cool way to take a traditional corsage and make it new.
- Armband corsages: If you want a unique way to wear your corsage, an armband may be ideal for you. A lovely metal wire with a variety of floral designs snakes around your upper arm instead of your wrist.
- Succulents: Are you not into flowers? Go for a corsage of succulents. These unique and trendy designs look stunning in a corsage, boutonniere or bouquet.
- Bling: Add some bling into your bouquet or corsage for more sparkle in your prom attire. Jewel details and glittery ribbons can give you a glamourous look.
- Tiny corsages: Tiny corsages are perfect for prom night if you don’t want to worry about a large floral arrangement on your wrist. This corsage is a wonderful option for people looking for a delicate accessory for their prom dress.
- Faux flowers: People who prefer DIY projects can create their own prom flower arrangements. Get crafty and use faux flowers, feathers, felt or any materials you want to incorporate.
How to Match Prom Flowers to Your Dress
The first step in matching your prom flowers to your dress is to buy your dress first. This step may seem obvious, but you want to make sure the flowers enhance your prom gown — you don’t want your flowers outshining the dress.
After you order your dress, keep a color swatch or a photo of it to bring to the florist so they know what colors to work with. If your date is the one buying your prom flowers, give them the swatch or photo.
You can include any aspect of your dress into your prom floral arrangement. Your dress may have design qualities like lace, bling, multiple colors, glitter and other details. Let the florist know which designs you would like to include in your bouquet or corsage to match your dress perfectly.
Florists can also dye flowers in various colors to try and match your dress. Flowers like carnations can be any color you need.
Sometimes, it can be challenging to find flowers in the exact shade of your dress. In this situation, you could:
- Choose complementing colors: Yellow looks great with blue, white with black, pink with nude and any color with white. The flowers don’t need to match your dress exactly.
- Match with the details: Instead of matching the flowers to the entire gown, complement your dress’s details. If your gown has trim or a pattern with white, for instance, choose a white flower.
Of course, this is your special day. You can choose any color flowers you want for your prom. There are so many styles of prom flowers that can show off your personality on prom night. Decide on a design and color that make you happy and feel ready to dance and hang out with your classmates.
Talking to Your Date About Prom Flowers
Whether you’re going to prom with your significant other or a friend, it’s a tradition that your date gets you a corsage or bouquet. Communicate with your date to decide if they are buying your prom flowers.
If your date wants to purchase the flowers for prom, help them get you the perfect corsage or bouquet by sharing all the details you want in the floral arrangements. Share photos of your dress or a color swatch for them to bring to the florist. Explain the style or type of corsage you have in mind and any extra design elements you prefer to include.
You can also choose to go to the florist together. It might be easier for the two of you to shop together to ensure you both buy the perfect set of flowers.
It’s best to plan and order your prom flowers sooner than later. Prom season can be extremely busy for flower shops. Florists are creating flower arrangements for proms, weddings and Mother’s Day. You want to make sure your flowers are ready in time for the event. To order your flowers in time, plan for you and your date to go flower shopping at least two weeks before the day of your prom.
Shop for Your Prom Dress at Alexandra’s Too
Prom night is a time many high school students look forward to, and you want to feel stunning on this special night. It’s important to find flowers to complement a beautiful dress. Your dress should speak to your personality and make you feel positive and ready to celebrate.
Shopping for your prom dress is one of the biggest steps in getting ready for prom. You’ll browse online to see trending styles, popular colors and different dress designers that have unique gown designs. From short to long dresses, form-fitting to flowy, solid color to multi-color, there is an array of styles to browse through before you find your prom dress.
Find your perfect prom dress at Alexandra’s Boutique. Our second location fully dedicated to prom, Alexandra’s too, has a wide selection of prom dresses for customers to check out. Our online selection has the top styles of prom dresses, so you’re sure to find a gown that suits your personality.
Shop prom dresses online or visit us in-person. We’re ready to provide high-quality customer service and help you find the right dress for your prom.
