A Keepsake Bouquet

A new trend in bridal bouquets is the brooch bouquet. Timeless and everlasting, they bring sentiment and sparkle to the bride's wedding day. My good friend Jessie was married this past weekend and I attended the event, which was a small and intimate gathering of close friends and family. One of the most striking features of Jessie's attire was the brooch bouquet that her mother, Sharron, had made for her.

Sharron worked for hours to hand craft the flowers you see amid the jewelry. She also spent a good deal of time sourcing special brooches, pins and earrings for the bouquet. Some of the examples of brooches shown are very old and quite valuable, belonging to relatives and friends of the family. Some are new, as well. Sharron presented the bouquet to her daughter in an old hat box that belonged to my Great Aunt Ann, which is where Jessie will store it. The whole effect was very beautiful. For Jessie, knowing it was made with so much care only lends to its value. Rather than blindly tossing an arrangement of beautiful flowers over one's shoulder, consider the handcrafted bouquet instead. Its meaning and sentimental value will far outlast the events of the day itself. Shown here is a photo of Jessie's bouquet, taken by photographer Jennifer Pershick, who is based in Ottawa.