Flowers and Weddings

                                                                                         

In Western culture, flowers go with weddings like salt goes with pepper. In this article, the history of the use of flowers at weddings is discussed, as well as the use of different styles of arrangements, such as the ever-popular bouquet. Finally, some suggestions as to what sorts of flowers are suited at a wedding are given.

History of Wedding Flowers

The history of flowers at weddings is a long one. Ancient Greek and Roman brides used to carry a garland in their hair, instead of a bouquet, which was made of very aromatic herbs and garlic. The smell was thought to keep evil spirits away on this special day. Later, the garland was replaced by a bouquet to be carried by the bride, which still used to contain herbs in it, such as dill. Interestingly, the bride, groom, and guests used to eat the bouquet to benefit from dill’s supposed aphrodisiacal affects. The Victorians in Britain helped catapult the love of flowers to present levels, and when Queen Victoria married Prince Albert in 1840, flowers had started to replace herbs, although she still had the edible flower marigold in her bouquet. Victoria’s bouquet also established the use of the posy, a design still popular to this day. Yet it’s not just Western culture that features flowers at weddings. From India to Hawaii, flowers feature prominently, with luscious blooms representing life and fertility at wedding ceremonies across the world.

What Flowers Do You Need at a Wedding?

It’s very easy to go over the top when buying flowers for a wedding, so you should first set a budget. Over- zealous florists could set your bank balance into free fall. As well as the bridal bouquet, you might consider flowers for the bride’s hair, different bouquets for the maid of honour, the flower girl, flowers for the groom (boutonniere) and best man, different corsages for mothers of the bride and groom, plus the flowers for the ceremony and reception itself, from decorating altar and pew to the centrepiece, and even the bar afterwards!

Tips for Selecting a Bouquet

• Flowers in season: If they are in season and more easily available, costs will be kept down. If you want something not in bloom you could always go for artificial flowers, which are cheaper and can be kept as a memento.
• Think carefully about size: Even if you have a huge budget, you don’t want a huge bouquet, especially if the bride is quite petite. Not only will it look silly, it might be quite heavy.
• Think how well they will hold up. Some flowers are hardier than others, and if you’re taking photos all day you will want flowers that can deal with a bit of sun, rain or wind. You might also get a bouquet holder because of this, which also keeps them hydrated.
• Match them to the outfits worn: You can show the florist pictures of the clothing arranged,

Type of Flowers Used at Weddings.

Finally, and importantly, put a lot of thought into the type of flowers used, depending on your day specifically. For example, jasmine symbolises happiness and tulips can mean enchantment. If these are important for you, go for them.

On the other hand, if you have friends missing, you could opt for some zinnias, which symbolise absent friends. Ivy is popular in wedding bouquets, as it is said to represent fidelity, friendship and marriage itself, while violets are said to stand for modesty and hope. Roses are always popular, particularly the ‘passionate’ red and orange varieties, while others settle for carnations, with pink associated with gratitude, and red with love and affection.

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