The History of Wedding Flowers

By learning a little bit about the history of wedding flowers and their traditions, a bride can express her personality and make your wedding a little more unique with her choice of flowers.

Traditionally, wedding flowers have represented love and victory. They are often the highlight of any event and can help to make a wedding beautiful and unique.

The Bouquet

Picture of bride holding purple and white wedding bouquet.

Originally, the bridal bouquet, which was made of herbs, was considered a symbol of happiness.

Each herb used in the bouquet had a meaningful definition.

Some common herbs used in ancient bouquets:

Garlic was used to cast off evil spirits.

Dill is the herb for lust.

Heather means good luck.

Ivy is used for fidelity.

Rosemary is for remembrance.

Sage is the herb for wisdom.

Thistle stands for austerity.

Later, it became the custom for the bouquet to be made of all white flowers.

Today, a bride carries a bouquet because it is beautiful and can add special meaning to her wedding.

The bouquet can be made using one type of flower, multicolored flowers, dried flowers, or silk flowers.

Many brides will choose to have a bouquet made of flowers that have a personal meaning to them. Such as using the same type of flower as the first flower the groom-to-be gave her.

THE MEANING OF FLOWERS

Since every flower has its own special meaning, a bride can use flowers to display a message. For example, orange blossoms signify loveliness, happiness, and fertility.

Learn more about the meaning of flowers.

Veil or No Veil

For the bride who does not want to wear a veil, she can have a hair wreath made of ivy, orange blossoms, or of the same flowers as those in her bouquet.

Customs and Traditions

Flowers can be used in many ways to reflect the bride's personality and to add style and distinction to the ceremony and reception.

Common Wedding Customs

The custom of throwing grains, herbs, flowers or rushes on the bridal path was thought to bring fertility and prosperity to the married couple. Today, a flower girl will throw flower petals in the brides path.

Another common custom is for the bride to save the ribbons and bows from the gifts she receives at her bridal shower. She can use these to create a unique bouquet to carry during the rehearsal.

Many brides continue the custom of attaching ribbons with "love knots" tied in them to their bouquet. Traditionally, three knots represent the bride, groom, and future children.

The tossing of the bridal bouquet is traced to the fourteenth and fifteenth century. While earlier in this century the bouquet was thrown only to unmarried bridesmaids, now days everyone is invited to have a chance at catching it.

A new trend known as a 'rose exchange' is being used by some couples in their ceremonies. The bride and groom exchange a single red or white rose to symbolize their love for each other.