The History of Wedding Flowers

By learning a little bit about the history of wedding flowers and wedding flower traditions, a bride will be able to express her personality in her choice of flowers.

Traditionally, wedding flowers have represented love and victory. They are often the highlight of a wedding, and their use can make a wedding beautiful and unique.

The 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.

Below are some common herbs used in ancient bouquets.

• Garlic was used to cast off evil spirits.
• Dill is the herb for lust.
• Heather meant 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 wedding custom for the wedding bouquet to be made with all white flowers.

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

A wedding 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 special 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 special message. For example, orange blossoms signify loveliness, happiness, and fertility.

Veil or No Veil

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

Wedding Customs and Traditions

Common Wedding Customs

• The wedding 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.
• Save the ribbons and bows from the gifts you receive at your bridal shower and create a unique bouquet made from these to carry during the wedding rehearsal.
• Many brides continue the wedding custom of ribbons with "love knots" tied in them by attaching them to their bouquet. Traditionally, three knots will 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.
• The groom can wear a flower that appears in the bridal bouquet in his buttonhole as a declaration of his love.

So, by learning a little bit about the history of wedding flowers, you can now make your wedding a little more special.

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