Flowers

Flowers have been seen as part of the wedding ceremony for as long as we can remember. During Roman times both the bride and groom wore floral garlands.

The tradition of the flower girl scattering rose petals along the aisle of the church probably dates from the Middle Ages.

As well as considering the colour and personal preferences some brides like also to consider the symbolic association of certain flowers when choosing their bridal bouquet. I have listed some of these below:

Flower	Hidden message
Carnation	Fascination
Chrysanthemum	Truth
Daffodil	Regard
Daisy	Innocence
Fern	Fascination
Flowering Almond	Hope
For-get-me-not	Remembrance
Heliotrope	Devotion
Honeysuckle	Generosity
Hyacinth	Loveliness
Ivy	Fidelity
Iris	Flame
Japonica	Loveliness
Jasmine	Amiability
Lemon blossom	Fidelity of love
Lilac	Youthful innocence
Lily	Majesty
Lily-of-the-valley	Return of happiness
Magnolia	Perseverance
Maidenhair	Discretion
Mimosa	Sensitivity
Orange blossom	Purity
Rose	Love
Sweet pea	Pleasure
Tulip	Love
Violet	Faithfulness

However these meanings can differ sometimes from region to region and in different cultures.

Orange blossoms are a traditional flower to use for weddings as they symbolise that the purity of the bride equals her loveliness, and because it is an evergreen, it is also though to symbolise the everlasting nature of the couples love for each other.

Peonies are thought to be avoided by some as they represent shame and a combination of red and white flowers is thought to stand for blood and bandages and so should be avoided.

Knots at the end of the ribbon in the bridal bouquet ‘lovers knots’ is traditionally thought to symbolise unity and each one is thought to represent a good wish for the couple.

The groom and male guests usually wear just a single flower in there buttonhole traditionally, normally one that appears in the bridal bouquet – this goes back to the days of wedding favours – made of ribbon and given to all of the guests at the wedding. Men in the 18^th century sometimes wore satin bows, but today the groom is more likely to wear a single white carnation, although in some places, especially the United States the groom may wear a small version of the bridal bouquet in his buttonhole.

The buttonhole is also thought to be a vestige of the time when a Knight would wear his ladies colours to do battle – thus displaying his love.

Throwing the bridal bouquet is a fairly recent addition to the wedding rituals and takes place before the bride and groom depart for their honeymoon. The un-married woman who catches it is supposed to be the next to ‘catch’ a husband for herself.