While there’s a lot to think about when choosing flowers for your wedding, there are also plenty of rules out there that may or may not be helpful. It’s important to remember first and foremost that this is your day and you can keep or break as many of those rules as you like. Moreover, people choose certain flowers for their bouquets for a lot of different reasons.
Thanks to the Victorian era, the symbolism behind flowers became an important way to communicate feelings, so flowers are often chosen with their meanings in mind. You might also want to be pragmatic, looking at which flowers are in season or more cost-effective at the time of your wedding. Some people even choose to include items beyond flowers in their bouquets. At Conklyn’s Weddings, we want to help you make the perfect choice for you. Here are some things you might consider when choosing your wedding bouquet flowers.
Choosing Wedding Flowers Because of their Symbolism
Since the Victorian era, when couples would communicate their specific feelings to one another using flowers instead of words (like a secret code), the symbolic meaning of flowers has often played a role in the selection of wedding bouquets. From loyalty to happiness, prosperity to fertility, the symbolism behind flowers might be something you consider when choosing your wedding flowers. If you’d like a certain sentiment to be represented at your wedding, take a look at this inclusive list of various popular wedding flowers and what they mean. You may discover something you never thought of before that says exactly what you want to communicate- without uttering a word.
Why Certain Flowers are Chosen (or Not)
There are some flowers out there that might not make the best addition to your bridal bouquet or other floral wedding decor, so be sure to do a little research before making your final decision. Certain varieties, like gardenias or peonies, are absolutely beautiful and fragrant, but are so short-lived and pricey that you may want to keep looking. Other varieties may simply be out of season during the time you plan to wed, and therefore will be hard-to-find or expensive-to-import. However, some brides choose to follow the choices of those they admire. For instance, Lily of the Valley is not only the traditional wedding flower, it’s also the chosen flower of royalty. Kate Middleton, Grace Kelly, Queen Victoria and Princess Astrid of Sweden all included Lily of the Valley in their wedding bouquets. In a similar nod to tradition, you might choose to carry the same flowers your mother or grandmother carried in her wedding bouquet.
Other Items to Include in your Wedding Bouquet
Some cultures throughout history included non-floral items in their wedding bouquets for various purposes. For example, the Ancient Romans and Greeks, in a concerted effort to ward off evil spirits, carried garlic in their wedding bouquets. Some cultures have included other, more fragrant herbs like rosemary, thyme, or lavender, and even stalks of wheat to symbolize abundance, along with their wedding flowers. Today, some brides choose to attach a special memento, like a locket from a grandmother, a monogrammed ribbon or a special family jewel to their wedding bouquet to include their own special meaning as they approach the altar.
There is no special formula for choosing the perfect wedding flowers. So what if your favorite flower- the ones he brought you on your first date- don’t carry a traditional meaning? If they’re meaningful to you, you should carry them with you on your special day. Your bouquet should be as original, unique and priceless as you. To learn more about which flowers signify the meaning you want to convey, talk to the floral experts at Conklyn’s Weddings. We’re here to help you every step of the way as you design your perfect wedding.