The Language Of Flowers: Understanding The Significance Of The Bridal Bouquet

The bridal bouquet is an important part of a bride's wedding day look. While brides today may choose their bouquet based on aesthetics, many still opt for flowers with symbolic meanings. This practice, called floriography, dates back to Victorian times, when flowers were used to express emotions.

The tradition of carrying flowers at weddings, however, goes back even further. During the Romanesque period, brides and grooms wore flower garlands to symbolise new life, hope, and faith. Flowers were also believed to have magical effects, protecting the wearer from illnesses and misfortune, as well as warding off evil spirits.

Today, the wedding bouquet is considered a symbol of happiness and satisfaction in marriage, while the ribbon tying the bouquet symbolises fellowship.

The history of the bouquet toss

The wedding bouquet toss is a tradition that has existed for hundreds of years and has evolved over time. The origins of the bouquet toss can be traced back to ancient Rome, where brides would carry or wear flowers as a symbol of new beginnings, fertility, and fidelity. These flowers were often a combination of herbs, like rosemary and dill, which were believed to have magical properties that would ward off evil spirits and ensure a happy marriage. In the Middle Ages, brides carried elaborate bouquets made of fragrant herbs, flowers, and spices, often scented with rosewater to mask unpleasant odours in crowded, unhygienic churches.

In Medieval Europe, wedding dresses were considered lucky, and some women would try to tear off pieces of the bride's dress to share in the good luck. To escape, the bride would toss her bouquet to distract the crowd and then run off with her husband. Eventually, this practice evolved into a tradition where the bride tosses her bouquet to a group of single women, and whoever catches it is supposedly "next" to walk down the aisle. This tradition started in England in the 1800s, but its origins are older. Before the 1800s, it was considered good luck to touch the bride or her wedding dress on her wedding day.

Today, the bouquet toss is a fun and lighthearted way to celebrate the end of the wedding ceremony and honour the women in the bride's life. It is also more inclusive, with some couples choosing to toss the bouquet to all their guests, regardless of gender or marital status.

Flowers as symbols of love and romance

Flowers have long been used to express emotions and symbolise specific qualities. Floriography, or the language of flowers, dates back to Victorian times, when flowers were used to express feelings that words and gestures could not.

The rose is the most famous wedding bouquet flower, and the bloom most closely associated with love and romance. Red roses, in particular, symbolise passionate, true love, while pink roses signify admiration and joy. However, each colour carries a different meaning: white roses represent innocence and purity, orange or coral shades reflect deep desire, and yellow roses signify friendship.

Peonies are another popular choice for brides. These sweet and sentimental flowers symbolise happiness and ambition, and are said to bring good fortune and a happy marriage. Stephanotis, with its beautiful white petals, is also a popular choice, symbolising reliability, trustworthiness, and the return of happiness.

Orchids have been a symbol of luxury, beauty, and love since the Victorian era, especially pink shades, which represent pure affection. Tulips, especially red ones, are another flower that signifies perfect love.

Other flowers that represent love include lilacs, sunflowers, chrysanthemums, and carnations.

The 'language' of flowers

Flowers have been used to express emotions and represent specific qualities for millennia. Floriography, or the language of flowers, dates back to Victorian times, when flowers were used to express feelings that words and gestures could not. Each flower and even each colour carries a unique meaning, and these can be combined to create a bouquet that symbolises a couple's feelings for one another.

The rose is the most famous wedding flower, with red roses signifying true love, yellow representing friendship, white alluding to innocence and humility, and orange reflecting deep desire. However, crimson roses should be avoided, as these signify mourning.

Peonies are another popular choice, symbolising happiness and ambition, and are said to bring good fortune and a happy marriage. Stephanotis, with its beautiful white petals, also symbolises marital bliss. The tiny white flowers are shaped like crowns, making them a fitting choice for a regal bouquet.

Orchids have been a symbol of luxury, beauty, and love since the Victorian era, especially pink shades, which represent pure affection. In Ancient Greece, orchids were associated with virility.

Tulips, especially red ones, signify perfect love. Purple tulips are associated with royalty, while variegated shades are said to represent beautiful eyes.

Other flowers with positive meanings include sunflowers, which symbolise unwavering faith and unconditional love; lavender, which is associated with happy marriage, love, devotion, and fertility; and baby's breath, which represents everlasting love.

When creating a bouquet, it's important to avoid flowers with negative associations, such as begonias, which symbolise "beware", and tansy, which is associated with "hostile thoughts".

Choosing flowers based on their significance

Flowers have been used to express emotions and represent specific qualities for millennia, and each bloom carries its own unique meaning. The "language of flowers", or floriography, dates back to Victorian times, when flowers were used to express emotions that words and gestures could not.

Roses

The rose is one of the most famous wedding flowers, closely linked to love and romance. The different colours of roses carry different meanings:

• Red roses signify true love, passion and desire.
• Yellow roses represent friendship.
• White roses allude to innocence, purity, humility, and new beginnings.
• Orange or coral roses reflect deep feelings of desire and enthusiasm.
• Lavender roses represent love at first sight.
• Pink roses signify grace, happiness, admiration, and gentleness.

Peonies

Peonies are sweet and sentimental, symbolising happiness, ambition, honour, fortune, and a happy relationship. They are said to bring good fortune and are the official flower of 12th wedding anniversaries. The different shades of peonies also carry different meanings:

• Deep red signifies love and passion.
• Pink shades are romantic and sought out for bouquets and wedding arrangements.
• White peonies symbolise beauty.

Stephanotis

Stephanotis is a popular choice for bridal bouquets due to its beautiful white petals and star shape, which lends itself well to different styles of arrangements. Stephanotis symbolises marital bliss, reliability, trustworthiness, and the return of happiness.

Orchids

Orchids symbolise luxury, beauty, love, and strength. They are also a Chinese symbol for many children and were particularly treasured in Japan, where they were given to wish success for the recipient. Pink orchids represent pure affection.

Sunflowers

Sunflowers symbolise unwavering faith, unconditional love, vitality, intelligence, and happiness. In Chinese culture, they are also associated with good fortune.

Lavender

Lavender has long been associated with happy marriages, love, devotion, and fertility. It promotes calm and a feeling of peace, and is said to bring happiness and luck to a marriage in Irish tradition.

Baby's Breath

Baby's Breath represents everlasting love and is a popular addition to wedding bouquets. It is also a great choice for new mothers or mothers-to-be.

Calla Lilies

Calla lilies are said to bring wedded bliss and are associated with life, fertility, and beauty. Their trumpet-shaped blooms add a sleek and modern look to any arrangement.

Lilacs

Lilacs symbolise love, passion, first love, and romance.

Daisies

Daisies symbolise sweetness, purity of heart, nature spirits, love, children, motherhood, sensuality, and fertility. They are said to bring loyalty, love, and purity.

Carnations

Carnations represent fascination, distinction, devotion, and love.

• White carnations symbolise pure love and adoration.
• Pink carnations say, "I'll never forget you."
• Yellow carnations express romantic rejection and disdain.

Lilies of the Valley

These sweet little white blossoms represent rebirth, new beginnings, humility, luck in love, and the return of happiness.

Gerbera Daisies

Gerbera daisies come in various colours, each with its own meaning:

• Yellow gerberas symbolise cheerfulness and celebration.
• Red gerberas mean being fully immersed in love.
• Pink gerberas signify admiration, adoration, or high esteem.

These are just a few examples of the many flowers that can be chosen for a wedding bouquet, each with their own special significance.

The meaning of the most popular wedding flowers

Flowers have been used to express emotions and symbolise specific qualities for thousands of years. The language of flowers, or floriography, dates back to Victorian times, when flowers were used to express emotions that words and gestures could not.

Roses

The rose is one of the oldest known flowers and is the most famous part of any wedding bouquet. Red roses signify true and passionate love, while white roses represent new beginnings, charm, innocence, and purity. Pink roses stand for grace, joy, admiration, and perfect happiness. Orange or coral roses reflect deep feelings of desire, and yellow roses represent friendship.

Peonies

Peonies symbolise a happy marriage, honour, love, happiness, wealth, romance, and bashfulness. They are also said to bring good fortune and are the official flower of 12th wedding anniversaries.

Stephanotis

Stephanotis is a flower with star-shaped white petals that symbolise marital bliss and the return of happiness.

Orchids

Orchids symbolise luxury, beauty, love, refinement, charm, and strength. In Japan, orchids are also associated with bravery, courage, and good fortune.

Lilies

Calla lilies are associated with regal elegance and magnificent beauty. Tiger lilies, on the other hand, are a symbol of wealth and pride. White lilies represent rebirth, new beginnings, and humility, while orange lilies symbolise passion, and yellow lilies represent gaiety.

Sunflowers

Sunflowers symbolise unwavering faith, unconditional love, good fortune, vitality, intelligence, and happiness.

Lavender

Lavender is associated with happy marriages, love, devotion, fertility, calm, wellbeing, and peace. In Irish tradition, it is said to bring luck to a marriage.

Baby's Breath

Baby's breath, or Gypsophilia, represents innocence, purity of heart, and everlasting love.

Lilacs

Lilacs symbolise love, passion, first love, and romance.

Cherry Blossoms

Cherry blossoms represent love, luck, abundance, and femininity.

Daisies

Daisies symbolise sweetness, purity of heart, nature spirits, love, children, loyalty, gentleness, and innocence.

Carnations

White carnations symbolise pure love and adoration, while pink carnations convey gratitude and the message "I'll never forget you".

Chrysanthemums

Red chrysanthemums are a symbol of love, and white chrysanthemums represent loyalty and devoted love. Overall, chrysanthemums are believed to represent happiness, love, longevity, and joy.

Frequently asked questions