Next to your dress and your ring, one of the most personal expressions of a wedding is your bridal bouquet. And in a recent Brides Magazine poll, 3 out of 4 guests remembered what the flowers looked like at the last wedding they attended.
Flowers are not only an expression of style and color, but their meanings are rooted in history, when Queen Victoria popularized “The Language of Flowers.” Most of us know that red roses symbolize love and desire, while one of the most traditional wedding flowers, the Calla Lily, represents beauty. A famous example of the influence of the language of flowers is Princess Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, who chose a delicate, simple bouquet consisting of:
- Lily-of-the-valley – Return of happiness.
- Sweet William – Gallantry.
- Hyacinth – Constancy of love.
- Ivy – Fidelity; marriage; wedded love; friendship; affection.
- Myrtle – The emblem of marriage; love.
(https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2011/apr/30/kate-middleton-homegrown-bouquet-wedding)
The groom’s boutonniere is also rooted in tradition. Wearing a flower from the bride’s bouquet harkens back to medieval times of wearing the bride’s colors to declare his love for her.
While wedding flowers have traditional meanings, they are also subject to fashion and trends. Current trends in wedding flowers include succulents, herbs, or carrying single stems. Brides are also choosing non-traditional options such as shell bouquets for their beach weddings, or bouquets made from vintage brooches or feathers.
If budget is an issue, don’t assume that silks are the best choice. We’ll admit at Simple Weddings we are not fans of artificial flowers, simply because they end up looking cheap in photography. When you’re investing in your wedding and photography to last a lifetime, why cut corners on such an important part of the look of your wedding? Instead, your wedding planner and floral designer can help you choose flowers that are budget friendly. One of the biggest factors in cost is whether your flowers are in season, so an easy solution is not to choose spring flowers for a fall wedding. 
You can also reflect your wedding theme in your flowers by choosing ribbons, pearls, or burlap to wrap the stems. Or add some bling to the center of the flowers with crystal or pearl accents. Your wedding flowers can have additional sentiment if you choose flowers that are your mother’s favorite, or perhaps were carried in your grandmother’s bouquet. You can also honor a deceased loved one by having your floral designer incorporate a loved one’s brooch or rosary beads.
Check out the bouquets on our Pinterest page and be sure to share photos of designs that you love with your wedding planner and floral designer so your flowers will be not only a beautiful, but personal expression of your wedding day.