The bouquet residence! Bridal bouquet inspiration

We don't know about you, but we often wonder why we still adhere to wedding traditions today, when the meaning of so many of them has been lost to annals of time. Indeed many of today's couples are choosing to skip age old customs in favour of elements that mean more to them. But before you do that, it might be interesting to delve into the history and symbolism of the tradition to find out why it was such a big deal in the first place, as you might find it still resonates with you.

Under our microscope today is the wedding bouquet. Is it just pretty or is there a hidden meaning behind it? Well, bridal bouquets do in fact have a long and layered history, and weren't always as romantic in appearence as they are today! Its origins lie in ancient Greece and Rome when brides carried herbs, garlic and spices rather than flowers. These were believed to ward off evil spirits, back luck and even illness. Whereas, in ancient Egypt, flowers and herbs sybolised new beginnings, fertility and celebration, which still rings true today.

Moving on to the medieval period and Renaissance Europe bouquets often included strong-smelling plants like dill, rosemary, and lavender. As well as for aesthetics, this was partly for protection and partly to mask unpleasant odors from the filthy stress of this less than hygenic era! Interestingly, herbs such as dill were also eaten by the bride and groom after the ceremony as an aphrodisiac - ooh er!

As with many wedding traditionals, things took a turn in the Victorian period into a form that we'd more readily recognise today. Queen Victoria's wedding to her beloved Prince Albert was the epitome of a celebrity wedding, and once that had a much further-reaching influence than any of today's A-listers. So, much of what we still see in weddings today, can be traced back to the royal couple. During the 19th century, especially in Britain, bouquets became more about beauty and symbolism rather than superstition. The Victorians popularised the language of flowers (floriography), where each bloom had a meaning. We've put together a list of our favourites for you to bear in mind as you select the blooms for your own bouquet:

Anemone – anticipation and protection
Gypsophila – everlasting love
Carnation – pink symbolises gratitude, white represents pure love
Cornflower – prosperity and friendship
Gardenia – gentleness and joy
Chrysanthemum – happiness, longevity and devotion
Daffodil – new beginnings and hope
Daisy – innocence and loyal love
Freesia – friendship and trust
Hydrangea – gratitude and understanding
Iris – faith, valour and wisdom
Lavender – devotion, serenity and grace
Lily – purity
Lily of the valley – sweetness and purity of heart
Lisianthus – confidence, charisma and charm
Orchid – refinement, thoughtfulness and charm
Peony – romance, prosperity, good luck and a happy life
Protea – courage and diversity
Ranunculus – radiant charm and attractiveness
Rose – red symbolises passionate love, pink symbolises admiration, and white symbolises purity, while yellow represents friendship
Sunflower – dedicated love
Sweet pea – blissful pleasure
Tulip – perfect and deep love

DID YOU KNOW?

The bouquet toss evolved from the older custom of guests trying to take a piece of the bride’s dress for good luck! So, we can imagine this was invented for purely practical reasons to save the beautiful bride's gown! Throwing flowers distracted guests while the couple made their getaway. This later evolved into the idea that the person to catch the bouquet would be the next to marry. More cunning tactics empolyed by brides to preserve their dignity here! The idea was that whoever caught the bouquet would inherit the bride’s good fortune in love and thus be next to marry.

What do you think of the bouquet toss? Is this something you'd like to include on your wedding day? Or would you rather keep hold of the beautiful blooms to preserve as a keepsake?

20 WEDDING BOUQUET IDEAS
The bridal bouquet is a wonderful way to bring your palette together as well as reflecting your personal vibe and wedding theme. So, we've put together a moodboard of gorgeous modern examples to inspire your design whether you're a fan of rustic romance, soft pastels or bold brights and more.