Important Tradition of Wedding Bouquets
Wedding bouquets have a tradition dating back for centuries. Sadly, one of the first reasons for the bridal bouquet was to disguise the pungent smell of the bride. Now, bouquets are carried for much more romantic reasons. Flowers are incorporated into the wedding ceremony as decorations and in the bridal bouquet. Flowers are thought to be a symbol of fertility.
The first wedding bouquets consisted of herbs and later, orange blossoms. The flowers in wedding bouquets are said to signify the bride’s feelings about the wedding. Roses, of course, signify love and daisies represent innocence. Tulips represent “consuming love” and “happy years” and can be very meaningful to some couples. Tulips are available in a wide assortment of colors, making them an excellent choice for bridal bouquets. Brides are discouraged from carrying bouquets made of petunias as they signify anger and resentment. Most brides carry wedding bouquets made of their favorite flowers. The color of the flowers should complement the wedding’s colors, but this color can be carried out through the use of ribbons.
The wedding bouquet is traditionally carried by the bride until she arrives at the altar. Once there, the bouquet is handed to her maid of honor so that the bride can take the hand of her beloved. After the wedding kiss, the bride reclaims her bouquet to carry back down the aisle.
Traditionally, all female members of the wedding party carry a bouquet. The bouquets carried by the bride’s attendants are similar to the bride’s bouquet, but usually a smaller version. Until recently, most bridal bouquets consisted of white flowers. Brides have begun to add some color to their bouquets, frequently incorporating the primary colors of the wedding. The attendants’ bouquets often contain the secondary colors of the wedding.
Bouquets can be lavish or a simple arrangement of one or two flowers. Long stemmed roses are always a popular choice, but in recent years, they have been competing with calla lilies as the most popular wedding flower. When consisting of only a few flowers, many bridal bouquets are complimented by greenery or ribbons. Some brides choose to incorporate a Bible into their bouquets.
Just as the female members of the wedding party carry wedding bouquets, the male members of the wedding party wear boutonnieres in matching or complimenting colors. Corsages are generally worn by the mothers and grandmothers of the couple.
Most brides opt for live flowers, but some brides prefer silk flowers instead. Silk is a good option for brides who want to retain their bouquets. It is also used when the bride or groom have an allergy to flowers.
The tradition of the bride tossing the bouquet to unmarried female guests dates back to an old English custom. Hoping for some of the bride’s good luck, female guests would try to rip pieces of her dress. To escape the women, the bride would toss her bouquet and run away. Today, the bouquet is tossed amid the single female guests with the belief that the woman who catches the bouquet will be the next to wed.