Whether you love the beautiful smell of roses, or daffodils are reminiscent of a farm you visited as a child, wedding flowers can be chosen for various reasons. However, what lies beneath the aesthetic of a flower is an international dictionary representing emotions that can transcend any heartfelt speech.

Budding Romance

Think of a time when you were lucky enough to receive a bouquet of blooms, and surely your heart fills with the warmth of the sender’s love. Whether used to complement your centrepieces, or sprinkled along the aisle, flowers are abundant on your wedding day. However, did you know that adding baby’s breath to your bouquet is said to bring everlasting love, or that a touch of honeysuckle represents devotion? A calla lily is said to symbolise beauty, while a carnation will bring devotion and deep love to your marriage. If you or your partner has overcome a difficult obstacle in life, try to incorporate a single protea into your arrangement as it’s said to represent courage.

Another popular flower of choice among engaged couples is the chrysanthemum, and for good reason. The beautiful bloom symbolises joy and happiness, which is certainly appropriate when you’re marrying the love of your life! Similarly, a red rose signifies passionate love, and from a daffodil spills the promise of new beginnings. Your special day should be personal and sentimental, so if you can’t decide which varieties to include in your floral arrangements, just ask your florist!

The Overall Look

Despite the many meanings associated with wedding flowers, Longman says couples are generally more focussed on the visual appeal
of the bouquet rather than what an individual variety symbolises. “Most requests [we] receive regarding specific flowers are more about the look

of the flower and how that portrays the couples theme, rather than what the flower means,” she says. “We don’t usually receive requests for specific flowers with regards to their meaning in general. However, we do sometimes receive requests from engaged couples regarding flower specific flower varieties due to the memories the couple may have attached to them or the personal meaning they have to the couple.”

An extremely popular style of bouquet is the posy. In the Victorian era, the small arrangement was considered an eloquent reminder of love for the recipient.

Much smaller in size and generally featuring a rounded top and ribbon-wrapped stem, a posy bouquet is a popular choice for brides-to-be. The arrangement is fairly structured, with stems either wrapped in or completely replace by florist’s wire, which creates a more formal look. Though peonies and heliotrope are popular in posy bouquets, the sky is the limit when it comes to choosing your blooms!

Forget-Me-Please

Although there are many precious memories that should be remembered, it’s the unpleasant ones that we try to forget. Since the use of flowers is so prominent at certain ceremonies, such as funerals, some varieties are associated with grief or death and thus should be avoided.

On occasion, a request to avoid a certain flower can come from a cultural background where superstitions are high or traditions have been followed for centuries. In Korea, white chrysanthemums are associated with funerals, so Korean couples will avoid using them at weddings. Likewise, white flowers are associated with death in Chinese culture, so brides and grooms prefer to incorporate red blooms into their wedding as they symbolise happiness and good luck.