Flowers play a huge part in the decorations, festivities and symbolism of wedding. The use of flowers for weddings dates back to Victorian England when it was seen in poor taste to verbalise feelings; instead bunches of flowers became coded messages that altered depending on the variety and colour of the bloom.
While nowadays couples are more than comfortable sharing their feelings and hopes openly with their family, friends and partners-to-be, the intention of using flowers for special wedding messages is still very popular. Not all brides pick a gorgeous poesy just for the colours!
So how can you pick the best flowers for your special day?
Know your colour scheme first
Here’s your chance to inject your theme into the main centrepiece!
Once you have your colour scheme written down, share this with your florist who will be able to select the most appropriate varietals for your needs.
Many brides use flower decorations to highlight and showcase their favourite colour. Splashes of purple, orange, burgundy, blue and yellow in your bouquet, table settings and decorations can turn a generic wedding celebration into a deeply personal one without the huge price tag.
Select for your setting
A bunch of stoic red roses is going to look somewhat out of place at an otherwise trendy and casual beachside wedding.
If you want to make your wedding personal for you and your partner, don’t get caught up with traditions that have no place in your celebration.
Be creative and think about the sorts of flowers that would thrive naturally near your setting. If it’s a beach, why not some brightly coloured lilies or some fragrant gardenia and frangipani? If you’re in a rustic setting, explore the haphazard look of a rich countryside garden with gently coloured roses, bold chrysanthemums and anemones with plenty of greenery.
Read Also: How To Pick Your Ideal Wedding Venue
Dig into the history of the blooms
If you’re looking to hark back to generations past, developing a sweet coded message with your flowers might add a touch of personality without being overt. Some flowers have very particular meanings:
Anemone: Expectation
Aster: Love and happiness
Baby’s Breath: Innocence
Calla Lily: Magnificent beauty
Carnation: Deep, pure love
Chrysanthemum: Wealth, abundance and truth
Freesia: Trust
Gardenia: Joy and purity
Hydrangea: Understanding
Iris: Faith and wisdom
Ivory rose: Fidelity
Yellow rose: Friendship
Lily of the Valley: Happiness
Lily: Truth, honour and majesty
Magnolia: Love of nature
Pink rose: Gratitude and happiness
Poppy: Imagination
Red rose: Passion
Stephanotis: Marital happiness
Sweet Pea: Pleasure
Tulips: Undying love and passion
White rose: Innocence
In-season all the way!
If you want to save some cash and still get the look and feel that you want for your bouquet, ask your florist to choose in-season flowers.
While it can be disheartening to miss out on some of Australia’s favourite blooms (such as peonies, which are only available for up to two months of the year), any experienced florist will be able to create a stunning bouquet from available flowers to best reflect your design choice.
For example, roses are incredibly popular because they are largely hardy, versatile and grown year-round by nurseries all over the country.
This means that a florist has access to a range of options and colours; cupped blooms in blush to frilly quartered blooms in deep fuchsia and traditional high-centred flowers in red through to pompon blooms in apricot.