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Glossary: Floral Traditions
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Tossing the Bouquet: The origin of the bouquet toss is a little sweeter than that of the garter toss. There was an ancient belief that certain herbs contained in the bridal bouquet were good luck. In order to pass on this luck, the bride would choose a friend to present the bouquet to at the end of the wedding. Nowadays, the person who catches the bouquet is believed to be the next to marry. If you decide to toss a bouquet, it is a good idea to have your florist make a smaller bouquet to toss so that you can keep the original, which you may want to preserve. |
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| A Carpet of Petals: Flowers girls, busily scattering petals down the aisle, is a wedding tradition almost everyone adores. Tiny children, adorable in their finery, unpredictable in their nature, add an air of innocence to a wedding, as well as actively underscore the importance of family. The tradition of having young children scatter flora and greenery over the bride's path began first as a way to pay homage to the gods of fertility. In ancient times, flower girl predecessors would throw harvest grains and fragrant herbs. In Elizabethan times, these herb and grain bearing children became flower bearing girls, a tradition, some believe that stemmed partly from the Elizabethan custom of using fragrant flowers to mask otherwise unpleasant odors. Today's flowers girl may carry a basket of rose or flower petals that she scatters down the aisle, or a small bouquet. Or if flower petals are prohibited in your church, she may carry baby roses to pass out as she walks down the aisle. |
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| Wreaths: The tradition of wearing floral, green or grain wreaths as crowns is over two thousand years old, dating back to ancient Greece. Romans also crowned their brides and grooms with a wreath of flora, the corona nuptials. Wreaths mirror rings in their symbolism -- unbroken circles standing for purity, innocence, and eternity. Across continents, wearing wreaths has remained a beloved bridal tradition; some Native American brides wear wreaths of maize, Spanish brides wear orange blossoms, Norwegian brides wear white roses and both Greek brides and grooms are crowned during the ceremony. |
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| Garlands: Hawaiian brides and grooms wear ornate flower leis during their ceremonies. Traditionally, the groom's lei is made of maile, a spicy-scented vine, and the bride's lei is made of pikake, a fragrant jasmine. The bride may also choose to wear a floral haku headband. During the ceremony, the union of husband and wife is symbolized by tying their hands with maile. |
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| Asian-Influence: Many Asian brides choose to honor their heritage by selecting beloved Asian flowers like orchids, calla lilies, philanopsis, cherry blossoms and lucky red roses. For centerpiece ideas, Japanese brides might consider Ikebana, traditional flower arrangements that symbolize the relationships between heaven, earth and humanity. |
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| African-Influence: Brides looking for Afrocentric wedding ideas might consider a bouquet of grains, such as wheat-like raw rice. For a more traditional style, Afrocentric brides may select brighter, more vivid, tropical blooms to use in classic arrangements. Additionally, greens like eucalyptus, and fruit like hospitality-laden pomegranates, are stunning and unusual in arrangements. |
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| Honoring the Beloved: Gifts of flower bouquets and garlands are often given as a gesture of honor. After walking down the aisle, a bride might present a rose to both her mother and mother-in-law, in a gesture of love and respect. Many Catholic brides lay special bouquets at the feet of the Virgin Mary on their wedding days; Latina-Catholic brides living in the Americas traditionally offer a bouquet to both the Virgin Mary and Our Lady of Guadalupe. |
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| Colors: In China, red is the shade of happiness and luck. For this reason, red blooms are often integrated into wedding ceremonies. In Japan, the color of love is purple. In Latin America, some flowers are associated with unhappy or mournful events; yellow flowers are blooms of death, and purple and white flowers, the flora of funerals. Spanish symbolism is even more specific, with chrysanthemums and dahlias closely tied to death and funerals. If you are considering a ceremony honoring your Spanish heritage, think twice before walking down the aisle with bad luck in your bouquet. |
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| Cuttings: Long ago, brides took cuttings of their bouquets and planted them near the door of their new home. Favorite cuttings were myrtle and rosemary, hearty plants that easily took root, reminding brides and grooms that the roots of marriage are strong. When deciding what blooms to use in your bridal bouquet, ask your florist to show you flowers and small plants that can be planted after the celebration is over. With one or two hearty cuttings from your bouquet, you may find yourself with a lovely symbol of marriage taking root in the heart and soul. |
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