The ever important selection of the bridal bouquet.
Many brides-to-be base their bouquet selection on 2 criteria: color and appearance. But what if you are poet at heart, a hopeless romantic whose sentimental heart yearns to be expressed through less obvious means?
What if you want to have, not just a beautiful bouquet but one fraught with meaning…like a secret message to your love? Meaning and sentiment? What could these possibly have to do with a bridal bouquet? Everything.
Flowers have a secret language unto themselves. So for those of you who would like to have, not just a beautiful bouquet, but one that tells a story, I present to you…
The Hidden Meaning of Flowers:
“There is a language, “little known,”
Lovers claim it as their own.
Its symbols smile upon the land,
Wrought by Nature’s wondrous hand;
and in their silent beauty speak,
Of life and joy, to those who seek
For Love Divine and sunny hours
In the the language of the flowers.”
-F.W.L.
Lily of the Valley & Forget Me Nots:
Meaning:
Lily of the Valley – Return of Happiness
Forget Me Not - True Love.
Violets & Pansies:
Meanings:
Violets – Faithfulness
Pansies – Thoughts
Roses & Honeysuckle:
Meaning:
Roses – Love
Honeysuckle – Bonds of Love
Lily of the Valley, Hyacinth, Sweet William & Myrtle:
Meaning:
Lily of the Valley – Return of Happiness
Hyacinth – Loveliness
Sweet William – Gallantry
Myrtle – Love
(and yes, that is Catherine Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding bouquet…simple and lovely)
Sweet Peas:
Meaning: Sweet Peas – Lasting Pleasures
Snowdrops:
Meaning: Snowdrops – Hope
For more information about flowers and their meanings visit Teleflora. Though not a comprehensive list, it covers many of the more popular flowers’ meanings. For a more comprehensive collection try “A Victorian Flower Dictionary.”
Kisses & Chaos,
Alli Woods Frederick
Image credits: | field of flowers – Indestructible Ideas lily of the valley & forget me nots – stock photo | violets & pansies - Martha Stewart Weddings | roses & honeysuckle – The Full Bouquet | lily of the valley, hyacinth, sweet william & myrtle – Betty Loves Blooms | sweet peas | snowdrops |
About The Author:
Alli Woods Frederick is an artist, photographer, writer, reiki master, intuitive & zombie slayer extraordinaire who blogs at
KissesAndChaos.com. She is also the art editor for
All Things Girl Magazine. Her feline companion,
Mischa the Wonder Cat, is currently being considered for sainthood. She has a deep and abiding love of fancy dress, Bruce Campbell, Bob Hope, Adam Ant, the 1930′s & tea parties. She has a borderline unhealthy obsession with ghosts, shoes, zombies, the deep south, England and glitter, though not necessarily in that order.
Her photography has been featured in
F-Stop Magazine and
All Things Girl and her writing has been featured on
HelloGiggles.com, The Goods, Kind Over Matter and in
The Radical Uprise Issue #021: Grow/Create. Her photography has been exhibited at
Springbox Gallery in Portland, Oregon. To view more of her photographic/artistic work visit
AlliWoodsFrederick.com.