What Flowers Are Appropriate For a Wedding?

Flowers are apt for every occasion, and have been used as decorations since a long time in history. Their fragrance and colour add festivity to the occasion and make for the best kind of decorations. Flowers have also been invested with symbolic meaning that could vary from culture to culture, and hence must be interpreted carefully. The Victorians even invested in a Language of Flowers full of symbolic meaning, used by lovers to correspond with each other. It would not be appropriate to use flowers more suited to a wedding in a funeral, and vice-versa.

A wedding is one of the most important event in a person's life, and every bride and groom want their special day to be perfect. Flower decorations are considered classy, but some flowers are more appropriate than others for a wedding. It is also important that the flowers match the rest of the decor. So how exactly to choose appropriate wedding flowers that do not clash with the rest of the ensemble. In order to select the proper flowers for a wedding, the season, budget, colour scheme and the type of event organised. Deciding on flowers for the wedding bouquet is also importance, since it is one of the most important symbols of the marriage, and once again, it should not clash with the dress of the bride.

Apart from the decorations, there are the wedding bouquets to be considered. Flowers were originally used in wedding bouquets as a sign of fertility, and historically herbs and orange blossoms were considered the most appropriate. But with the passing of time, other flowers are also considered appropriate to be used in a wedding bouquet.

Roses are always appropriate for weddings. Red roses are a symbol of love, and hence are often used as wedding decorations. Other flowers that could be used are tulips, anemones, daffodils, lilies, gardenias, orchids, daisies, crocuses, etc.

Some flowers that might be avoided in order to not show lack of taste. In some places, chrysanthemums or yellow flowers are not used in weddings. Other flowers such as marigold and cypress must also be avoided as they symbolise regret and sombreness. The colours of flowers also have some symbolism. For example, red flowers depict love, pink flowers stand for happiness, white means purity and innocence, orange flowers represent confidence and enthusiasm, green flowers show health, and blue and purple flowers depict tranquillity and dignity.

To keep costs low, it is best to go for the seasonal flowers rather than try to be extensive and ask for unseasonal flowers at exorbitant costs. Another way to keep costs low is to use silk flowers for the decorations. The option of silk flowers may also be used in case the bride or groom has a severe allergy to flowers.

The best way to make the correct decision is for the bride and groom to sit together and consult a florist. By conveying cultural taboos, budgets for the flowers and specific preferences, any wedding florist will conjure up a lovely, colourful and fragrant day for you to remember!

Michael Chapman writes for the Didsbury Flower Lounge, a specialist supplier of beautiful wedding flowers.