Wedding flowers are one of the most important elements in your dream wedding. Many brides select flowers based on their wedding's color palette, while others simply choose their favorite flowers. There is a language of flowers, though, and each flower has its own meaning. Think about how to incorporate flowers with meaning into your wedding.
The language of flowers had its origins in the Victorian era, when one could express several sentiments with the presentation of one bouquet. The Victorians could communicate feelings silently through the exchange of a tussie-mussie or even a single flower. Add flowers with meaning to your bouquet, church flowers or within your reception table centerpieces.
Roses
A red rose says "love," while a white rose says "I am worthy of you." A cream-colored rose means perfection, while a lavender rose signifies enchantment. Orange roses mean fascination, peach roses mean desire, and dark pink mean thankfulness. A yellow rose means joy, but a dark crimson rose stands for mourning, so avoid placing them in your bridal bouquet.
Tulips
Tulips are often a starring flower at spring weddings. They are available in a variety of colors and, in general, the tulip stands for new beginnings--ideal for a wedding. The red tulip signifies love. The yellow tulip has traditionally been the flower for hopeless love, which could be loosely interpreted as hopelessly in love with each other.
Lilies
The basic lily stands for devotion. However, a white lily signifies purity, while a yellow lily expresses joy. The elegant calla lily, a popular choice in modern weddings, represents beauty. It is often carried as a single flower with a silk ribbon to match the wedding's colors. Lilies of the valley can be incorporated into bouquets or centerpieces and mean the return of happiness.
Daisies
The daisy is a simple flower that can look beautiful in a variety of wedding themes and styles. The daisy signifies innocence.
Orchids
Orchids of any color stand for beauty, thoughtfulness and love.
Chrysanthemums
The chrysanthemums, a popular choice for fall weddings, have different meanings for each color. The red means love and white means truth. You may want to avoid adding yellow chrysanthemums into your wedding flowers, as they signify slighted love.
Centerpieces with meaning
To help incorporate more than just flowers with meaning into your wedding, include the amethyst, a vibrant purple flowering plant that means admiration. It may look striking as a table centerpiece. Having a Southwestern wedding? Consider the cactus as a centerpiece as it means endurance. White heather adds height to a floral arrangement and stands for good luck. A dogwood branch may look elegant amid a long table, and dogwood stands for durability. Cherry blossom branches signify spirituality and beauty.
Not every flower chosen for your wedding needs to have a specific meaning. However, incorporating special messages to your partner, family and friends through flower choices can add another level of uniqueness to your special day.
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Flowers bring an undeniable joy to wedding celebrations, but the cost of those beautiful blossoms can be nothing short of staggering. Luckily, with a little bit of attention to season, region and arrangement, you can learn how to save money on wedding flowers. Choose flowers by season Want sunflowers to be a major wedding presence in February? It can be done, but it won't be cheap. If you already have your heart set on a particular flower for your special day, do a little quick research or talk to a florist before you set the date. If you aren't set on a particular kind of flower, check out online resources like Martha Stewart Weddings for general lists of in-season floral choices year round. Select flowers by region Choosing flowers that are out of season for your arrangements can make the cost skyrocket, but so can choosing flowers that are not native to your region. The shipping cost of live blooms almost always means it's cheaper to go with local varieties. Talk to any local florist to discuss options that will be both beautiful and economical. Save money with smart arrangements Gorgeous floral arrangements don't have to cost a fortune -- even if they look like they did. A few smart tricks can give you more bang for your buck. First, consider the cost of larger blossoms versus smaller ones. If the cost of the two is comparable, it will often be better to go with the larger variety, since it takes fewer large flowers to make a good-sized arrangement than it would with small flowers. You can also "fill in" arrangement space with more widely available (but still beautiful) accent pieces. Depending on your wedding season, pine cones, stuffed animals or even fruits and veggies can play a bold part in the arrangements and save you the cost of a few dozen blossoms. When you learn how to save money on wedding flowers, you're able to find beautiful arrangements for reasonable prices. And that means you'll have more to spend on other important things -- you know, like the cake! |
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