Flowers are an integral part of any wedding. Flowers have been used for centuries to decorate not only the church and the reception, but the bride and bridesmaids too. They add beauty and perfume, and they can carry a lot of hidden meaning. Even the buttonhole for the groom has its origins in Knights carrying the favours of their ladies.

It is not just a case of choosing flowers to match the colour scheme. From the 1600’s meanings were attributed to flowers, and in 1716 Lady Mary Wortley Montagu brought the tradition from Constantinople to England. The Victorians were very keen on the symbolism of flowers and several books on the Language of Flowers were published throughout the 1800’s. Care had to be taken however, as not every book attributed the same meaning to each flower. Giving daffodils, for instance, could mean respect or deceit!

With a carefully chosen bouquet, a bride can express love, (roses, tulips) happiness, (orange blossom, lily of the valley) affection, (daisy, honeysuckle) faithfulness, (violets) and fidelity (ivy). Not all flowers are considered appropriate, though, in some parts of the country the combination of red and white flowers are thought to be too closely linked with funerals, as are lilies.

It is well worth finding a good florist, who will be able to advise on the most suitable flowers for the day, what will be in season, and which colours will best suit your overall theme. She will also help arrange a beautiful and meaningful bouquet for the bride that will withstand the rigours of posing for the photographer and being thrown to the waiting bridesmaids. With money being tight you may be tempted to make your own bouquet, just think for a moment how much additional stress you could be adding to the few days before your wedding. You could spend a lot of time and money practicing, making your perfect bouquet , then you have to make it again with pristine flowers a day before your wedding.

Fresh flowers can be expensive, and dried or silk flowers can be used to equally good effect, with the added advantage that they can be kept as a memento long after the day. It is also quite permissible for the ushers to move the displays from the church to the reception while everybody else is being kept busy by your wedding photographers.