My father was a minister, and growing up I got to go to my fair share of weddings. Some of the families I knew well, and some we were only slightly acquainted with but one thing remained constant as I readied myself to go to a wedding as a young girl.
I wanted to catch the bouquet.
I’ve ALWAYS loved flowers. Flowers at a wedding? BONUS!
I came across an article recently posted by Reader’s Digest about the origin of floral bouquets at weddings and thought it was interesting. A few weeks ago we talked about why traditional brides wear white at their weddings, so this week on Wedding Wednesday, let’s chat flowers, shall we?
I was interested to see that the first writings of brides carrying any sort of natural elements actually dates back to ancient Rome. Brides wore or carried floral garlands that were thought to signify growth and new beginnings. Did you know many brides filled their garlands with herbs like Dill because it was believed it was the ‘herb of lust,’ and that consumption of it by the Bride and Groom would increase sexual desire? (Get it, kitty!)
Past those beliefs, the carrying of bouquets we are familiar with today is most closely traced (once again) to Queen Victoria. When marrying Prince Albert (wearing a white dress) she carried a small bouquet called a ‘tussie mussie.’ It had orange blossoms and was contained in a petite silver filigree holder. During Victorian times, it became popular for young suitors to pick similar bouquets of flowers for their intended so flowers began to take on meanings- as a way of spreading sentiment between people. Today, there are widely held meanings for lots of different floral types, and many brides take these meanings very seriously when selecting buds for the bouquets they’ll carry on their special day.
I love seeing what Brides select at their wedding. While many select something not for meaning but rather for effect, we can all agree floral elements have a lasting effect on the memory of someone’s wedding.
Queen Victoria was quite the trend setter, huh?
Here is a ‘tussie mussie’ bouquet holder like what Queen Victoria may have carried on her wedding day.
