Wedding Bouquet Flower Meanings And Arrangement Ideas

The traditional meanings of different flowers, as used in your wedding bouquet, along with ribbon color meanings.

Finding inspiration for your bridal bouquet can be hard if you don't already have a strong picture in your mind.Traditionally, brides planning their floral arrangements will turn to their parents' bouquet, their wedding colors, the season and region, or bridal magazines for ideas, but when the options are too few or too many the meaning of flowers can be a great way to choose a central theme (and accompanying elements) for your bouquet.Read the meanings below, and choose the symbol you want to hold before you as you meet your new husband in marriage.From there, you can incorporate other flowers for their appearance, or for their lesser symbolism.If you take great pride in the meaning of your bouquet, make it known to your guests by including a few lines in your wedding program or in a small presentation near your guest book.

Carnation - Depending on color, these flowers can be used as messages to the recipient, or expression of whims.Think of these as the little Valentine hearts of the flower world.

Apple Blossoms - Good fortune.

Blue Violets - Faithfulness, a promise.

Forget-Me-Nots - True love.

Gardenias - Joy, laughter together, and wonderful memories.

Daisy - Innocence, purity, and simple joys

Ivy - Marital strength, fidelity, and commitment

White Lily - Purity, virginity and innocence

Cala Lilly - Magnificence, beauty, and stately glory

Tiger Lily - Wealth and pride

Myrtle - Love forever, and lasting marriage

Peony - Happy life and marriage

Lily of the Valley - Happiness and humility before God

Orange blossoms - Fertility and eternal love

Orchids - Beauty, exotic adventure together, and refinement

Roses - Love

Violet - modesty

Freesia - Innocence

Baby's breath - Fruitfulness and reward for a happy union

Daffodil - Modest regard

If you're superstitious, there are a few flowers you might want to avoid for their meaning.If you've already decided on one of these flowers, don't despair""flowers come with as many meanings as petals, and you can easily associate your own memory of a wonderful wedding with that flower in the future.

Marigold - Cruelty and jealousy

Narcissus - Narcissism and ego

Oleander - Proceed with caution

Petunia - Resentment and anger

Sweetpea - Departure and goodbye

Rosebuds - Pure innocence, as in a child

Larkspur - Fickleness

Hyacinth - Rashness

Geranium - Stupid ideas, folly

When arranging the bouquet, choose one central theme.If you choose lily of the valley, for happiness and humility before God, then you can choose either a flower with a similar symbolism (violets or gardenias) or look for a flower which represents another concept you want represented on your wedding day (such as apple blossoms for luck).Unfortunately, some combinations of flowers just look bad together, so it's hard to create a complex meaning.

Ribbons are an easy and traditional way to incorporate color and a new meaning into the bouquet.Use a ribbon in a significant color to decorate a single flower stem, or to bind together a bouquet.Long trailing ribbons look great with a long trailing gown, but a short or small ribbon can have just as much visual impact.

Red - Blood, fire, courage, love and passion.

Brown - Stability, the power of the earth, and the harvest or fall.

Orange - Joy, enthusiasm, refreshment and the invigoration of youth.

Gold - Prestige, wisdom and wealth.

Yellow - Sun, happiness, warmth, cheer and a simple life.

Green - Nature, growth, fertility, healing, hope and wealth.

Blue - Trust, wisdom, intelligence, faith, mental prowess, tranquility, piety.

Purple - Royalty, power, nobility, extravagance, magic.

White - Innocence, purity, goodness, the feminine and faith.

Black - Power, elegance, mystery, the masculine, and prestige.

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