Flowers and their Meanings

As a planner I am often asked about different aspects of the necessary items needed for the wedding.  One of these is the flowers that might make up a bouquet or a centerpiece. The flowers add the beauty and set the mood for the room décor in many instances, and I always recommend using a professional floral designer to assist with this aspect of the wedding.

The following are some of the meanings of the different flowers that might be a part of the wedding day:

Rose -Red meaning love, simplicity, and happiness

Roses red and white meaning unity

Iris meaning good news and inspiration

Bells of Ireland meaning luck

Forget Me Not meaning true love

Pink Carnation meaning a mother’s love and gratitude

Hydrangea meaning perseverance

Violet meaning faithfulness

Lily meaning birth and hope

Ranunculus meaning radiant

Yellow Tulip meaning hopelessly in love

Poppy meaning pleasure

You now are on your way to being a bit more educated before meeting with your floral designer.  Have fun designing your bouquets and centerpieces!

Flowers: A new trend we are seeing in the wedding world is bride’s choosing to plant their own bulbs, which will be ready to cut by the time their wedding comes around. It is so great to be able to utilize your own green thumb to plant your own flowers. If you aren’t great in the garden, then you should consider buying from a farmer’s market vendor. A lot of times, vendors can try to tailor their flowers for your needs.

Favors: Are you and your fiancé nature lovers? Then what better way to share your love of the outdoors – and each other – than to give your guests their own seedling to plant! The Arbor Day Foundation has a special section of their website dedicated to providing tree favors to any couple so inclined to give them out. The gift of a tree is a wonderful addition for the health of our environment and something that will last a lifetime.

The team at FAO Events has an arsenal of ideas to help with your eco-friendly wedding planning - call us at 703.222.5912 to discuss your ideas!

One of the more interesting historical engagement customs was termed “flouncing”. It originated in England and was basically an early betrothal party. It was held for the couple to meet each other’s friends and the friends of both families.

At the “flouncing” a formal contract was established and after this contract was sealed, neither the bride nor the groom could be seen with or talking to other suitors. Once this formal declaration was made, if either the bride or the groom to be changed his or her mind about the marriage, the other could claim half of his or her property.

In China, a betrothal was a serious family obligation. If an engaged man died before the wedding, his intended bride was “treated like a widow”. (Source: The Bride’s Book of Etiquette)

Before there were department stores, jewelry and gift stores, and before the advent of bridal showers, brides went “collecting”. In fact, Finnish brides-to-be were considered “snobbish” if they didn’t go from door-to-door collecting their gifts in a large bag. The bride-to-be was accompanied by an older married man (the symbol of a long-lasting marriage). He wore a top hat and carried an umbrella, which symbolized shelter. The bride received her gift and her “escort” received a drink at each stop. Today’s version of this gift collecting is handled for Gift Registries at many stores and by bridal showers. However, the symbol of long lasting marriage – the old married man and his umbrella – hasn’t survived into the 21^st century.

For the background on more wedding traditions, talk with one of the team members at FAO Events by calling 703.222.5912. Our experienced consultants can help you find a way to incorporate history into your contemporary ceremony and/or reception.

Call the team at FAO Events - 703.222.5912 - for any assistance on planning your holiday wedding!