Honestly I could write a lot about how wedding details can enrich a wedding ceremony, and I probably will, but today though, maybe because here in Minnesota it is cold and snowy, I am thinking about flowers and how their meaning can add a special oomph, a specialness, to a wedding ceremony.
People often have special relationships with flowers that come through various experiences: seeing them at a celebration or another wedding, receiving them as a gift from a loved one, passing a garden or florist's shop, or perhaps even seeing them website or a social media post.
As I write wedding ceremonies, I like to ask about the couple's flower selection. Most often the couple (or at least half of the couple) is very excited to talk about their floral sections. Sometimes the couple is aware of the traditional meanings behind their selected flowers, but others don't know, so I like to share what I find fascinating meaning behind the lovely flora so we can weave this into their ceremony if it resonates for them.
Anemone symbolizes anticipation
Anthurium welcomes all as it symbolizes hospitality
Baby's Breath suggests modesty and a tender, sweet beauty and also festivity
Basil is all discipline and integration
Begonia equates to balance
Buttercups glow with self-worth and the power of words
Cactus manifests beauty and wealth
Calla Lilly (also called the wedding flower) means regal
Carnation is about deep love and healing
Cherry Blossoms represent the fragility of life
Chrysanthemum springs forth with joy and joyfulness (no wonder its a wedding favorite)
Clover, of course, four leaf or not, brings out luck, love, fidelity and kindness
Daffodil shines with inner beauty, clarity and new beginnings
Dahlia is dignified and highly developed
Daisy symbolizes creativity, inner strength and innocence
Forsythia means anticipation
Freesia represents friendship and innocence
Gardenia is purity of purpose and action and often joy
Hibiscus represents femininity, sexuality, warmth
Hyacinth is recommended for overcoming grief, and for gentleness and inner beauty
Hydrangea symbolizes both perseverance and heartfelt emotion
Iris promotes greater inspiration, wisdom and purity
Lavender brings devotion, love, virtue and protection
Lily typifies birth and beginnings, as well as humility and modesty
Magnolia represents dignity and nobility
Marigold speaks to loving sacrifice, longevity and fidelity
Morning Glory is spontaneous- out with the old and in with the new
Orchid epitomizes refined and charming
Peony means happy marriage (very popular!)
Protea symbolizes diversity and courage
Queen Anne's Lace represents femininity and complexity
Rose (red) is for romantic love and passion; (pink = admiration and white = purity)
Rosemary represents power and sensitivity
Snapdragon depicts will power, grace and creative expression
Sunflower is all happiness, being truly one's self, dedicated love and turning toward opportunity
Violet signifies modesty, fulfillment and intuition
This is only a short list of possible flowers a couple may select. There are many other flowers currently popular in weddings so please check with a professional florist. Still, whatever the couple's flower selection, their reason for selecting them as well as the traditional meaning can be subtly or strongly incorporated to add another connecting detail to enhance and enchant their ceremony. Yet another way to make the ceremony bloom ....