Wedding Flowers and Their Meaning

Flowers truly are magical. They have the ability to transform a simple location into a fairy wonderland, or add that extra touch to an already magical site. Each flower or plant has its own fairy or deva which will bless your wedding with its own unique essence. Your flowers establish your color scheme and level of formality. They can be simple and earthy, or extravagant and celestial.

In the interest of personalized energy, cost, and creativity, my partner and I asked an artist friend of ours who worked part time at a florist's to design the flowers for our wedding. A year before the wedding this friend and I went to the local farmers' market to see which flowers were in season. My friend took notes while I went from booth to booth pointing out what I liked. She went to the market the day before the wedding to pick out fresh flowers from local growers, which she supplemented with willow bark and other accessories from a florist.

Give yourself time to play with flowers. Hang out at florists' shops and farmers' markets to acquaint yourself with their individual energies as well as colors and properties. Peruse gardening magazines and wedding books for ideas. Consider color, smell, weight, and durability when choosing your favorites. Look for local flowers in season both to reduce costs and, most importantly, to infuse your nuptials with the energy of the land that hosts them.

The princess of flowers at your wedding is of course the flower girl. If you choose to invite a little fairy friend to precede you down the aisle, make sure to decorate her with flowers as well. Ask your florist to make a lovely but simple flower crown out of small roses or herbs and baby's breath. Or incorporate flowers from your bouquet in her crown; make sure, however, that she is not allergic to the flowers. Give her a small pomander to carry, or a basket with rose petals to strew on the aisle ahead of you. I still remember my first wedding experience as a seven-year-old flower girl sprinkling rose petals from a little white basket. I fulfilled this role with great pride and all the seriousness due the task, much to the amusement and pride of my aunt, the bride.

There are many kinds of bouquets to choose from for you and your wedding attendants, from sprays of wildflowers to cascading ivory roses. Usually the bride's bouquet is larger than her bridesmaids', though they are coordinated in some way. You might use burgundy dahlias in each, for instance, but accent your own with rosemary, tulips, and fatsia japonica leaves while leaving your women's bouquets simple. Pick one or two elements of your bouquet for the men's boutonnieres, such as a sprig of rosemary and a small tulip. Be sure to give boutonnieres to your mother, father, grandparents, and any helpers such as ushers. I recommend boutonnieres over wrist corsages so people's hands are free.

To save on your flowers but still carry elegant and striking bouquets, consider using a single type of blossom tied together at the stems. Choose larger flowers, such as opened roses or hydrangeas, for a striking effect. You will need to buy fewer flowers with large blossoms than with smaller flowers like stephanotis. A dozen full red roses will go much farther and look much fuller than a dozen pink rosebuds.

For decorations and centerpieces, incorporate similar colors and blooms as those in your bouquets. Add non flower accents like herb sprays, willow boughs, ribbons, and flower petals to fill out the look. Try to incorporate the centerpieces and decorations with the look of your site by using colors, design elements, or even flowers from the site.

Flowers for a wedding not only provide a great decorating accent, but can be incorporated in other aspects of your rite. Herbs and plants have been used for thousands of years for their healing properties and for magic. All plants have magical properties, some of which I have listed below; you may want to consider these properties when choosing your flowers. One way you can utilize plant energies in addition to decorations is to create sachets of herbs or flowers as favors or for your bridal party to wear. For example, use lavender, violets and rose to calm and bring joy and love, or choose from the flowers below to suit your desired energy.

Bachelor's Buttons - Feminine, associated with Venus; attracts love.

Bluebell - Brings luck and truth.

Camellia - Feminine, associated with the moon and water; attracts riches and luxury.

Carnation - Masculine, associated with the sun, fire, and Jupiter; healing, providing strength and protection.

Chamomile - Masculine, associated with the sun, and water; attracts money, aids sleep, attracts love, and purifies.

Chrysanthemum - Masculine, associated with the sun and fire; protects.

Clover - Masculine, associated with Mercury, air, and the Goddess Rowan; brings protection, money, love, and success. Red clover is used to build lust.

Daffodil - Feminine, associated with Venus and water; attracts love, fertility, and luck.

Daisy - Feminine, associated with Venus and water and the deities Artemis, Freya, and Thor. Brings lust and love.

Foxglove - Feminine, associated with Venus and water; protects the home.

Honeysuckle - Masculine, associated with the earth element and Jupiter; attracts money, builds psychic powers, and provides protection.

Iris - Feminine, associated with the planet Venus, water, and the Goddesses Iris and Juno; used for purification and wisdom.

Ivy - Feminine, associated with Saturn and water, and the Gods Bacchus, Dionysus, and Osiris; brings luck to the bride, and is used in fidelity and love charms for its weaving of feminine energy and masculine correspondences.

Lavender - Masculine, associated with Mercury and air; used in love spells and sachets, encourages chastity, longevity, purification, peace, and happiness.

Lilac - Feminine, associated with Venus and water; provides protection.

Lily of the Valley - Masculine, associated with Mercury and air; improves memory and encourages happiness.

Orchid - Feminine, associated with Venus and water; represents love.

Pansy - Feminine, associated with Saturn and water; used in love divination and rain magic.

Passion Flower - Feminine, associated with Venus and water, represents peace and friendship, and attracts popularity.

Rose - Feminine, associated with Venus and water; attracts love and prophetic dreams, also offers healing, luck, and protection.

Rosemary - Masculine, associated with the sun and fire; cleansing and purifying, attracts elves, used in love spells and for protection.

Snapdragon - Masculine, associated with Mars and fire; offers protection.

Sweet Pea - Feminine, associated with Venus and water; attracts friendship, preserves chastity, and provides courage and strength.

Tulip - Feminine, associated with Venus and the element earth; protects against poverty and bad luck, attracts love.

Violet - Feminine, associated with Venus and water; love and lust stimulant, brings peace and healing.

Flowers also represent fertility and the hierosgamos, the sacred marriage of God and Goddess. They are usually the sexual organs of plants. Wearing flowers in your hair and decorating with their elegance and beauty gives a nod to the powerful dance of romance that weddings are all about. While there is no need to mention this meaning outright, remember it as you choose your flower arrangements for your celebration.