Every
bride dreams of walking down the aisle in a stunning gown, a radiant smile, and
of course, a lovely bridal bouquet. When
did this tradition of carrying delicate blossoms down the aisle start, and how
does it affect what current brides choose to accompany them down the aisle on
their dream day?
The
earliest records of bridal bouquets are dated all the back to ancient Greece
and Rome. These antiquated cultures were
steeped in superstitions and myths. It
was believed that certain flora and fauna were blessed by the gods and were
used in rituals for protecting or cursing.
On the most important day in the life of a Grecian or Roman, the bride
would carry garlands of herbs and spices, not flowers, down the aisle to ward
off evil spirits. Even grooms would be
subject to donning the strong-smelling herbs.
Centuries later, Queen Victoria
began a new trend when she used a mixture of herbs and flowers as she married
Prince Albert. After that, the Victorian
age was full of brides mixing local flowers in with the traditional herbs. Slowly, the herbs were replaced by lovely
blossoms. A new fad had begun during the
Victorian age, the exchange of flowers between lovers. Every flower held a special meaning, so
secret love messages could be sent from one person to another through a “flower
language”. This was carried into
weddings when brides chose specific flowers to convey personal messages.
Later,
floral bouquets became popular in the USA when early Hollywood starlets began
using them. Another tradition began
during this time when brides tossed their bouquets after the wedding to their
bridesmaids. This symbolized the bride
passing from being unmarried to being married. Now, in modern times, flowers
are still used to symbolically communicate messages; they are used to show the bride’s personal taste
and wedding theme. Whatever flowers are
chosen for the big day, every bride wants them to add beauty to the celebration
and convey the love that she and her soon-to-be-husband share.
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