Did you know that this floral tradition dates back to ancient Rome. Flowers were common at Roman weddings and were a symbol of new beginnings, fidelity and fertility. Flowers have been perceived and directly linked to expressions of different emotions, but love tops the list.People have shared flowers to express what they felt towards each other. It could just be to say, “I love you,”, “Sorry,” “I miss you,” etcetera. Bottom line is that flowers communicate.
The bridal bouquet is really meant to compliment the brides’ look especially for the moment she is walking down the aisle. It may be a little awkward if she just comes down the aisle with hands flying freely on her side, yet really this moment is one that everyone is waiting for; and most especially the groom waiting at the end of the aisle for his bride. So, anything that will just nail this moment wholesomely, from the gown, to the accessories, to the veil, what the bride is holding in her hand should really be an icing on the cake.
A lot will determine the type of bouquet a bride carries and the things mentioned above are all part of it. However, the bouquet color and type will borrow greatly from the general theme of the wedding. If for example we are having a rustic themed wedding, it will only be natural for the bouquet to have a combination of some wild flowers, or dry like the pampa grass. The colors may have tones of orange or some greenery to complete the look.
There are two main types of bridal bouquet arrangements that are most popular:
This is a collection of many stems of flowers carefully arranged and trimmed to make a holdable bunch in the bride’s hands. The stems can be arranged in any order, with the bride’s choice flowers. These can be Roses, Lilies, peonies, or even wild flowers etcetera.
An interesting fact however, is that herbs were more common in the middle age instead of flowers; an entire bouquet could only bear hers like Through an evolution has clearly taken place where there is more appreciation for flowers; also evident by the demand it has in the market. You can witness this whenever you get a chance to visit the famous City market in Nairobi, in the wee hours of any given morning.
A cascade is a collection of flowers arranged to make a falling formation. When a bride is holding a cascade bouquet in their hand, it literally looks like they are extended flowers, falling down from her hands. The cascade can be big or small depending on the bride’s comfort or just preference.
While flowers breathe freshness, elegance and also add a pop of color to the whole bridal look, creative minds have innovated, or we could say have created, clever ways to make the bride’s hands busy in a beautiful and meaningful way as she walks down the aisle.
Now this is not to limit you from going wild with your own idea/s of what you could possibly carry instead of the traditional, floral bridal bouquet; they are suggestions and here they are listed:
The idea of holding a light into your wedding sounds good right? Especially if you are having a rustic themed wedding, walking down the aisle with a lantern in hand may not just be cute but also symbolic of the light that you are carrying into your marriage, as you intend to light up the life of the one whose life is being joined to yours.
If you love art and have an appreciation for it there is no harm in having a paper flower bouquet made out in your preferred colors or in line with your theme color.
Aiming for something whimsical and chic at the same time, well, you can try out this. You could get some feathers and accessorize with beads or pearls, depending on what you can and create a bouquet with these items.
How about a fancy bridal clutch that just represents your personality? This cold also nails this look for you. Feel free to look for a clutch that will not only hold your girlie stuff but also beautifully accessorize your bridal look and theme.
Something functional like a fan will come in handy if your wedding is in a particularly hot season. You can add a twist by getting a fancy fan in tune with your wedding theme. If for example you have or appreciate Boho theme a palm fan will just be spot on. So, think along these lines.
Mason Jars are quite diverse in how they can be used. For example, they can be your perfect idea for a centerpiece, but you could also have one custom-made, bearing both your names and accessorized with something like ribbon; you can then hold this while walking down the aisle. This can later be converted into a jar of well wishes as during the reception you can provide people with small colored papers to write their wishes for you as a couple and this should form a great fan activity for you as a couple in future when you unwrap and read the messages.