Bridal bouquet

Bride with a wedding bouquet and a wedding veil

Wedding bouquet , bride’s bouquet is a traditional floristic accessory complementary to a wedding dress .

Plants have been used in wedding ceremonies of different cultures since ancient times, but not as decor. It was believed that during the transition to marriage, people are especially defenseless. To protect themselves from the evil spirits, the ancient Greek, Roman and Celtic brides put on wreaths of fragrant herbs around their necks. In medieval Europe, the future wife had to wear onions and garlic.

Over time, in different countries of the world have developed their own wedding customs associated with blooming greens. The bride’s modern bouquet gained popularity only in the 19th century under Queen Victoria of England , after her marriage to Prince Albert in 1840. The image of the royal bride was complemented by a composition of calendula and dill . Calendula symbolized the purity of the Virgin Mary , and dill was eaten after the ceremony to rekindle the passion of the newlyweds.

Fashion for bridal bouquets quickly spread throughout Europe . Flowers were selected in accordance with their meaning and became a kind of message. So, roses denoted tenderness, lilac first love, orange flowers ( fleur-d'orange ) - happiness in marriage, etc.

Bridal bouquet in Russian and European cultures

The bride’s modern bouquet is a tribute to Western traditions: in Russia, custom was adopted thanks to American cinema . However, Slavic culture had its own rites. Flowers were not used for decoration, but as an image of a girl’s will, a tree-bouquet of fir branches, a thistle.

German wedding customs are also associated with floral arrangements. The bride’s bouquet, by tradition, consists only of white flowers - a symbol of innocence and purity. In the old days, the bride’s head must have been decorated with a myrtle wreath. Myrtle is considered the main symbol of the German wedding, it allows the young to receive the blessing of heaven.

The most common tradition of throwing a bouquet to unmarried guests first appeared at American celebrations. The girl who got the flowers could count on luck in love. With time and increasing prices for floral arrangements, it was considered impractical to spoil a real bouquet. In this regard, the Americans began to prepare a bouquet-understudy specially designed for the ceremony. Now such a tradition can be found at almost any wedding, regardless of country.