Flowers have played a leading role in weddings for many generations and they represent the cycle of life, blossoming love in the heart and the purity and innocence of true love. Flowers have the ability to set the tone, enhance the style and lift the mood. For these reasons your choice of wedding flowers is an important and exciting decision.

When choosing flowers for a wedding some important things to consider are different bouquet styles, different flowers and their meanings and what flowers will be in season at the time of the wedding. Personalising the bouquet can create a unique style that holds meaning for you and your partner and also the rest of the family.

Wedding Flower Meanings

Flowers hold different symbolic meanings and there are many flowers that have been traditionally used for weddings since ancient times. Roses have been used in weddings for decades and they symbolise love of all kinds depending on the colour. Red roses are the traditional symbol for romantic, passionate love. Pink and white roses are perfectly suited for weddings also as the softer colours symbolise love and purity. Red and white together symbolise unity. Lilies are also perfect wedding flowers as the white Lily is a symbol for reverence, love and purity.

Today any type of flower can be used for weddings however it is important to find out what will be in season at the time. Spring will offer the widest choice for flower types and Tulips, Sweet Pea, Lilies, Roses, Lavender, Hyacinth and Babies Breath are all in season.

Wedding Theme

The location and event space are also worth considering when choosing flowers. Orchids, Frangipanis and Gardenias will add an exotic tone to an outdoors or beach wedding. If your wedding is to be held in a church Roses, Lilies and Tulips will match the style. Garden weddings invite more playful bouquet styles including mixes and vibrant flower colours like Daisies, Gerberas and Sweet Pea. Also in a garden setting a more relaxed style of bouquet can work really well with the theme.

Bouquet Styles

There are three main styles of wedding bouquets including round, cascading or hand-tied. The round style can fit more flowers in a tighter bunch and works well with many different types and also mixed bunches. Roses look particularly beautiful in this style and bring a traditional feel to the wedding flowers. The cascading is triangular shaped with bigger flowers at the top and some greenery mixed in for a more natural effect. The hand-tied bouquet has become a popular choice for modern weddings. The bouquet is tied with ribbon or paper and the flower stems are exposed. The look is minimal and a lot more casual than the other two styles.

Bouquet Style and Your Body

When choosing the right bouquet style it can be helpful to consider body shape and height. If you are quite petite you do not want to be overpowered by the bouquet. A smaller hand-tied or round bouquet will suit a smaller woman. Large women should have a larger bouquet as this will balance out your frame with the bouquet. Tall women can benefit from cascading shapes and short women, a small, round bouquet.

Bouquet Style and Your Dress

If your dress is quite contemporary or simple then the hand-tied bouquet will compliment this style. Alternatively if your dress is traditional then cascade or round style will suit. Another option is to match flower colour to the bridesmaid’s dresses. Splashes of colour can be mixed with white and choosing vibrant flower colours and exotic flower types can create a unique style that genuinely reflects your relationship or personality.

Personalised Bouquets

After you have selected your bouquet and flower style you may like to personalise it with treasured heirlooms or jewellery. Wrapping the bouquet in a piece of your mothers wedding gown or pieces of her veil and attaching a broach or pin can increase the sentimental value of your bridal bouquet. Having your bouquet professionally dried and framed is also a lovely way to celebrate your wedding.

With most couples living together before they get married it does make the task of buying then a wedding gift more difficult as they already have a home set up with everything they need.  Where in the past you had the wide choice of items for the bathroom, kitchen and indeed the rest of the house to choose from, now with most couples you have to be a little more creative.  You might choose a nice gift hamper filled with all the couples favourite foods or you could put together a gift basket with a few luxuries such as candles, massage oil, aromatherapy oils, incense, his and hers bathrobes and CDs.

Art

 While they might have all the essentials for their home already a newly married couple might not have any pictures on the wall, and if they do they may not have any original art work.  A framed piece of art will be something they will keep forever and they will always remember who gave it to them.

Bottle of Wine

 Buy them a really special bottle of wine or even a bottle of scotch which they can keep and open on their tenth anniversary.

 Adventure

 For a bit of fun you might want to buy the couple an experience they will never forget.  There are plenty of opportunities available to do a range of different exciting activities, like go hot air ballooning, go sky diving, take a helicopter flight or race around the track in a race car.

 Weekend Away

 Organising a wedding can be an exhausting experience, and often the honeymoon can go too quickly.  A good gift can be a weekend away to a bed and breakfast but organise it to be about six months after they get married just to help keep the romance alive.

 Cash

 While it might seem a bit impersonal cash is always appreciated, especially by a young couple just starting out.  It is likely they have plenty of bigger items that they are saving for.

 Gift Voucher for Honeymoon Destination

 If you know where they are going for their honeymoon then organise for a gift voucher for a meal at a nice restaurant or pay for a sightseeing trek, a boat trip or helicopter ride.

Camera

Buy them a new camera which they can take away with them on their honeymoon.  There are great simple point and shoot cameras available which take fantastic shots or buy them a really great SLR camera.

 Upgrade Flights

 Depending on how much you want to spend, or you could go in with a few other guests, you could upgrade their flights to their honeymoon destination from Economy to First Class.  Make their honeymoon an experience they won’t forget before they have even arrived.

Start their Collection

Start them on the road to collecting fine china or crystal, such as Waterford crystal or Wedgwood china.  These pieces are expensive but it sets you up for a long line of gifts to give them over the next few decades.

Antique Furniture

 Go shopping in second hand shops and antique stores and find an interesting piece of antique furniture for the newlywed couple that will be a talking piece within their home for years to come.