A Flower Is Worth A Thousand Words

Kate Middleton, The Duchess of Cambridge mentioned that symbolism and the meaning of flowers meant a lot to her when choosing her flowers for her bouquet.  Her bouquet was made up of traditional white flowers, and was without a doubt unpretentious, simple, and natural.

So what did she include in her bouquet?

Lily-of-the-valley – for trustworthiness

Sweet William – for gallantry (her husband IS a prince, after all)

Hyacinth – for faithfulness and constancy

Ivy – for fidelity and marriage

Myrtle – for love (and in royal tradition, the stems included in the bouquet came from a myrtle planted by Queen Victoria in 1845)

Want to make sure your bouquet is sending the right message?  We’ve got the ten most popular wedding flowers and their meanings!

Calla lilies – traditionally mean “magnificent beauty”, which is something all brides want to be on their wedding day!  Calla lilies come in several colours apart from the traditional white, including pink, mauve or peach.

Peonies – although they mean “bashfulness”, peonies are beautiful flowers that work well in both bouquets and centrepieces or alterpieces.  They also have historical importance in both Chinese and Japanese cultures.

Gardenias – gardenia flowers represent love, purity and joy.  The delicate white flowers make for a beautiful, meaningful addition to a bouquet – after all, your wedding is about love and joy too!

Hydrangeas – hydrangeas traditionally stand for friendship, devotion and understanding – everything a new husband and wife could want as they start their new life together!

Lilacs – beautiful flowers for a spring wedding, lilacs symbolise the first emotions of love (purple variety) and youthful innocence (white variety).

Lily-of-the-valley – in addition to trustworthiness, lily of the valley also represents the return of love and happiness.  It is also known as “Our Lady’s tears”, and carries a deeply spiritual significance.

Orchids – orchids are almost universally understood to mean love, beauty, wisdom, thoughtfulness, luxury and strength.  There are many types of orchids to choose from, but since they are rare, delicate flowers, they represent a rare, delicate love.

Roses – you could write an entire book on the different meanings of roses, depending on the colour, number, with thorns or without!  But as a general rule, roses mean beauty, joy and love, as they are one of the best known flowers, and the ones most associated with love.

Tulips – tulips are a beautiful addition to any bouquet, and generally represent a declaration of love – much like the one you’ll both be making when you say your vows!

Stephanotis – also known as the “Bridal Veil”, stephanotis flowers are possibly the most traditional wedding flowers you can find.  They symbolise marital happiness – perfect for your new life together as husband and wife!