The Tradition of Wedding Flowers
Choosing wedding flowers often comes down to a single consideration - color. Very often, the wedding flowers are selected merely for the fact that they come in the colors chosen by the bride. And if all else fails, white will work, right?
If you consider the symbolism of flowers, you may be amazed at what you learn about the various flowers that are sometimes used as wedding flowers. Our own ideas about a particular thing are often the result of our cultural teachings - nothing more. Considering the ideas and beliefs of other cultures may very well change your opinion about the wedding flowers you choose for your event.
For example, many women choose white for their wedding flowers, either as the entire bridal arrangement or as some part of the arrangement. But in China, white flowers are thought to be appropriate only for funerals. The Chinese believe that flowers play an important role in life - whether it's a wedding, funeral or any other aspect of life. Traditionally, the Chinese people give careful consideration to wedding flowers. Red flowers, on the other hand, are a symbol in Chinese weddings of happiness, joy and fertility - all things good that the couple will need during their life together.
Most cultures have wedding flowers that are traditional and so it becomes largely a matter of personal preference when choosing the wedding flowers that will be used for your big event. But are flowers even necessary? The fact is that few cultures of the world seem to have weddings without wedding flowers. Some African cultures apparently don't see the need for wedding flowers but this can be put down largely to the fact that flowers are simply scarce in some parts of the world.
The tradition of wedding flowers has a less-than-appealing origin. Remember that bathing was often a luxury that was not readily available several centuries ago. In some parts of the world, the scarcity of water made regular bathing impossible, and in some cultures bathing was actually thought to be unhealthy. Therefore, the brides were sometimes a little less-than-fresh when the wedding day arrived. Those early wedding flowers probably served the purpose of helping to freshen the air as the bride walked down the aisle.