Wedding Plants/Flowers
From NarratingLandscapes
By User:Joanna
People from a planet without flowers would think we must be mad with joy the whole time to have such things about us.
~Iris Murdoch, A Fairly Honourable Defeat
No one will dispute that when we think of a wedding, we also think of flowers: their visual and fragrant presence are a fixed aspect of traditional wedding decor. Whether one selects simple floral arrangements or whether one goes 'all out', flowers lend an air to your wedding that no other embellishment can quite match.
Today, many brides and grooms select their flowers based purely on colour. Some may consider how flowers can set a mood: Roses, for example, create a far different feeling than wildflowers. Some make selections based on emotional associations; some based on budget constrictions or conversely, inclusive of a pattern of conspicuous consumption. Whatever the reasons we choose what we choose, the habit of flowers in weddings is certainly nothing new.
Flowers or herbs have been used in weddings for hundreds of years as a way of showing love and well wishes.
The earliest recorded use of wedding flowers ostensibly dates back to the ancient Greeks. Flowers and plants were used to make a crown for the bride to wear and were considered a gift of nature.
The bridal bouquet and the bride's and groom's wreaths were originally made of herbs and bulbs of garlic. The herbs and garlic had a magical power to ward off any spirits that may plague their future.
According to Madeline Barillo’s The Budget Wedding Sourcebook, for the contemporary bride flowers represent 10-20% of the total wedding budget and “set the tone for the style and formality” of the wedding (2000, p.209). No pressure. The bride’s floral choices are meant to be a dynamic representation of a plethora of ideas – not only taste but also: personality, colour scheme, fashion-sense, season and more recently eco-awareness and even figure-consciousness! Perhaps most importantly though, one’s flowers represent how much that 10-20% of the total wedding budget is. What kind of flowers one uses and how many of them are present is a very real display of prosperity, or lack thereof. The conspicuous consumption of flowers is a mark of the consumer-induced behaviour that surrounds a tradition whose earliest significance is now very nearly lost.
Throughout the year flowers are available to the consumer in shops, gardens, stalls, and many supermarkets. The highlights of the Floral Industry, and one of the reasons they are able to stay in business year-round, are major holidays. Barillo’s Sourcebook recommends not planning a wedding during major flower-giving holidays due to the higher than normal cost of flowers. “The floral bill for a wedding date near a major flower giving holiday such as Mother’s day, Thanksgiving, Easter or Valentine’s day will be invariably higher than at other times when flowers aren’t in peak demands” (2000, p.213). The book goes on to recommend some economical alternatives such as the Geranium, described as a “perfect ‘container plant’ for window-boxes but also lovely in bouquets” (225), and the Carnation, a “favourite for corsages,” though it does warn that “dyed varieties look fake” (225). If these tempting metaphors don’t appeal however, Wedding Consultant Robbie Ernst III notes that an alternative way to save money is to substitute one flower variety for another. “Lily of the Valley costs about $150 for a bunch of ten or twelve flowers. It’s not that many...If you must have lily of the valley or another expensive flower...use it for accent only...it gets you away from the ordinary, mundane stephanotis, and using just two or three stands in the bouquet is especially rich...” (213).
While The Budget Wedding Sourcebook appears to have a budget-conscious bride’s best intentions at heart, what this book is actually expressing without so many words is that buying cheap flowers causes one to look cheap; don’t get married when the ‘good’ flowers are expensive (i.e. holidays), and if you must settle for a “mundane” alternative, including a few exotic floras will make a bouquet appear more “rich,” which is, after all, the most important detail.
Barillo, as well as other wedding planners and guides, recommend that in order to properly ‘flower’ a wedding, one must plan beyond bouquets, boutonnieres and corsages. “You also should know the colour scheme for the reception room, including the carpeting, linens, walls and curtains, so that the florist can design centrepieces in a complimentary style and colour” (2000, p.211).
Beyond all this, there is more. Theknot.com, voted a "Forbes Favorite," has some recommendations for how to keep the outside spirit of flowers where it belongs...outside. Flowers that have that 'natural look' may detract from the perfection required to evidence a certain social status. Theknot advises having wedding flowers delivered boxed with cellophane and well misted – “that way they'll look fresh through your ceremony and reception. Check out each bouquet and remove any damaged blossoms”.
There is even an appropriate “bouquet size” for the modern bride to consider:
The petite bride will benefit from a smaller bouquet because it will “accent her physique. A nosegay or a posy would work. You could even try a composite bouquet...perfect for little hands!”
For the voluptuous bride however, “a larger bouquet allows full-figured brides to project grace. Your best bet is a round bouquet”.
Apparently a girl must also take into account her gown.
For a ball gown “the bigger the dress, the bigger the bouquet”, but for a slim silhouette, “if your gown has slender lines, a bouquet that is too big might hide your shape and weigh you down.”
Last but not least, there is the venue to be considered.
“If you're having your party in a large, elaborate space, avoid bitsy bunches of flowers and try an elegant round bouquet,” and if your wedding is outdoors “competing with Mother Nature is a definite no-no... An intimate backyard gathering calls for a hand-tied bouquet for that just-picked natural look, while a reception near the beach justifies something grander.”
This last point succinctly reminds us that in order to have the appearance of wealth, one must be surrounded by its trappings. A backyard wedding deserves the 'just picked' look, while an 'elaborate' and therefore costly space merits elegance.
For more of my (User: Joanna) opinion on this subject, see Emic and Etic: A Floral Editorial
Sources:
Barillo, M. (2000). The Budget Wedding Sourcebook. Illinois: Lowell House
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