Shakespeare Birthplace Trust

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Wedding Flowers - Yesterday and today

Weddings through the centuries have always been a cause for celebration. From the earliest marriages when flowers, herbs and seed heads were all chosen for good luck or pagan beliefs to today's big white wedding, flowers have helped complete the party atmosphere.

In the middle ages blue was often worn by brides as blue was the traditional symbol of purity. Often the bride and groom would wear a band of blue ribbon, this is where we get part of the traditional rhyme where the bride should wear "something blue". Brides would gather flowers from the garden and make simple tied bunches of symbolic flowers to ward off evil spirits and give good luck. Evergreens would ward off witches; Rosemary would be used for remembrance, Myrtle for love (sacred to Venus the Goddess of love.) Gilded wheat for fertility. Because sanitation was not great sweet smelling flowers and herbs would be strewn before the bridal procession. Flower girls descend from this custom. Guests would carry small posies of sweet smelling herbs and flowers and wear pomanders with po pourii in. With the arrival of the Puritans all frippery was abolished and definitely no gilding or anything with pagan significance was allowed.

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Queen Victoria is charged with orchestrating the great white wedding and since then white has been the colour of choice for most bridal gowns. What royal brides carry and wear holds great interest, and royal weddings have created fashions that every other bride of that generation wants to copy. Queen Victoria's simple headdress of orange blossom started a trend that all Victorian bride wanted. She carried a small posy of tightly massed flowers that is called a Victorian posy and is still in fashion today. Flowers were once again used extravagantly and in 1863 when Alexandra of Denmark married Bertie, the Prince of Wales garlands of flowers were tucked into every flounce of her bridal dress.

In the 1920's huge sheaves of white Longiflorum lilies became the vogue to carry. When our Queen married in 1947 she carried a bouquet of white Odontoglossum orchids and myrtle grown from the original myrtle in Queen Victoria's bouquet. The bush is at Osbourne House on the Isle of Wight. All royal brides continue this tradition. Huge bouquets with copious amounts of Asparagus fern and Carnations were the norm for most brides at this time.

Then in the 1960's smaller bouquets again came back into fashion until 1981 when Lady Diane Spencer married Prince Charles. Here was a return to enormous bridal bouquets. The wedding bouquet reminiscent of Edwardian fashion was made of Stephanotis, Roses, Lily of the Valley and Orchids with long trails of Ivy, and every bride wanted a similar bouquet.

Now we have come full circle with Catherine Middleton married Prince Andrew her bouquet was small and the flowers chosen because of their significance and fragrance. Sweet William, Hyacinth pips, Lily of the Valley, Myrtle. Following a tradition set by the Queen Mother Catherine's wedding bouquet was placed on the tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Westminster Abbey.

It seems a pity that all brides today want to carry the same bouquet. A small all Rose tightly massed posy when there is such a huge variety of beautiful floral styles to choose from.
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You might know a Shakespearean passage about flowers and marriage, please post it here for all to see.
Tomorrow - Saying it with flowers today.