Flowers are important in our lives. There will be hardly anyone on this earth who doesn’t like flowers. No wonder, flowers form an inevitable component of a wedding. Flowers spread joy. They please the eyes of the beholder. They symbolize innocence and purity. In any civilization flowers are of immense importance in a wedding. In a Christian wedding various types of flower arrangements are used at every step and they are known by different names. Let’s see, what these different terms mean.
Bridal Bouquets
Bride is the most important person in the wedding along with the groom and she has to flaunt her glory with different types of bouquets.
Bidermeier – This is a concentric arrangement with different types of flowers in each ring.
Cascade – As the name suggests it is a cascade of flowers and consists generally of long-stemmed flowers which are arranged in such a way that it looks like a beautiful cascade of flowers plunging from the bride’s hands.
Composite – This is made of petals or buds which are tied together so as to look like a large flower.
Crescent – This is a beautiful circular or semi-circular arrangement of flowers which can be held in hand like a handle.
Nosegay – These are small bouquets of about 16 to 18 inches of diameter. They contain foliage and herbs along with flowers.
Oasis – These contain special foams in the flower arrangement to keep on hydrating the flowers so as to keep them fresh for a longer time.
Presentation Bouquets – This bouquet is held by the bride and contains long-stemmed flowers.
Tossing – This too is a bridal bouquet but is meant only for the ritual of bouquet toss.
Tussy Mussy – These are posies contained in small metal vases and are held in hands. Nowadays the vases are referred to by this term.
Other Flowers and Floral Arrangements
Other than the adornment of bride, the wedding needs many more flower arrangements which add pleasant charm to the atmosphere.
Arbor – This is a metal canopy adorned with flowers and having two seats.
Boutonniere – This consists of a single bud or many tiny buds or a single bloom and is affixed to the left lapel of the jacket. These are to be worn by the male members in the wedding party including the groom.
Candelabra – This is a centerpiece which is created using a candelabrum on which flowers are arranged at the base, stem and top. They may also contain greenery or ribbons.
Corsage – This contains a single bloom or a cluster of blooms on a lace and sometimes embellished with ribbons. They are to be worn by mothers and grandmothers and are often made from orchids.
Dais – This is also a centerpiece on the head table and drape down gracefully.
Fish Bowl (Bubble Bowl) – This consists of a bowl in which flowers are arranged and is used as a centerpiece.
Garden – This is another beautiful centerpiece made with wildflowers. Flowers like hollyhock, digitalis, smilax, etc are loosely arranged in this arrangement.
Garland – In garland, flowers are arranged on a rope and are used to decorate doorways and pews. Sometimes the child attendants also parade the garlands along the aisle.
Pomander – These are fun flower-balls suspended using a ribbon. They are often meant for child attendants.
Posies – These too are meant for child attendants and are similar to nosegays, only differences being they are smaller and contain artificial embellishments like silk flowers or ribbons.
Topiary – These are made from either flowers or plants which are cut in the shape of animals or other things.
Wreath – This is a flower ring which can be used for various purposes like a centerpiece or a headpiece or can also be used as a door hanger.