Wedding Flower History Lesson

If you've ever wondered where the tradition of wedding flowers comes from, the following is a great post from www.fiftyflowers.com.

"Flowers, herbs and spices have been used in weddings for centuries. Today, the main purpose they have is to decorate our venues or complement formal clothing. However, in ancient times their use was more spiritually oriented. The bride carried aromatic bunches of garlic, herbs and spices to keep evil spirits away. Strong smells were related to protection from evil forces and mysticism. In ancient Greece and Rome, both the bride and groom wore a garland made out of strong-smelling herbs and spices around their necks. The garland was a symbol of love and happiness. Ancient Greeks also used flowers and plants to make a crown for the bride to wear and were considered a gift from nature. Although some cultures and religions still use herbs to celebrate marriages, they have lost their place in modern weddings and flowers are becoming increasingly important.

In some countries, the history and role of wedding flowers has remained and many practices continue to be preformed. Here are some of the traditions that are still important elements of every wedding, and not only in the countries where they originally appeared. Some of them are also the base of traditions we currently follow worldwide.

**Germany: both the bride and groom hold candles with flowers and ribbons tied to them during the ceremony.

**Sweden: the bridesmaids carry little bouquets of aromatic herbs.

**Austria: the brides crown their veils with the flowers of life.

**England: the bride and her bridesmaids walk to the church together. A little girl would lead them to the church while sprinkling flowers along the path. This tradition prevails in modern weddings with the "flower girls."

**India: rose petals are sprinkled over the bride and groom at the end of the wedding ceremony to help ward off any evil spirits.

Starting in the form of herbs and spices, flowers have always been an important element to weddings--not only for their undeniable beauty but also for their historical significance symbolic meanings."


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Can Cascades Be Gardeny?

With more and more weddings drawing inspiration from vintage styles, cascade bouquets are slowly gaining in popularity. If you are looking at old photos of your Grandparents' weddings, you may have noticed that the majority of those bouquets were the long, large, and overpowering cascades that most people have come to dislike. The wedding styles of the 80s didn't help either, as some people see a cascade bouquet and think poofy sleeves and big hair.

Sisters is here to let you know that a cascade bouquet doesn't have to be the stereotypical long, dangling, "large-and-in-charge" bouquet. If done in a more modern style, cascades can be a very feminine and delicate look for your wedding day. Here are some examples from our portfolio:

This bouquet is an example of how a cascade can still be gardeny. All the texture of a hand-tied style is included in this flowy bouquet--a cascade done in a slightly modern style. Long, green lily grass is used to add length while giving the design a little flair. The bride is not overpowered by this bouquet. It compliments her well without stealing the show.

This bride wanted just a slight cascade to her bouquet. Notice that the bulk of the flowers are contained more in an oval shape with just a few flowers breaking the line to create the cascade. Again, nothing too overpowering and still very elegant.

This is a tear-drop shaped bouquet. All of the flowers are tight to form a less flowing cascade shape. This is another option if you like the forward-facing bouquets, but don't want too much of a cascade.

Even though hand-tied bouquets seem to be the most popular, there are still many gardeny and slightly modern options available if you prefer a cascade bouquet.

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Spotlight on Moonrise Hotel

The Moonrise is an awesome venue for a small reception. It is located right on The Loop here in St. Louis. The hotel has a very modern and fun design. It's lunar-themed lobby alone is quirky, yet sophisticated with a lighted open staircase that changes color. Sisters did an intimate wedding reception there for about 50 people in one of their meeting rooms. But this just wasn't any meeting room. This cozy room overlooked The Loop itself. Here are some pictures that we took at our set-up of the venue.

Just a few tall, full arrangements, in addition to the great view, was all the room needed. If a small event is in your future, don't count out The Moonrise Hotel.

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How to Add Bling to Your Bouquet

Here at Sisters, about 90% of the bouquets we do are hand-tied. Want your bouquet to be a little different? Broaches or pins in rhinestones or crystals can be added for a minimal cost. If you are looking for something more personal, an antique pin borrowed from a family member can add a special touch. If a more custom look is what you're after, try finding a little bling that speaks to you as an individual. A great place to look here in St. Louis is at ABC Trading Company on Olive Blvd. They have lots of varieties of inexpensive pins that you can purchase and bring to us to add to your flowers. They even have long hair pins that work great for flower bouquets. There really are lots of options for "blinging out" your bouquet!!







(Photo by Burns Photography)


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"I want my bridesmaids to all have a different flower...."

This is a design idea that we work with occasionally at Sisters. It is a definite possibility for brides who are flexible about shades of colors and flowers. A word to the wise: if you have lots of maids (more than 5) or if your color is not a common color for flowers (blue, green, "a certain shade of pink", etc.) this may not be the style for you. Sisters Flowers can make flower suggestions based on your color palatte.

Here is a photo we found on-line that demonstrates what a different type of flower for each bridesmaid looks like. This particular design used all bright pink, but notice that even the shades of pink vary from flower to flower.

Another thing to note about this particular style is that the shape and size of each bouquet will inevitably be different from one another. Some brides really like this style and difference in textures and even use all of the maids' flowers mixed together to make up their bridal bouquet.

If you like texture and uniformity is not your ultimate goal, this is certainly a unique way to set your wedding style apart.

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