The bridal bouquet is a bride's most important accessory. It makes her enchanting outfit perfect on this special day, which is why the style should match the wedding dress. For most people, the bridal bouquet is definitely part of a wedding. This custom has its origins in the Middle Ages, when the pretty bouquet of flowers was worn at the wedding primarily for practical and symbolic reasons. As cleanliness and hygiene were not as pronounced at that time as they are today, strongly scented flowers and herbs were tied together in a bouquet to spread a pleasant smell. The bouquet was also intended to protect the happy couple from evil spirits. Other symbolic flowers, such as the red rose as an expression of true love and the lily as a sign of purity, were only added over the centuries. Today, the bridal bouquet is primarily seen as a visual highlight. Here at fischer-trauringe, you can find out what you should bear in mind when choosing your bridal bouquet and who will present it to the bride.
The different shapes of the bridal bouquet
When choosing your bridal bouquet, you should make sure that the style, shape, color and size of the bouquet match your wedding dress, your jewelry and your partner's suit. Ideally, it should blend in harmoniously with the rest of the wedding decorations and be in keeping with the theme or motto of the wedding. Which flowers you choose should depend on your own taste, the time of year, any symbolic meaning you wish to convey and a visually harmonious combination. Roses, peonies, Australian wax flowers, gypsophila, ranunculus, hydrangeas and lily of the valley are particularly popular. Greenery tends to be used less at the moment. Otherwise, eucalyptus has replaced ivy as the green favorite. You should also think about which form of bridal bouquet suits you and your outfit best. Do you prefer the classic and very elegant Biedermeier bouquet in the shape of a ball? Or are you wearing a long dress with a train and therefore want a harmonious, flowing shape with a drop or waterfall look? An arm bouquet that embodies simplicity and elegance and is not carried in the hand but placed in the arm looks particularly exclusive. If you want something more unusual, you can also have your bridal bouquet tied as a heart, ring or spiral. It is best to ask your florist what wishes they can take into account and what alternatives are available.
Who hands over the bridal bouquet?
Traditionally, the groom chooses the bridal bouquet and then presents it to his bride on the wedding day. However, the bride may give the groom a few tips on how she would like her wedding bouquet to look. This way you can be sure that the bouquet really does meet all expectations. If the bride and groom only meet for the first time in the church, as is still common today, the father of the bride gives his daughter the bouquet. In both cases, the bride proudly holds her bouquet in her hands as she walks down the aisle.
The traditional throwing of the bridal bouquet
One of the best-known wedding customs is the throwing of the bridal bouquet. During the ceremony, the bride throws her bouquet backwards over her shoulder while all the unmarried female guests at the ceremony gather behind her to catch the bouquet. The lucky one who catches the bouquet will, according to the prophecy, be the next bride. She is allowed to keep the bouquet as proof. However, as many women would like to keep their bridal bouquet themselves, the groom has recently been getting a second bouquet more and more often, which is thrown in place of the real bridal bouquet. This is usually somewhat smaller and can serve as a bouquet for the maid of honor or the bridesmaids during the ceremony.