THE LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS Aside from being breathtakingly beautiful, there’s good reason flowers are popular at weddings. Check out our symbolic suggestions. Anemone – anticipation and protection | Gypsophila – everlasting love | Carnation – pink symbolises gratitude, white represents pure love | Cornflower – prosperity and friendship Gardenia – gentleness and joy | Chrysanthemum – happiness, longevity and devotion Daffodil – new beginnings and hope | Daisy – innocence and loyal love | Freesia – friendship and trust | Hydrangea – gratitude and understanding | Iris – faith, valour and wisdom Lavender – devotion, serenity and grace | Lily – purity | Lily of the valley – sweetness and purity of heart | Lisianthus – confidence, charisma and charm | Orchid – refinement, thoughtfulness and charm | Peony – romance, prosperity, good luck and a happy life | Protea – courage and diversity | Ranunculus – radiant charm and attractiveness | Rose – red symbolises passionate love, pink symbolises admiration, and white symbolises purity | Sunflower – dedicated love | Sweet pea – blissful pleasure | Tulip – perfect and deep love GROW GREEN How can we keep sustainability at the forefront when choosing our flowers? Do your research and look for a local florist with sustainability as its central ethos. These folks will be doing everything they can behind the scenes to make sure their practices are as green (pun intended) as possible. For example, they’ll be using local growers to ensure the miles your flowers travel are kept to a minimum, thus reducing their carbon footprint. Sustainable florists will also be cutting down or eliminating completely their use of single-use plastics. Floral foam or oasis, now rarely used, was a terrible culprit but these days you’ll find most designers using ecofriendly alternatives such as moss. You’ll also be able to spot a sustainability-conscious florist when they wrap their bunches in paper rather than cellophane. Alternatively, you may want to consider using dried flowers. These are totally on trend and always in season! They’re also easily converted into stylish home décor after the event, which you can treasure forever as a reminder of your big day. One word of caution though, do check that they’ve been naturally air-dried without the use of chemicals and toxic dyes, otherwise you could lay waste to all your good intentions. Image courtesy of Wild Daisy Florist MOVING ON How can I get the most out of my floral budget? Luisa from Wild Daisy Florist (https://wilddaisyflorist.com) says, “To get the most out of your wedding flowers, first ask your florist for advice on what you can reuse and move from your ceremony area to your function room. Elements like aisle flowers, pedestal arrangements, and registrar table displays can all be moved. Even some wedding arches can sometimes be transported to another room to sit behind the top table. You’d also need to talk to your wedding venue, who know their spaces best and can guide you on what previous couples have done. Moving the registrar table flowers to the top table is the most common choice, and the easiest. This shape and style can also go onto a mantelpiece in some venues. It’s called a long and low arrangement. “Centrepieces can be given as gifts for loved ones who’ve helped along the way. Just make sure it’s the flowers themselves that you give away, and not florist’s hired vases or stands! This also offers you a sustainable approach ensuring your flowers don’t go to waste and containers are reused.” FLOWERS 61
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