Couples choosing wedding flowers in Essex, or elsewhere in the UK, often ask for roses as a key element in bridal bouquets or floral arrangements, and Tolly's can design imaginative displays incorporating these much-loved blooms. Roses have long been the traditional flower for weddings because they symbolise romance. As well as being the top choice for brides, they often feature in Valentine bouquets, while a lovelorn suitor might first declare his feelings by presenting a single red rose to the woman he adores.
Prior to Victorian times, brides usually carried bouquets of herbs, which were believed to ward off evil spirits. However, Queen Victoria herself chose an arrangement of flowers with only a few herbs at her marriage to Prince Albert, and most brides then followed the royal example, with bouquets frequently including roses because of their association with romance.
Although the idea of using roses at weddings only goes back to the 19th century, the flower has been a symbol of love for centuries, featuring in love poems such as Robert Burns' "My Love is like a Red, Red Rose”. There is even a famous reference to the flower in Shakespeare's romantic play "Romeo and Juliet", where Juliet says that "a rose by any other name would smell as sweet". Roses also provide a wonderful fragrance in floral displays and this is often used in scents, from the most expensive French designer fragrances to scented candles.
Wedding Flowers Essex – click here for design inspiration.
Language of Flowers –There are around 150 varieties of rose to choose from, and a wide range of colours. We at Tolly's have found that brides choosing wedding flowers in Essex and other parts of East Anglia often choose colours to match their wedding theme and gown, as well as the time of year. However, the choice of roses in different shades also has a meaning attached to it, stemming from another Victorian tradition, the language of flowers, where suitors who could not speak to one another outright expressed their feelings through selection of blooms. For instance, red roses signify love and passion, while white roses, the traditional bridal choice, mean purity, innocence and happy love; light pink blooms, also often chosen by brides, carry a message of grace and joy, and yellow roses express friendship. A combination of white and red roses, which makes a dramatic display and is another popular choice for weddings, is said to suggest unity.
Roses in the Bridal Bouquet – A traditional bridal bouquet might feature white or pale pink roses in a round arrangement, with dark green foliage woven in among the flowers. A more contemporary choice could see roses in different shades of red and pink arranged together, or a loose shower shape with roses of different colours, from cream to peach.
As an alternative to roses alone for wedding floral arrangements at your Essex ceremony, you could also choose a bouquet featuring a combination of flowers, depending on the time of year, for instance, a combination of roses, lilies and orchids, or dark red roses together with light-coloured tulips. Peonies and roses make a beautiful combination of scents and would be an unusual and individual choice.
In rural England in past centuries, it was traditional for a young girl to sprinkle rose petals as a bride walked down the aisle, and this idea lives on in the tradition of having flower girls at weddings. Roses are also a popular choice for buttonholes or corsages.
Roses at the Reception – Roses are not only used in bridal bouquets, but also at wedding receptions, where they look wonderful in table centre pieces. These could range from a traditional circular arrangement of white and cream blooms (with contrasting dark green leaves and stems arranged in a large silver or glass bowl), to a more contemporary arrangement combining roses and other flowers of different sizes and colours in a sphere or another unusual container – perhaps with white candles for an added touch of drama.
Another option is to decide on flower arrangements in vases for each table, which can again range from traditional to more modern looks and take in a wide choice of colours, from delicate pastel shades such as a combination of brownish pink and cream, to bright reds and yellows.
As well as featuring in table arrangements for the reception, roses can also be used to create a floral arch and they can be used in pedestal arrangements, perhaps combined with other blooms such as orchids, gladioli and green hydrangea.
About Tolly’s
Tolly's Flowers are based in Newmarket and we specialise in providing beautiful wedding flower arrangements in Essex, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire. We will help you to choose the perfect traditional or contemporary designs for your special day, including bridal bouquets and arrangements for the reception. You can call us on 01638 668805 to discuss your requirements.
Flowers for your Wedding – click here to find out more.
No comments:
Post a Comment