Symbolic Meaning of Flowers

 
Did you know that magnolia means love of nature and stephanotis signifies marital happiness? During the Victorian era, The Language of Flowers created an ultra-romantic language for lovers' correspondence in which flowers replaced words. If you want to suffuse your wedding flowers with symbolism, check out our guide to the most popular wedding flowers and decide which messages move you most. Happy gathering!

 
  • Anemone
    Meaning: Expectation
    Best For: Bouquets and arrangements
    Scent: None
    In Season: Fall (Japanese) to spring (Wood or De Caen)
    Price Range: Moderate
    Floral Fact: Anemones bloom in either single or double blossoms.

     
  • Baby's Breath
    Meaning: Innocence
    Best For: Filler in bouquets, corsages, and boutonnieres
    Scent: None
    In Season: Year-round
    Price Range: Inexpensive

     
  • Calla Lily
    Meaning: Magnificent beauty
    Best For: Bouquets and arrangements
    Scent: Lightly fragrant
    In Season: Spring and summer
    Price Range: Expensive
    Floral Fact: This large tropical flower is very popular in weddings.

     
  • Carnation
    Meaning: Pink represents boldness, red symbolizes love, and white indicates talent. Some other colors have negative connotations (see below).
    Best For: Bouquets, boutonnieres, and arrangements
    Scent: Very light fragrance or none at all, depending on variety
    In Season: Year-round
    Price Range: Inexpensive

     
  • Chrysanthemum (or mum)
    Meaning: Wealth, abundance, truth
    Best For: Bouquets and arrangements
    Scent: None
    In Season: Year-round
    Price Range: Inexpensive
    Floral Fact: Mums come in several varieties, which determine their size and color. The name literally means "golden flower."

     
  • Daffodil
    Meaning: Regard
    Best For: Garden settings, in pots
    Scent: None
    In Season: Spring
    Price Range: Inexpensive (in season)

     
  • Daisy
    Meaning: Share your feelings
    Best For: Bouquets
    Scent: None
    In Season: Year-round
    Price Range: Inexpensive (in season)

     
  • Delphinium
    Meaning: Swiftness, lightness
    Best For: Arrangements
    Scent: Lightly fragrant
    In Season: Summer
    Price Range: Moderate

     
  • Freesia
    Meaning: Innocence
    Best For: Bouquets
    Scent: Very fragrant
    In Season: Spring and summer
    Price Range: Inexpensive (in season)

     
  • Gardenia
    Meaning: Purity, joy
    Best For: Bouquets and boutonnieres
    Scent: Very fragrant
    In Season: Year-round
    Price Range: Expensive

     
  • Hydrangea
    Meaning: Understanding
    Best For: Bouquets and arrangements
    Scent: None
    In Season: Spring and fall
    Price Range: Expensive

     
  • Iris
    Meaning: A message of faith, wisdom
    Best For: In arrangements or potted
    Scent: Fragrant
    In Season: Spring
    Price Range: Moderate to expensive, depending on variety
    Floral Fact: Irises come in several sizes; they are usually blue or white, but you may find exotic varieties (including purple ones).

     
  • Lilac
    Meaning: Love's first emotions
    Best For: Filler in arrangements or as part of bouquets, depending on variety
    Scent: Very fragrant
    In Season: Local lilacs are available in the spring; imported French lilacs are available year-round
    Price Range: Moderate to expensive
    Floral Fact: The local lilac is grown like a bush, and is used as filler because of its greenery. The French lilac is more flower-like and can be used as such in bouquets and arrangements.

     
  • Lily
    Meaning: Majesty, truth, honor
    Best For: Bouquets and arrangements
    Scent: Fragrant
    In Season: Summer, but often imported during other seasons
    Price Range: Moderate to expensive

     
  • Lily of the Valley
    Meaning: Happiness
    Best For: Bouquets, in combination with other flowers
    Scent: Fragrant
    In Season: Spring and summer
    Price Range: Expensive
    Floral Fact: These small, fragile, bell-shaped flowers are considered traditional marriage flowers.

     
  • Magnolia
    Meaning: Love of nature
    Best For: Arrangements
    Scent: Depends on variety
    In Season: Spring and summer
    Price Range: Expensive
    Floral Fact: Magnolias are more common in Southern-style weddings, as most magnolia trees grow in the South.

     
  • Orchid
    Meaning: Love, beauty
    Best For: Bouquets, corsages, and boutonnieres
    Scent: None
    In Season: Year-round -- almost always imported
    Price Range: Expensive
    Floral Fact: This exotic flower comes in a variety of colors and sizes.

     
  • Peony
    Meaning: Bashfulness, the American spirit of ambition and determination
    Best For: Arrangements
    Scent: Lightly fragrant
    In Season: Late spring
    Price Range: Expensive

     
  • Rose
    Meaning: Love, joy, beauty
    Best For: Bouquets, corsages, boutonnieres, and arrangements
    Scent: Lightly fragrant to very fragrant, depending on variety
    In Season: Year-round
    Price Range: Moderate to expensive
    Floral Fact: Roses are the most popular wedding flowers.

     
  • Stephanotis
    Meaning: Marital happiness
    Best For: Bouquets and arrangements
    Scent: Very fragrant
    In Season: Year-round
    Price Range: Moderate
    Floral Fact: These trumpet-shape blossoms are traditional bridal flowers, no doubt due to their meaning.

     
  • Stock
    Meaning: Lasting beauty
    Best For: Filler in arrangements
    Scent: Very fragrant
    In Season: Year-round
    Price Range: Inexpensive
    Floral Fact: Stock can be found in many colors to complement and fill out arrangements.

     
  • Sunflower
    Meaning: Short-stemmed sunflowers mean adoration; long-stemmed sunflowers symbolize haughtiness
    Best For: Carrying a single stem down the aisle; potted arrangements
    Scent: None
    In Season: Fall
    Price Range: Inexpensive to moderate in season

     
  • Sweet Pea
    Meaning: Pleasure
    Best For: Garden setting, in vases
    Scent: Fragrant
    In Season: Late spring and early summer
    Price Range: Moderate

     
  • Tulip
    Meaning: Love, passion
    Best For: Arrangements and bouquets
    Scent: None
    In Season: Late spring
    Price Range: Expensive
    Floral Fact: These sweet and stately flowers can be found in a myriad of colors, but they are very fragile.

    Unfavorable Flowers
    It's sad but true: You might want to avoid certain flowers (if you're superstitious, that is). On the other hand, you can always thumb your nose at history and ascribe your own meaning to these "questionable" blooms. Here are the so-called negative indicators:
     
  • Christmas Rose: Scandal
     
  • Fig: Idleness
     
  • Foxglove: Insincerity
     
  • Larkspur: Infidelity
     
  • Lavender: Distrust
     
  • Marigold: Grief
     
  • Mulberry: I shall not survive you
     
  • Raspberry: Remorse
     
  • Red Carnation: Alas for my poor heart
     
  • Red Poppy: Consolation
     
  • Rhododendron: Danger
     
  • Striped Carnation: Refusal
     
  • White Poppy: Sleep
     
  • Yellow Carnation: Disdain
     
  • Yellow Chrysanthemum: Slighted Love
     
  • Yellow Lily: Falsehood
     
  • Yellow Rose: Jealousy
     
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