What Your Wedding Flowers Mean

If you're planning a wedding with lots of personal touches—you're getting married the same month you and your SO met three years ago. Wearing Mom's veil. Serving the cocktail you had the night he proposed.—think about personalizing your flowers, too. But instead of basing your choices on color and style alone, let the blooms' historic meanings inform your decision, as well.

The "language" of flowers is actually a thing and has been for centuries. During Victorian times, for example, flowers were used to express emotions when words and gestures failed. Today, many couples follow this romantic practice and create bouquets and centerpieces with flowers whose meanings have some significance to them. While flowers with a love connection, like roses and carnations, are popular, there are many other meaningful traits like new beginnings (daffodil), faith (iris), and perseverance (hydrangea) to consider.

While most flowers have good vibes and positive sentiments, you'll want to steer clear of those whose meanings have a negative association—begonia symbolizes "beware" and tansy, "hostile thoughts." Color also plays a substantial role in a flower's meaning. Everyone's favorite wedding flower, the rose, has different meanings depending on the hue. While a red rose symbolizes passion, a white rose means purity, and a pink one signifies joy and admiration. The same goes for hyacinths: The white variety means loveliness, the blue kind represents constancy.

Whatever sentiment you want to convey on your wedding day, there's sure to be a flower to fit your need. Just like every picture tells a story, every flower has its own narrative, too.