There is more than one version trying to explain the origin of bringing flowers to the altar: some researchers believe that the little handful of flowers carried by the brides dates back to the Roman Civilization: on the day of their daughters’ marriage, the Roman mothers presented them with flowers tied so that they would bring good perfumes to the new married life. According to Anthropologist and Cambridge Historian Alan MacFarlane, the bride’s bouquet was a kind of amulet against the evil eye: initially composed of aromatic herbs (believed to frighten evil spirits), it was then replaced by flowers, considered as symbols of fertility.
But the story we like the most is the one that tells us what the tradition was like in the Middle Ages. At that time, the bride made the journey to the church on foot. On the way, she would receive flowers and herbs from anyone who would see the process – guests and strangers – as wishes for happiness and good luck. So, the bride’s bouquet with which she would walk to the altar was formed by the way.
The researcher also states that the tradition of throwing the bouquet was born in the 14th century France. Until then, it was customary for the guests to get a piece of the bride’s dress to give luck to the single friends.
Have you already chosen the style of your bride’s bouquet? Remember that, beyond being a decorative element, your bouquet carries as much history and meaning as beautiful as your flowers!
Find out more tips from Márcia Henz – wedding celebrant in Essential Conversations.
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