Symbolic Wedding Flowers & Their Meanings

Understanding different flower types, their meanings and what they symbolize can add an additional dimension to your choice of wedding bouquets, corsages, buttonholes and table centers. It can also be a unique way of sending a secret message expressing your true love for each other as a couple. In Victorian England, the meaning of flowers were a coded way of expressing emotions. Even today, the Language of Flowers is a great way of adding a personal expression and significance to your wedding day. So, before ordering your blooms, check out our guide to the meanings of the most popular wedding flowers. Not only will you have beautiful wedding flowers, you’ll also have that extra special element of knowing what each pretty bloom means too!

Popular wedding flowers and their Language of Flowers meanings:

Roses
Roses are without doubt the most popular wedding flower. The meaning of roses is influenced by their color: white roses indicate innocence; ivory roses indicate fidelity; red roses indicate love, courage, and passion; pastel and light pinks indicate admiration and grace; bright pink indicates thankfulness and gratitude; dark pink roses expressing the couple’s gratitude for having met each another.

Calla Lilies

The increasingly popular and ever-elegant Calla Lily signifies magnificent beauty.

Stephanotis

The traditional Stephanotis bridal flower signifies marital happiness.

Chrysanthemums

The Chrysanthemum signifies wealth, abundance and truth.

Orchids

The beautifully-striking Orchid signifies love, beauty, luxury and strength.

Hydrangeas

The Hydrangea carries a particularly powerful wedding message as it tells your loved one that you are feeling incredibly strong emotions and get butterflies at the very thought of him or her.

Tulips

Tulips symbolize undying true love and passion.

Peonies

Peonies signify good health, happiness and prosperity. What more could you ask for?

Anemones 

Anemones signify sincerity, fragility and expectation.

Lilies 

Lilies signify purity and sweetness, majesty, truth and honor.

Iris

Iris signifies eloquence. For those who plan on giving a wedding speech, this flower’s for you!

Carnations

The meaning of Carnations are influenced by their color: pink signifies boldness, red symbolizes love, and white indicates talent.

Baby’s Breath

Baby’s Breath signifies innocence.

It’s up to you whether Flower Language meanings will influence your decision on what wedding flowers to choose and to what extent. Whatever traditional or historic meaning a flower may have, it’s personal meaning for you is no less important. Whether it’s a signature flower whose meaning reflects your personality, a favorite flower of a loved relative, a fond childhood memory or the first flower you ever received from a suitor, your wedding flowers should first and foremost reflect positive associations for you as well as be aesthetically appealing for you, after this is established you can move on to sending your secret message to that significant someone on your most special of days.