Now that the "Royal Wedding" is over and the media hype has relaxed a bit, it's time to focus on the new trends in flowers that will emerge as a result of Kate's exquisite taste.
Kate's bouquet featuring Lily of the Valley, Hyacinth, Sweet William, Ivy, and Myrtle was delightful, although a bit small in my opinion. Her choice of blossoms was what I expected, but I felt the occasion of the Royal Wedding demanded a little larger presentation. Regardless, the heavy, heady scent would have been heavenly!
The blossoms for her bouquet were chosen, as is custom, from "The Language of Flowers" -
- Lily-of-the-valley - Return of happiness
- Sweet William - Gallantry
- Hyacinth - Constancy of love
- Ivy - Fidelity; marriage; wedded love; friendship; affection
- Myrtle - The emblem of marriage; love
The Language of Flowers was used by the Victorians as a way to conveyed their sentiments. They would compose their feelings and messages using blossoms fashioned into little nosegays of flowers. They knew how to let the flowers do the talking! You can certainly get yourself one of the many versions of the Language of Flowers at your local bookstore.
This is all well and good, but as charming as it sounds, people just don't do that anymore! It doesn't reflect the modern world, certainly not in our choice of flowers, or in the way we communicate. So many of the blooms in the book are either seasonal or just not available unless you know someone's grandmother who has a greenhouse. And what if you want some new, strange hybrid flower in your bouquet? I don't think you'd find any of the new cultivars in the ancient Victorian book!
So what do you do? Choose blossoms that have some special meaning to you. No one else needs to know...it's about creating something special for the two of you.
