Bouquet
Made with Love by Barbara
Bridal bouquet
Olden Times
Incorporating flowers into wedding ceremonies has been seen, since Roman times, as a symbol of fertility, which meant that herbs, orange blossoms, garlic and other similar plants never missed from the wedding preparations.
Both Greeks and Romans thought that their smell would keep the evil spirits away from the bride, therefore guaranteeing happiness and loyalty in the marriage. However, the exquisite combination of herbs were not carried by the bride in her hands, but, instead, worn under the form of a garland in her hair. At the end of the ceremony, the edible herbs were given to the newlyweds to eat, as they were also supposed to increase their sexual desire.
But, throughout the Victorian period, the practices changed. Queen Victoria herself carried a bouquet made of a few herbs and mostly fresh flowers, thus making fashionable the bouquet as it is known today.