MERIDIAN — Of all of our activities, wedding ceremonies may be the most symbolic. Symbolism is found in everything from the rings, representing the couple’s commitment of everlasting love, to who sits on which side of the church. Even the flowers used in ceremonies can be symbolic.

    When choosing wedding flowers, the most important consideration may be the colors of the bride’s and bridesmaids’ dresses, but you should also consider the symbolic meaning of the flower. You certainly don’t want to convey the wrong message on your wedding day.

    For example, yellow roses or chrysanthemums may look perfect with the attendants’ gowns, but those in the know realize they give the negative messages of jealousy and slighted love, respectively. Likewise, a cactus plant’s rough exterior and prickly spines do not convey the message of warmth. You don’t typically find them used in weddings.

    So let’s consider some of the most popular choices for wedding flowers and their potential uses.

    The rose is perhaps the flower most widely used in weddings. In many past and present cultures, the rose is a symbol of love, emotion and beauty. The fact that roses are available all year and come in a wide variety of colors to match any design scheme doesn’t hurt, either.

    Tulips and calla lilies are two of the most popular wedding flowers produced by bulbs or tubers. Tulips symbolize all-consuming love, and they are a meaningful choice to include in the floral arrangements. Their wide range of colors spans from white to reds and purples, and they are very versatile and available all year.

    The calla lily symbolizes magnificent beauty and is a good choice for wedding bouquets and arrangements. The flowers open upwards into an elegant trumpet shape, and they can be an elegant choice for boutonnieres as well.

    The wedding flower with the most sought-after scent is the gardenia, which came to us from South Africa. Gardenias have thick, waxy leaves and a heady fragrance. They make sweet-smelling corsages or fantastic additions to bouquets. The pure white flowers symbolize purity and joy and must be handled gently.

    Even if you do your own research and come up with great floral symbols to include in your wedding, I want to encourage you to rely on the good advice of a reputable florist. This person will help you select and design appropriate and beautiful floral arrangements for your wedding.

    Taking care of the details of the wedding flowers may seem like a fun idea in the beginning, but brides and grooms can become overwhelmed very quickly with this task. Select your florist early in the wedding planning process and be sure to let him or her know exactly what you want your floral designs to look like and symbolize.



    • Dr. Gary Bachman is an assistant Extension research professor of horticulture at the Coastal Research and Extension Center in Biloxi.