A SouthBound Guide to Flower Meanings

wedding flower meanings

*UPDATED FOR 2021* I did a post on the language of flowers a few years ago, when Kate Middleton selected the blooms for her bouquet to represent various sentiments, and I thought it was about time to update it and introduce some of you to a beautiful tradition you might not be aware of. In fact, the language of flowers goes back about 200 years, and was especially popular in the Victorian era, when young ladies consulted one of the many flower dictionaries available at the time in constructing their ‘tussie-mussies’. These days the interest in ‘florigraphy’ has largely been lost, but I think it’s a super romantic vintage tradition to bring into your wedding (as this real bride did to gorgeous effect) and a really sweet, meaningful way to construct your bouquet. You can find meanings for dozens of blooms online, but today I’ve drawn together ten of our favourite wedding flowers together with their meanings, which come from The Knot Book of Wedding Flowers by Carley Rooney. And some gorgeous wedding flowers to get swoony over too, of course!

*Links in bold denote affiliate links. The cost to you remains the same, but SBB may receive a commission for any sales made.

Read More

A Floral Romance Abingdon Estate Wedding by Derryn Semple {Bridget & Matt}

It’s always such a pleasure to feature weddings of people I know, and when KZN photographer Derryn Semple sent over this wedding I immediately recognised the lovely Bridget from our shared varsity years, looking even more gorgeous on her wedding day than she was then (which is saying something). Straight away I could see that the whole wedding reflected Bridge’s simple, pretty, easygoing style – and set against the elegant emerald backdrop of Abingdon wine estate in the Midlands, it was the perfect place for her to start married life with her handsome groom. From the bride’s stunning Lunar gown to the two-tone bridesmaid dresses, to Derryn’s breathtaking photos, there’s a lot to love about this one, but the detail I most adore is that the couple made use of the so-called Language of Flowers. All the blooms used, from bouquets to loose table arrangements to herbs tucked into the napkins, have a meaning that relates to Bridget and Matt, and to their relationship. Beautiful and meaningful. There’s nothing better.Read More