From hundred-year-old superstitions to family traditions your grandmother insists on continuing, perhaps no one day is more wrapped in tradition than your wedding day. And while most of us know what they are, few of us know how these decade-old traditions came about and why they’re so symbolic.

Whether you’re tying the knot this year, know someone who is, or are just interested in learning more about wedding culture, take a look below at some of our favorite wedding traditions and the meanings behind them.

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In honor of wedding season which is now upon us, we decided to ask our florists about one of the most searched for wedding flower colors: purple. It’s no surprise that purple wedding flowers are the most popular color; they work great for vineyard weddings, they pair well with both blues AND pinks, and they come in lots of pretty shades from light lavender to deep, dark purple.

Most Popular Wedding Flower Types

According to our local Carle Place florists, the top wedding flowers are:

• Hydrangeas
• Roses
• Mini calla lilies
• Stock flowers
• Phalaenopsis orchids
• Dendrobium orchids
• Spray roses
• Tulips
• Freesia

The best part? All of these flowers are available in shades of lavender and purple.

Flower Pairings

All of these flower types can be paired up with fillers, other flowers, foliage or left by themselves.
Some good flower combinations for bouquets would be:

• Hydrangeas, roses and mini calla lilies
• Roses, mini calla lilies, and stock
• Dendrobium orchids, roses, and freesia

By adding fillers and foliage to these combinations, you create texture and style. Some good filler pairings include dusty miller, seeded eucalyptus, willow eucalyptus, bulperium, hypericum, silver gray brunia, wax flower, heather, succulents, bear grass, aspidistra leaves, and other types of foliage.

If planning for a special look, using less combinations of material creates a more modern feel. An example could be all Phalaenopsis orchids with some foliage, or all tulips wrapped in aspidistra leaves. Another modern look is using all mini calla lilies.

Flowers For Your Wedding Themes

Rustic Wedding Flowers

If going for a rustic feel you can use willow or seeded eucalyptus, silver brunia, dahlias, roses, scabiosa, and some berries. You can also add burlap, lace, and twine.

Romantic Wedding Flowers

Gatherings of dusty miller, hydrangeas, roses, spray roses, clematis, and seeded eucalyptus create a romantic look.

Garden Wedding Flowers

Garden style may contain, ivy, herbs, bulperium, penny cress, wax flower, roses, freesia, sweet pea, and lisianthus.

Vintage Wedding Flowers

Vintage style may contain old broaches, feathers, pearls, roses, mini calla lilies, veronica, lilacs and dusty miller.

Seasonal Wedding Flowers

While there are many year-round beauties that you can use in your bouquet, some seasonal blooms that would look beautiful in bouquets are:

• Campanula
• Dianthus
• Phlox
• Ranunculus
• Iris
• Asters

P.S. they’re all available in shades of purple! 😉

Most of these flowers can either be elegant, unique or rustic, it just depends on what you pair it with and the style you choose. So no matter what your favorite flower is, your local 1800Flowers florists’ can help you create the perfect wedding flowers to fit your theme!

We love weddings at 1-800-Flowers.com, so when two fellow employees tied the knot last fall, we made sure to get pics to share! All of the wedding flowers were designed by Louise from the 1-800-Flowers Carle Place florist shop. Whether you’re planning your own wedding, a friends’ wedding, or just love looking at them (like we do!), we hope that Brittany and Ken’s gorgeous fall wedding will leave you feeling inspired.

The Wedding Venue

Brittany and Ken decided to have their wedding at the Westbury Manor in Long Island, NY. Being lovers of fall décor, Brittany said they selected this location because of “how beautiful the grounds are and also how much the hall decorated for the fall (pumpkins, gourds, leaves, and cornstalks lining the driveway).” Continue Reading…

Get Inspired by These Wine-Themed Wedding Ideas From a Real 1-800-Flowers Bride!

When Marianna, our Senior Email Marketing Manager, exchanged vows with her hubby, Chris (who also works at 1-800-Flowers as Director of Merchandising!), on November 19, 2011, it was an occasion to celebrate. So to raise a toast in honor of their love, Marianna chose an intoxicating theme for their wedding: fall vineyard! From the deep merlots to the champagne whites that abound during the season, their wedding perfectly captured the rich and fragrant essence of autumn. The fall time has always had special meaning to this couple, so it was only natural that they plan an autumn wedding and infuse it with everything they love about the season—especially those naturally luxurious fall colors. Continue Reading…

Your wedding day is one of the most important days in a couple’s life. And while that’s certainly true, it’s also a big day for their parents. Your wedding is the final piece to the puzzle, signifying that you’re not their little baby anymore — heck, you may soon have your own little babies. But that’s why the father-daughter and mother son dances have become so popular over the years. In those few minutes, you have the opportunity to tell your mom and dad, “thanks for everything you’ve done.” But in order to set the scene for the perfect moment, you need to have the perfect music. If you’re getting ready to head down the aisle, as well as the dance floor, here are a few songs that will make for an unforgettable father-daughter and mother-son dance.

For the Father-Daughter Dance

Butterfly Kisses

By: Bob Carlisle

Remember when your dad would tuck you into bed and kiss you goodnight? You might not have realized it at the time, but you were probably kissing him goodnight too — but with butterfly kisses. If you give someone a butterfly kiss, it means your eyelashes brush up against their cheeks. Bob Carlisle’s famous song may have popularized the term, but it’s something fathers spanning decades remember experiencing.

How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)

By: James Taylor

How Sweet It Is, by James Taylor proved that a father-daughter dance doesn’t necessarily have to be slow and sappy for it to still be beautiful. This is a great choice for brides looking to ditch the traditional slow dance in favor of a more upbeat dance number. After all, this is a celebration! Continue Reading…

Choosing wedding flowers is one of the most exciting parts of a bride’s wedding prep (second only to maybe the cake tasting). While flowers are a necessity for any wedding, it’s the bouquet that really steals the floral show. Today, the bouquet adds beauty and a pop of color to the blushing bride as she walks down the aisle. But believe it or not, the tradition is actually much older than you may think, dating back to the 16th century. And though brides were carrying bouquets down the aisle even back then, it wasn’t for the reason you’d expect. Below is a brief history about the origin of the bouquet.

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