Lily of the Valley Stars in Royal Bridal Bouquet
by Jenny Scala on April 29, 2011 at 1:49 pm
Royal Wedding of William and Catherine Duke & Duchess of Cambridge. Photo Courtesy: Defence Images'
Lily of the Valley played a prominent role in the Royal Wedding, especially for Kate’s bridal bouquet and the hairpiece worn by Pippa, the maid of honor and sister of the bride.
Featuring broad, spear-like foliage and fragrant little white bell-shaped flowers, the Lily of the Valley symbolizes a return of happiness, purity of heart, sweetness, humility, happiness and love’s good fortune.
With such a lovely meaning, it is no surprise Lily of the Valley is a highly desirable flower for weddings.
The Lily of the Valley is a seasonal spring flower and can be one of the more expensive wedding flowers. It is also a delicate flower sensitive to heat, another consideration if planning an outdoor summer wedding.
For brides considering a similar look to the royal bouquet but find Lily of the Valley is not in season, there are plenty of beautiful white flowers that can help you achieve a similar style.
Among them with their meanings:
- Bouvardia (Enthusiasm)
- Orchids, particularly the dendorbium (Delicate beauty)
- Freesia (Spirited)
- Gypsophila also known as Baby’s Breath (Festivity)
There are endless possibilities and your florist can help you recreate the style and elegant feel of the royal bouquet. Just ask them — they are the experts!
What did you think of the Kate’s bouquet and wedding décor? What are your favorite white flowers?
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Gardenia is my favorite white flower. There is nothing like the wonderful fragrance of a gardenia in my opinion.
I thought Kate Middleton and her entourage looked absolutely stunning. Her love of flowers is clearly evident by the way in which she incorporated them into the overall look of her wedding. From the trees filling up the aisles right down to the lovely floral headdress’ worn by her adorable gaggle of young bridesmaids, Kate exemplified the power of the flower, and nature, itself, by turning an overly sterile and massive interior space into a beautifully lush indoor garden. Simply magical.
Very informative. I enjoy learning what flowers “mean” so this was great!
Catherine’s bouquet also included Sweet William, Hyacinths and Myrtle.
What a great, fragrant choice. I also had lily of the valley in my bouquet, mixed with freesia and peonies. It smelled as beautiful as it looked.