The bouquet of the bride is an indispensable attribute of the wedding reception, as well as the groom’s boutonniere. Many brides wonder about the fate of their bouquet after the wedding. There are many omens associated with this attribute of the wedding day. For example, that the man should buy the bouquet, but not necessarily the groom himself (he has a lot of worries before the ceremony, so this function can be performed by his father or brother); flowers are chosen any, except red carnations, which have political or tragic, mournful overtones (it is better to give preference to buds of gentle shades, suitable to the snow-white dress of the bride). Non-skeptical brides do not think about omens and customs, but still want to keep their bouquet, unless, of course, they gave it to an unmarried guest at the wedding. Below we will tell you about all possible options for the subjugation of the wedding bouquet.

 

Omen and traditions about the bouquet of the bride

 

The tradition to throw the bouquet after the end of the celebration to her friends, symbolizing the end of maiden life and the beginning of married life, does not imply the use of exactly the flower composition, which adorned the bride’s attire during the ceremony. It is possible to prepare in advance a duplicate, similar to the original or made of artificial materials. And the one, which before the beginning of the celebration is presented by the groom to his beloved, is too expensive to easily part with it. Any girl would prefer to keep it as a keepsake.

 

The questions of what to do with the bouquet of the bride after the wedding, where to put the wedding bouquet, there are many answers, sometimes mutually exclusive. Some believe that they should throw it away, so as not to see how beautiful fresh flowers fade.

 

Others believe that throwing away anything related to the family’s birthday or donating it to someone else is not acceptable. There are several possible options:

• Keep the wedding bouquet after the wedding as a keepsake. It, of course, will dry out, but placed in a vase will decorate the interior originally and will be a reminder of a wonderful day.
• Dry the individual flowers and leaves under the press as for a herbarium, for example in a thick book. After a few weeks, glue the dried elements onto a piece of paper or fabric to form a colourful composition. Decorate it with a beautiful frame and hang it on the wall.
• Store in a canvas bag. And when your children will grow up and will go to the wedding, you should shower them with flower petals from the bouquet from your parents’ wedding.
• Burn ritually on the anniversary of the wedding, thus getting rid of quarrels and misunderstandings of the first year of life together.
• Give as a gift to the river. Water is a source of life, a symbol of femininity, fluidity, purity. Throw flowers to the river, tell it about your desires, ask for feminine happiness.
• Put petals from a wedding bouquet under a mattress. They say that in this case, the husband will be faithful and will never leave the family.
• Dry the flowers and then make a decorative candle. It will become a decoration of your home. And you can light it at family celebrations.
• An interesting way to preserve the bouquet for many years is preservation with glycerin. It is suitable for flowers with dense leaves. One part of glycerin is mixed with two parts of hot water, the stems from below are split and placed in the mixture for 2-3 weeks. Every day they are trimmed by one inch. After a week, the glycerin mixture is refreshed. Flowers are ready when they are soaked and glossy. If the bouquet is small, it is possible to preserve the whole in a beautiful glass container.

How to dry a bride’s bouquet after the wedding

 

Have you ever, opening an old book, suddenly found a withered leaf or flower between the pages? Maybe it was a humble gift from a loved one or it was plucked during your first date. It has lain between the pages for years and still holds fond memories and even smells of that day.

 

If you decide to keep a wedding bouquet as a keepsake so that it will refresh your memory of an unforgettable day in many years, you need to dry it properly so that the leaves and petals do not lose their shape and color. Drying can be volumetric or flat, there are many techniques:

1. The easiest way to dry roses is to hang them with their heads down and leave them in that position until they are completely dry.
2. For decorative panels and paintings, the flowers are dried by placing them in a thick book between sheets of clean paper or napkins.
3. For delicate inflorescences, the method of drying in sand or semolina is suitable. Having placed the plant in a container, you need to carefully fill all the petals with sand or grits and do not dig them up within a month. Instead of sand can be used silica gel – absorbent granules.

 

Dried flowers covered with hairspray. They look more original if the varnish with glitter.

 

Can I throw away my wedding bouquet?

 

There is no unequivocal opinion. Some believe that it is necessary to get rid of the bouquet. But just throw it in the trash in any case can not. Options are considered acceptable: traditionally throw to girlfriends after the wedding, give to the river or burn. However, most brides do not want to part with the luxurious attribute, which costs a lot of money and is expensive as a memory, and make attempts to dry it and keep it as long as possible.

 

According to Slavic tradition dried plants keep their power and can serve as a talisman. Bundles of dried herbs and flowers from ancient times were hung in certain places throughout the house, protecting the home from evil forces and diseases. Not just flowers were used, but magic plants – amulets, they were collected at certain times, dried in the air and changed every year.

 

Came from Asia, the practice of organizing the space feng shui, prohibits keeping dry plants in the house. They are believed to concentrate negative energy and disturb the free flow of energy in the home. However, feng shui makes an exception for bouquets that remember an important event, such as a wedding. But the location of such a bouquet should not be a bedroom or living room. It is best to place it in the kitchen or bathroom.

 

Do not get upset if the bouquet in its former form could not be preserved. In its pristine form it is already captured in photos in a family album, on video, filmed at the ceremony. Do not be sad that the flowers wilted. The main thing is to keep your feelings for each other bright and fresh.