Like any good plant geek, I was most interested in the greenery that would be adorning the royal wedding. About Trees and Shrubs Guide Vanessa Richins notes that maple and hornbeam trees were brought in to decorate the cathedral -- a move that, in my opinion, gave the wedding an even more fairytale feel than it already had.
And then there's the bouquet. I was astonished to see so many people on Twitter hating on the bouquet this morning! I think it's beautiful and elegant. And knowing a bit about the flowers in it, it seems to be the perfect choice for this royal couple:
The all-white bouquet features four types of flowers:
- Lily-of-the-Valley: This delicate, fragrant flower signifies sweetness and renewed happiness. The flowers are very traditional wedding symbols. What more could you wish for two people starting a new life together?
- Hyacinth: Another very fragrant flower. The white hyacinth signifies "constancy." Again, a very important sentiment when starting a life together.
- Sweet William: This one is obvious, no?
- Myrtle: Every royal bride since Queen Victoria has had a sprig of myrtle in her bouquet. The myrtle comes from a tree which grew from a cutting of Queen Victoria's own bridal bouquet myrtle. Since then, each royal bride has included a sprig from the original plant in her bouquet, and they then plant their sprigs in Queen Victoria's garden as well. In fact, the tradition is that the bridesmaids plant the sprigs in the garden. Supposedly, if it doesn't root and grow, the bridesmaid who planted it will be an old maid. Luckily for them, myrtle roots very easily.
The biggest complaint I saw about the bouquet was that it was too small and understated. How big does a bouquet really need to be? Bigger is not always better -- understated, elegant, and meaningful is the way to go (in my humble opinion.) I appreciated the understated beauty of Kate Middleton's bouquet amid the pomp and extravagance of the royal wedding.
What did you think of the bouquet?
Photo by: Chris Jackson, Getty
Comments
Being a horticulturist my self I was happy to see a bouquet done for meaning not just for show. I second your opinion.Thanks for letting everyone know the inportance of the flower choices… Especially the Sweet William….
Thanks for the comment, Lynn! Sweet William also signifies “gallantry” but I have to believe the groom’s name being William had something to do with the decision to add the flower to the bouquet
I am a wedding florist and I love the bouquet! It was totally unexpected and perfectly elegant!
I’m a believer in less not more. Her slim lines along with the elegant and sleek dress would have been overpowered by a larger bouquet.
I loved it! Perfect.
I thought it was a perfect match for her overall look and the dainty lily of the valley i understand were supplied by a flower grower in cornwall…the west country where i live so very pleased for them to be part of the big day.
Absolutely Beautiful in every way! Just Loved it!
I fourth/fifth your opinion. She is an quiet lady with backbone. Her bouquet, even her dress said that.
I agree–simple is always more beautiful & elegant. A lovely wedding it was. (And I bet the hyacinth smelled wonderful!)
The flowers were perfect as was the size of the bouquet , bigger is not better in all occasions, her taste is impeccable in my humble opinion.
I think the bouquet was beautiful — very symbolic and meaningful as well as immensely fragrant. I think it was perfect for the wedding dress. It also blended ideally with the whole tenor of the wedding — elegance, beauty and simplicity.
Simply, but very elegant…it as prefect. A larger bouquet would have over power her dres.
As a florist, they were pretty nice and beautiful done- but a bit too minimal for her dress.
But where were the flowers for Pippa and her mother- no corsage and no flowers for maid of hour, this was very dissappointing for me!
I thought Kate’s boquet was just perfect. Her dress was was so very much her, as was the boquet. I thought the whole wedding was beautiful. The trees were such a perfect touch.
The only thing I would have changed was to have her wear Diana”s tiara given to her by the Queen. There was such a large hole left by her not being there.
I was so happy for them both.
I believe that the elegance and beauty of the day was absolutely appropriate. Princess Catherine is elegant and understated. Her dress and bouquet were a direct reflection of her inner self. I love that each and every flower in her bouquet has meaning for her. When it is all said and done, it was a commitment made to each other. There is something to be said for Princess Catherine and her quiet, understated elegance. Just beautiful!
I appreciate everyone’s comments! I noticed the lack of flowers for the maid of honor, as well as the corsages. I think that in a few small ways, the couple did break from tradition, and that is one of them. The second kiss on the balcony was another small way they seemed to shun tradition (in this case, much to the delight of the crowd!) They seemed a bit more relaxed than Charles and Diana did.
Overall, it was a very elegant affair, not gaudy at all, in my opinion
What horticulture got to do with plant symbolism or in this instance, a so called fairytale?
Thanks for the shout out
What, did people want her dragging around a whole lilac bush in her arms or something? I think it’s wonderful. I smiled when I heard there was Sweet William in it. So fitting.
I do know they were trying to go for a more sustainable wedding (ie more live plants than cut flowers), so perhaps they decided to do the one you “have to” (the bride’s bouquet) and be a bit less traditional about flowers for the rest of the party?
I loved Kate’s bouquet, she looked amazing, so naturally beautiful and I thought the size of the bouquet was perfect, very delicate and very personal. Well done Kate.
I love lily of the valley. They smell so nice and are so pretty and delicate. Like little bells hanging down.I liked the bouquet and all it represents and means to the bride and groom.
a large bouquet would have overwhelmed that tiny figure. it’s size “fit” her perfectly!
as soon as i saw the lace on her bodice/sleeves i thought “grace kelly” even before the commentators pronounced it…….Catherine was elegant,and stylishly handsome in her gown..Her grace and poise is so lovely. The bouquet was perfect!
I loved the choices of flowers she had also the size, but I expected more tailored design for the bouquet, for my point of view it had no shape. Love the dress she did great.
The bouquet was perfect. I LOVE LILIES OF THE VALLEY AND I THOUGHT IT WAS THE RIGHT SIZE AND SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL
Just right to go with the gown. The meanings added to the planning and thought gone into it.
I was disappointed w/ her bouquet but I also appreciated the fact that she was being herself, she chosed something very simple – the “less is more” theme. I definitely agree that she shouldn’t be carrying “a tree” or anything bizarre. I was expecting some roses but a bunch of lilies-of-the-valley as the predominant flower seem a bit of a letdown for me … although I love lilies of the valley, the fragrance.
Great flowers!
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what do you think of this…. Mississauga & brampton florists & Event planning
Absolutely gorgeous and oh so tasteful. Very meaningful and understated. This young woman has class and the bouquet was perfectly considered.
I loved the bouquet and it’s special meaning. I think the size was perfect for Catherine. She’s got such a tiny waist and anything larger would have been too large for her small frame. Rather than our eyes on her flowers, we were all mesmerized by her beauty. She was the perfect understated and classic bride.
I agree with you wholeheartedly ,it was all so elegant and a large bouquet would have spoilt the effect of the dress and delicate veil.Thank you for the info.on the flowers.
I cannot add to the thoughtful, knowledgeable and positive comments written already. I agree. Bravo Kate!
simply beautifulm elegant and meaningful. P_4rfect for the brides stature and style of wedding dress = and exactly what the bride chose.
Yes, Catherine’s bouquet looked beautiful, BUT . . . I recently bought Lilies of the Valley to grow in the garden and learned that they were poisonous–every part of them, leaves, flowers, stems, roots.
I also thought her bouquet was lovely. Perhaps it could have been a tad larger, but at the same time, it was a refreshing change from the ones that are a mile long and wide! In a way, it’s kind of a shame that she didn’t go with some of the lovely spring flowers such as grape hyacinths to add a bit of color. Still, Kate hit all the right notes, the sustainability aspect was commendable, and they seem like great kids. However, I sure don’t envy the designer who had to wire all those individual hyacinth blossoms. That’s a chore I absolutely detest……
The bouquet was magnificent….too bad most florists insist on big and bawdy…simple is elegant, the choice of flowers was heartfelt and fabulous
I absolutely adored everything about the Royal wedding. Her dress choice, hair, makeup and bridesmaid dresses were exquisite. My only nitpick was her bouquet. I am a floral designer. In floral design it’s all about balance… visual balance is very important. Given her petiteness, I felt the width of her bouquet was perfect, however, given the length and fullness of her dress, the bouquet should have had more of a trail so that the eye followed the dress down and out.
I really loved her bouquet and even more after knowing about the meaning of the flowers used. I’m from Uruguay (South America) and watched the wedding with a lot of enthusiasm. The bouquet was perfect for the dress and for Kate’s style.
Naturally, I am biased. Lily-of-the-Valley is my most favorite flower; the bloom is small and sweet-smelling with an unmistakeable air of purity and joy. A huge, colorful bouquet would have looked a bit silly and perhaps even a tad garrish, in my opinion, because it seems they made every consideration to create a look of greenery and nature from the way the Cathedral was decorated right down to the garlands in the flower-girl’s hair.
Lily-of-the-valley is a stunningly beautiful plant that strangles everything else in the flower bed. Quite appropriate for this bride, who would be wise take heed of the multiple cruelties heaped upon her Prince’s mother, and not only by the press.
If she wants more, she’s welcome to mine. I’ve just uprooted every bit of the lily-of-the-valley that was strangling the hostas in my flower beds.
I read somewhere the flowers were the same as carried by Princess Di … one of the tributes to her.
Please leave Princess Di out of this. Stop comparing to her we get enough of this and it’s time the world gave up on it. the duchess of Cambridge is a very complete young woman, her dress, folwers the wedding and her mothers outfit wwere all soooooo elegant and tasteful. the boquet i thought was very pretty and appropriate but as said above it could have had a small trail ir two but that’s only an extra.
i sat glued to the TV for 6hours -loved it all and i now have a better opinion of The new Duchess – leave her to be herself.
I thought Kate was the epitome of grace, elegance, femninity and good taste; everything was perfect. I am a great believer in less is more and to spoil that exquisite dress, veil, tiara (much prettier than that worn by Princess Diana) with a huge spray was a mistake not made! The loveliest bride I have seen for a long, long time.
I am so glad to see someone else who is tired of the comparisons to Diana. Kate and William made choices that were understated and gave the whole wedding and after party a style of “simple elegance”. They were very respectful of tradition but at the same time put their own spin on the day. Lily-of-the-valley is one of the queen’s favorite flowers and Kate included those out of respect for the queen. At the same time, there were remembrances of Diana. I thought they did a magnificent job of combining the old and bringing in the new, showing royalty with simple elegance. Well done.
i to thought the bouquet was very small and uninspiring no it didnt have to be massive but it looked more like a bridesmaids bouquet than a brides.
Kate is her own person and was the epitome of grace and elegance. In my opinion, everything was perfect. her dress, bouquet, tiara, hair, the wedding decor, ceremony and even the after party dress. I loved the fact that Kate and William made choices that showed their respect for tradition as well as putting their own spin on the day’s events. One of the queen’s favorite flowers, lily-of-the-valley, was included in Kate’s bouquet to show respect for the queen. Sweet Williams……perfect. Diana’s importance to William, Kate and Harry was represented in several ways as well. Wonder if Sweet Williams might have been her favorite?
I agree with Essnell – this was William and Catherine’s wedding. The flowers were beautiful – I wanted Lily of the Valley but not available in Spain in February. They are a beautiful underrated flower. I love Sweet William (my Grandfather was called William and always had them in his garden). The bouquet was just the right size. The wedding was absolultely perfect. Pippa couldn’t have a bouquet as she had to guide the little bridesmaids down the aisle and it would have been a problem when she helped the bride with her dress. It was a wonderful event. So glad she kept up with tradition and added the myrtle from Queen Victoria’s bouque too.
Perfection at it’s finest!!!!!
I thought it was exquisite! Very tasteful and all my favorite flowers. Don’t know how she resisted putting it to her nose all the time!
I have to disagree with most of what I have just read! I am also a Florist and have been for many years, plus a teacher of commercial floristry and I feel that dispite being symbolic in it’s flower choice, it was bland and uninteresting and maybe someone would like to explain exactly what shape this was supposed to be. It was neither a posy as it was not rounded nor was it a shower, and if it was supposed to be it was stunted and totally out of proportion. I was very disappointed! Sorry!
I agree with Debs49. The bouquet was a huge disappointment to me. It could have been similar to what it was, BUT with a few pale roses inserted throughout, and with a small cascade, as well as a ribbon, like Grace Kelly’s had. She could have had a cross between the minimal, dull-looking one she had, and Princess Diana’s – she didn’t need to go “all out” to have something a little more pleasing to the eye and the camera, with a few billion people watching the huge televised event! It just looked austere. I loved everything else but that bouquet. Remember that the viewers could not smell it!
I meant – “Debz” – post no. 49 – sorry.