From the beginning till the end, flowers remain an integral part of the Indian wedding ceremonies and functions. And rightfully so, as flowers are the most beautiful, colourful, sacred and fragrant filled pieces which add that needed vibrancy for a any occasion with it’s mere presence and arrangement.
History has been witness to customs in many ethnical and religious marriages which make use of different kinds of flowers in the most diverse yet adorable ways possible. Where, as per tradition in a Punjabi wedding, the bride walks under a sheet of flowers held by her brothers to the mandap; there itself a Sindhi bride is adorned with jewellery made specifically out of roses and blooms, worn to her by her in-laws in a separately held ceremony known as ‘Sagri’. Then again, the Christian Bride will always hold in her hand a bouquet of the most magnificent flowers as she’s walked down aisle by her father.
However; Indian rituals and tradition are not the only reasons why flowers have been incorporated in Indian weddings time and again. Since being innovative, and giving your wedding a vivacious edge has always been a factor for most brides, there has been no better solutions to that than flowers. Here are some ways where you can make use of flowers in a slightly different and more exciting manner:
As part of your Wedding Theme
A pre-wedding party is more or less a trend in today’s times of wedding celebrations, and what better idea for a party than a themed one in which flowers are integrated by default. Such a theme could be ‘An Hawaiian Night’ or ‘A Beach/Pool Party’ where unified bold flower motif prints could be included in the beach-shirts for all men and in the sarongs for all the ladies. Furthermore, a counter can be set-up where every girl gets a chance to design her own corsage and pick a flower band for her hair. Orchid garlands too are a huge part of the Hawaiian settings, and can used to welcome your guests.
As part of your Wedding Stationery
Including flowers as part of the wedding invite is not only a beautiful idea but also a sacred one. Certain flowers in the Indian tradition, such as marigold, jasmine, and certain leaves like the betel leaf have sacred intonations to the traditional Indian marriage. The way to imbibe such flowers into the invites can be through having the cards in the shape of these flowers or the betel leaf itself. Otherwise having embossed prints of the same flowers is another great idea, that way the printing would happen over the embossed flowers giving your wedding card a certain aesthetic appeal.
As part of your wedding Favors
Giveaways are usually seen in the mehendi or sangeet functions. Here, an entire basket of jasmine garlands or gajras can be set up for the ladies to add to thier hair, while the men can tie the same across their wrist. This gives the entire vibe a fun and frolic feeling while being ethnic at the same time! Inspired from western weddings; small give aways like candles in the shape of flowers or submerged arrangements can also be beautiful reception giveaways.
As part of your Wedding Decorations
No Indian wedding is ailed a wedding if half the décor is not the arrangements of millions of flowers aesthetically placed. They are practically everywhere! From the mandap (stage) backdrop decorations to the seat rests, to the entry of the venue, the chandelier, the bar, till even the car which the bride and groom drive away in – these flowers are so well crafted in perfect sync that they end up bringing out the grandeur of the whole wedding. But if you may be thinking that that the use of flowers in décor has been used up to it’s fullest potential, you may want to think again! Flowers have innovative ways of coming across, for example a statue made entirely of flowers can be placed at the entry of the venue. This statue can be a symbol of your marriage- something which represents both of you as a couple or even a sacred motif like a peacock, or an ethic motif like elephants to welcome the guests in the most artistic way possible!
As part of your Bridal wear
This has been the oldest use of flowers, as for centuries, brides have been adorned by the prettiest of floral flourishes in her hair, which add to her entire get-up of the make-up and outfits. Matching flowers are thus picked for that purpose, so that just as the flower blooms, you as the gorgeous bride will bloom with it.
Do let us know if these tips help you incorporate more flowers in other ways & help you create the most amazing floral theme wedding.
