Catholic Symbolism for your Summer Wedding Bouquet

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For centuries, flowers were often used as religious or spiritual symbols particularly in visual art to point the viewer toward eternal truths. 

Including flowers with Christian meaning to your wedding bouquet can be a unique way to invite you, your spouse, and your guests of your loving Creator.

Sunflower

Brightly-colored Sunflowers symbolize adoration because they continuously turn towards the sun as it moves throughout the sky. The rising sun in particular was associated with the Risen Christ and many churches were oriented towards the east, where the sun rises.

In many ways, the sunflower mirrors the disposition of the Blessed Mother as she never ceases to have God as the center of her gaze. 

Iris

Similar to the Lily, the iris is often used as a symbol of the Blessed Virgin Mary. 

Irises, particularly the “sword lily” (called such because of the shape of its leaves), was used by early Flemish artists to reference the seven swords that pierced the heart of Mary. Later, Spanish painters also adopted the iris as a symbol of the Queen of Heaven and the Immaculate Conception.

Iris also takes its name from the Greek word for rainbow, a sign of God’s faithfulness in the Old Testament. 

Related: 4 Marian Flower Ideas for Your Bridal Bouquet


Pansy

Pansies would make a unique addition to your bridal bouquet and come in a large variety of colors to fit with your color scheme. Because of its petals’ typical tri-coloring, the Pansy has also been called the "Trinity Flower” and was considered the symbol of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 

This meaning also holds special significance for a newly married couple as their love is meant to mirror that life-giving love of the Trinity. 

Cornflower

The Christian symbolism of the vibrantly blue or purple Cornflower seemed to come from a sort of baptism of a Greek myth. 

In the story, Achilles was wounded with an arrow poisoned with Hydra venom, and his wound was healed by applying cornflower plants. In Greek mythology the Hydra was usually depicted as a huge poisonous water snake. 

Among Christians, snakes were (and still are) associated with the devil so the remedy, cornflower, became a symbol of the one who crushed the head of the Serpent––the Queen of Heaven.