Catholic Symbolism for your Fall 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. 

You can add even more significance into your wedding day by incorporating flowers with Christian meaning into your bouquet. This can also offer a unique way to invite you, your spouse, and your guests of your loving Creator.

PHOTOGRAPHY: COLETTE M. PHOTOGRAPHY

If you’re getting married this season and want to have a meaningful and autumnal bouquet, consider incorporating some of these floral elements:

Roses

Roses have a timelessness that adds beauty and elegance to your wedding bouquet as well as a plethora of Catholic significance. 

Not only do roses symbolize Our Lady, but they also represent Christian joy which is why you will often see saints depicted as wearing a wreath of roses in art. The colors of roses often hold special meanings and can add to your day in more ways than one.

Calla Lily

Similar to Roses, Calla Lilies are often included in depictions of the Blessed Mother, St. Joseph, and other saints as they represent purity. 

They also play a role in the celebrations surrounding Easter, as a symbol of Christ’s resurrection and are mentioned several times in the Song of Songs within “a garden enclosed” offering meditation on what it is to be a bride. 

Lilies, with their unique shape, can easily stand alone in a wedding bouquet or can be mixed in with other flowers for a striking and sophisticated look. 

Related: ​​Uniquely Catholic Ideas for Preserving Your Wedding Bouquet

Anemone

Since they come in over 150 species and a variety of shades, Anemones can add bold details to your wedding bouquet. 

Many depictions of Christ’s crucifixion and the Sorrowful Mother include this delicate and romantic flower. Christ’s Passion and death holds a deep meaning for Catholics, especially those called to the vocation of marriage. 

Include these flowers as a reminder to love one another the way that Christ loves us--wholly and without reserve. 

Orchid

Orchids also hold a similar significance for a wedding day as they represent the blood of Jesus Christ shed in the garden of Gethsemane garden and on Calvary. Incorporating them can offer a subtle reminder to you and your spouse of both the joys and sorrows that accompany this vocation. 

Long-lasting and surprisingly versatile, orchids make an excellent choice for a wedding bouquet. 

When your special day has come and gone, check out these uniquely Catholic ideas for preserving your wedding bouquet.

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.

Uniquely Catholic Ideas for Preserving Your Wedding Bouquet

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CARISSA PLUTA

 

On your wedding day, so much beauty is in the details, particularly in your bridal bouquet.

PHOTOGRAPHY: Amanda Leise Photography c/o The Little Flower Company

Flowers signify new beginnings and subtly enrich your wedding day with their delicate beauty and symbolism. 

Along with your florist, you’ve carefully chosen your flowers to compliment your wedding colors and season. After the time and effort given to this particular wedding detail, most of us would hate to see this lovely detail from our wedding get discarded after the excitement has died down. 

Here are some uniquely Catholic ways to preserve your bouquet and encounter their beauty day after day:

Make Christmas ornaments

Add some wedding day beauty to your Christmas tree year after year by creating ornaments using elements of your bridal bouquet. 

Dry some petals (or preserve them using silica gel), and gently place them through the top of a glass ornament to make a simple reminder of your first Christmas together.

Turn it into a rosary 

You can have your bridal bouquet turned into a rosary or chaplet. This memento of your marriage covenant can accompany you and your husband in prayer, reminding you to always place God at the center of your relationship and to call upon Him for the grace to live out your vows. 

These beautiful rosaries will also make a meaningful heirloom for you to pass down to your future children and grandchildren.

Related: What to do with your wedding dress after the wedding


Press in your Bible

Pressing the flowers from your special day is an inexpensive and easy way to preserve some of the beauty of your bouquet. 

A large, leather-bound Bible is an excellent place to press some of your flowers. Place them into the pages where your wedding readings are found for an additional reminder of your special day.  

Adorn a sacred space

Adorn the sacred space in your new home with your bouquet–a small offering of beauty and thanksgiving to God. 

Get creative! There are so many ways to keep your flowers looking nice on your home altar. Press and frame them, dry them naturally or with silica, or have an artist capture them with a painted portrait. 

About the Author: Carissa Pluta is Spoken Bride’s Associate Editor. She is the author of the blog The Myth Retold. Read more

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Introducing Spoken Bride's 2020 Vendor Week! Tips, Education, and Exclusive Planning Info from Catholic Wedding Pros

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This January 11-19 is our annual Vendor Week: days dedicated to showcasing the best of the Catholic wedding industry through Spoken Bride’s blog content and social media. 

Videography: Visual Rose Films by Nick DeRose, a Spoken Bride Vendor. The bride, Kate Capato of Visual Grace, and wedding photographer, Emma Dallman of Emma Dallman Photography, are our vendors, as well!

The Catholic wedding industry? Yes, it’s a thing! We are proud to offer the Spoken Bride Vendor Guide, the first wedding directory specifically designed to connect brides and grooms with planners, photographers, florists, artisans, and more who share the same faith and bring a distinctively Catholic outlook to their client experience.

Don’t miss our first vendor takeovers, featuring Evan Kristiansen of Evan Kristiansen Photography and Nia Husk of Prolific Services, a certified fertility education resource, over this weekend! Follow us on Instagram @spokenbride.

At the start of this post-holiday engagement season, we invite you to browse the Spoken Bride Vendor Guide as you begin booking your wedding vendors. Each of our vendors is a true gift, offering their talents for the glory of God and sharing of themselves, their stories, and unique personalities. 

Are you a Catholic wedding vendor interested in learning about Vendor membership? Read about membership benefits and join our waitlist here.

Follow along on our blog and Instagram this week for exclusive and personal education, tips, Days in the Life, and Q+A you’ll only find from Spoken Bride vendors. Forthcoming topics include…

  • Tips for planning a pre-ceremony “First Prayer”

  • Considerations for marrying at a church that isn’t your home parish

  • Vendors’ tips for first steps in finding, choosing, and booking your wedding professionals

  • Ways to communicate the importance of your Catholic faith with your vendors

  • Instagram takeovers by a marriage therapist, a jeweler, an NFP instructor, wedding photographers, and more

Recently engaged and booking your vendors? Browse the Spoken Bride Vendor Guide:

Photography | Wedding Coordination | Bridal Attire & Jewelry | Stationery & Hand Lettering | Floral Design | Videography | Gifts & Home Décor | Marriage & Family Therapists | NFP Instructors | Music

Above all, weddings are about the personal: who you and your beloved are, and the professionals you invite in to help tell your story for generations to come. Our vendors are single, engaged, and married, alive with passion for their craft and their Catholic faith. They, and we, are so eager to share and correspond with you this week! Don’t hesitate to engage online and on social media with your questions and thoughts—it’s our hope that this week is mutually enriching, informative, and fruitful as you prepare for your wedding and marriage.

Spoken Bride Vendors | Spotlight, Vol. 8

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We are proud to serve you through the Spoken Bride Vendor Guide, the first online resource for distinctively Catholic wedding vendors: hand-selected professionals from around the U.S. with not only an abundance of talent, but a reverence and passion for the sacrament of marriage that brings a uniquely personal, prayerful dimension to their client experiences.

With a range of stories, hobbies, and devotions, it’s our privilege to share who our vendors are and connect them with their ideal clients--you, faithful Catholic couples who are energized by working with like-minded, prayerful individuals. Each month, we’ll be introducing, or re-introducing, you to members of Spoken Bride’s vendor community, and we encourage you to learn more through their full vendor listings.

Our Vendors for This Month (click to jump):

 

Gathered Together Events

Wedding Coordination; serving Michigan and available for travel.

Allison Krcatovich--one of our brides!--grew up watching the film Father of the Bride and dreamed of “being the female version of [the wedding-planner character],” she says. In 2018, after the birth of her son and over six years in the hotel event-planning industry, Allison quit her hotel job and founded Gathered Together Events, her own coordination company.

Though Gathered Together Events serves a range of couples, Allison has a particular love--and brings particular expertise--to Catholic brides and grooms. She cherishes the opportunity to act as a resource and support for couples whose top priority is bringing their faith to the center of their celebration. Allison describes her services--including consultations, day-of coordination, full wedding coordination, and custom packages--as “service-oriented, joy-filled, and intentional.”

Favorite saint: Teresa of Calcutta. Her care for others encourages me in my work. My business logo is blue as a subtle nod to her and to our Mother Mary.

The best place I’ve traveled: Dubrovnik, Croatia on my honeymoon.

I’m inspired by: My family. I want to support my family with a job I am truly passionate about because I know it will make me a better wife, mother, daughter, friend. Seeing each of my couples so incredibly joyful on their wedding day inspires me in my own personal family life. 

Learn more about Gathered Together Events

 

Ashley Eileen Floral Design

Floral Design; serving the Denver area.

As her family mourned the loss of her grandfather, Ashley Krupp realized for the first time “ how florists walk with people for very important moments in life, and how flowers really do impact those occasions.” In those moments, she felt certain the Lord was calling her to use flowers as a gift and service to others.

Ashley soon took floral design classes, worked in several floral shops, and was eventually promoted to lead floral designer. In 2018 she used her earnings from the lead designer position to educate herself in business and design and launched Ashley Eileen Floral Design.

Ashley loves the creative pursuit of transforming her clients’ ideas into reality in the design process, as well as the sheer beauty of wedding florals: “Part of the reason I love doing flowers, she says, “is because they are beautiful and reflect the transcendental kind of beauty. I feel called to work with flowers as my ‘small v’ vocation and to affirm the good, true and beautiful in marriages that reflect God’s plan. 

“I like to say flowers aren’t really necessary for someone to get married--at the end of the day, she’ll be married to her husband and that is beautiful. However, flowers reflect the gratuitous kind of beauty or love that God lavishes on us; the kind of beauty that stirs the heart and draws the couple and their guests more deeply into the sacrament. I think the beauty of a wedding done well (aesthetically and theologically) help to evangelize by stirring people’s hearts.”

On my bucket list: To help with the flowers at the Kentucky Derby and Rose parade, to own property with acreage, and to visit Havana, Cuba.

Favorite books: Little Women, Anne of Green Gables, Heidi, Introduction to the Devout Life, Forming Intentional Disciples, and the Harry Potter series.

How my faith informs my business: Everything I do comes back to God, what He’s blessed me with and my desire to share Him with others. I think beauty is a gift that allows us to know him on a deeper level, because it cuts straight to our hearts. I think a lot of millennials have a keen awareness and appreciation of beauty, and I see this as a subtle starting point to also share God’s goodness and truth with others who might not know him otherwise. I’ve designed my business model to be relationship-based; it's important for me to get to know my couples so I can walk and pray for them in a real way.  

Learn more about Ashley Eileen Floral Design

 

Johnna Wilford, Women’s Wellness Coach

NFP Instruction; serving Lexington, Kentucky in person and nationwide through online education.

Johnna first heard of NFP as she converted to the Catholic faith during her marriage preparation--in fact, she says, “I actually think NFP is one of the things that helped me decide to become Catholic! NFP is so empowering, and such a great tool for communication with a partner, so I quickly became very passionate about it.” A serious runner and women’s health advocate who already owned a fitness business, Johnna became certified in NFP instruction and made it an additional pillar of her business.

A recent bride herself, Johnna has a unique, particular passion for viewing women’s health holistically, teaching clients about the relationships between hormonal and reproductive health and physical fitness. She loves walking with her clients as they consider their fertility, fitness and wellness before marriage--”not,” she says, “simply in a ‘fitting into the wedding dress’ way. Women’s Wellness offers in-person and online coaching in fitness, fertility awareness, and reproductive health.

I root for...the Alabama Crimson Tide. Roll Tide! It's sort of hard not to be a fan when you went to college there!

Ministries I’m involved in: I am a member of a local social justice ministry that works to improve policies in the city. This year we are working on improving the drug problem in town, working to improve education, and decreasing  gun violence in the city. I am also an NFP teacher for the Marriage and Family Office in my diocese.

Favorite Saints: My patron saint is Joan of Arc, not only because of the name similarity, but because I have a passion for fighting for what I believe in! I also love Mama Mary and try to pray the rosary every day.

Learn more about Johnna Wilford, Women’s Wellness Coach

 

Something Blue, LLC

Wedding Coordination, serving the dioceses of Indianapolis, Lafayette (Indiana), Evansville, and Fort Wayne-South Bend; available for limited travel in neighboring states.

While sitting at the same reception table at a wedding, friends Joy Foster and Mary Dorhauer discovered they shared a common dream: establishing an event planning and coordination business. As they talked, they wrote down a vision for a Catholic wedding planning business on the spot, hoping to create a service that would “help couples plan a most reverent and beautiful liturgy, along with a really great party; witness the beauty of our Faith and the beauty of the Catholic view on marriage to their Catholic and non-Catholic guests; and be a joyful ministry to brides and engaged couples, so that they and their families could be fully present and enjoy their wedding day, instead of worrying about whether things were getting done or not.”

Joy and Mary’s dreams took root in 2018, when Something Blue, LLC was founded. Along with general inspiration and reception planning, Something Blue specializes in helping Catholic couples plan their nuptial liturgies and personally supports them through the gift of prayer: “Our love of the liturgy and the beauty of marriage inspires us to share that love with couples and their families,” Joy and Mary say. “We customize a novena for each couple and begin it so Day 9 is prayed the morning of the wedding. We offer copies of the novena to the parents of the bride and groom, along with the wedding party, church hostess & clergy, and any vendors that we know are Catholic, should they wish to join their prayers with ours for the couple. We see Something Blue as a ministry, in addition to a business.”

The best part of working on weddings: The joy!  It’s a chance to share in a little slice of someone else’s happiness. Being able to watch the bittersweet moments as fathers tearfully embrace their daughters one last time [during the procession]. Smiling at the triumphant grins on the faces of grooms as the newly minted Mr. and Mrs. exit the church for the first time. Witnessing families come together to celebrate a fresh branch of their family tree. Most of all, the moment during a Nuptial Mass when the priest elevates the Holy Eucharist, with the eyes of the bride and groom upon him, the Body of Christ. It gives us goosebumps every time! 

Favorite wedding-day memory: (Mary): On our first date, my husband and I went to Mass and then covered the car of a mutual friend in Post-It notes. It was revenge for a joke she played trying to set the two of us up. I guess she got the last word though, since we got married and now have two children! 

When planning our wedding, I told our priest I wanted to go straight from the church after the recessional to the Adoration chapel, spending our first minutes as a married couple in front of the Blessed Sacrament. Our priest insisted we walk from the church to our car and drive down the chapel. We went back and forth on this, with me getting more and more frustrated, until I grudgingly gave in. When we emerged from the church, there was our car, covered in brightly colored post it notes spelling out I Do!

We take our coffee: (Joy): black. (Mary): I wish I could say I take it black like a hardcore adult, but the truth is, I need sugar and cream and lots of it. 

Learn more about Something Blue, LLC

4 Marian Flower Ideas for Your Bridal Bouquet

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Are your currently choosing florals for your wedding décor and bouquet?

Both secular and religious culture have long traditions of ascribing particular symbolism and significance to flowers. The first use of flowers and plants as an invitation to contemplate God’s creation is believed to have originated in medieval monasteries. Saint Basil the Great wrote in a homily, “I want creation to penetrate you with so much admiration that everywhere, wherever you may be, the least plant may bring to yon the clear remembrance of the Creator.”

The thought that living things speak a language, drawing our attention to the Father’s creativity, precision, and beauty, is a profound one. If the language of flowers appeals to you, consider incorporating blossoms that signify Our Lady--the purest, most radiant bride--into your selections. Here, four flowers with Marian significance.

Lilies

Many images of the Annunciation depict the angel Gabriel presenting Mary with a lily as he invites her to shelter and bear from her womb the Word made flesh. Saint Joseph, Mary’s beloved spouse, is also frequently shown with the lily. Both of these connections emphasize Our Lady’s purity and chastity--her perfect integration of body and soul. 

The lily of the valley flower, in particular, is also known as “Our Lady’s tears,” said to have blossomed from the tears Mary shed at the foot of the cross. Even on the joyful day of a wedding feast, these flowers are a delicate, fragrant reminder that marriage calls us to embrace both agony and ecstasy.

Consider, as well, that the lily is mentioned several times in the Song of Songs, a source of beauty among thorns and an element within “a garden closed:” an meditation on what it is to be a bride.  

Bold, sculptural star and Easter lilies are well-suited to spring weddings or minimalist brides, while tiger lilies and lily of the valley are a great fit for summer celebrations and bohemian or rustic tastes.

Roses

The ancient prayer of the Litany of Loreto calls upon the intercession of the Holy Trinity and of Our Lady under various titles, including Mary as the “Mystical Rose.”

Why the rose? Popularly considered the crowning, most beautiful of all flowers, Our Lady has been described by Saint Brigid as “beautiful to the sight, and tender to the touch, and yet it grows among thorns, inimical to the beauty and tenderness...The Virgin may suitably be called a blooming rose. Just as the gentle rose is placed among thorns, So this gentle Virgin was surrounded by sorrow.” As with the lily, the symbolism of roses invites spouses to consider the good times and bad, the easy and the crosses, which they entrust to one another in their marriage vows.

Roses convey a classic sensibility and, in addition to the Mystical Rose devotion, call to mind Our Lady’s gift of roses to Saint Juan Diego at Guadalupe.

Marigolds or Calendula

As prayer gardens grew more prevalent in medieval monastic settings, the faithful frequently reclaimed pagan epithets for plants and flowers by giving them religious names. Marigolds or calendula flowers (variations on a similar species) are now traditionally known as “Mary’s gold,” intended to invoke Our Lady’s heavenly queenship and radiance, the “woman clothed with the sun” in Revelation who triumphs over the grasp of evil and destruction.

Available in warm tones of red, gold, and orange, marigolds are beautifully suited to fall weddings, and can also be found in year-round friendly white.

Something Blue

Choosing blue, the color most frequently associated with Our Lady, for your wedding florals offers an array of choices and shades to complement your wedding colors, season, and style. Consider hydrangea, hyacinth, iris, bluebells, or wildflowers.

Do you plan to choose your wedding flowers based on their symbolism or connections to Scripture and the saints? Share your stories in the comments and on Spoken Bride’s social media.

Spoken Bride Vendors | Spotlight, Vol. 5

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Are you recently engaged and ready to book your wedding vendors? Newly married or attending a wedding, and in search of gifts that affirm the vocation to marriage?

We are proud to serve you through the Spoken Bride Vendor Guide, the first online resource for distinctively Catholic wedding vendors: hand-selected professionals from around the U.S. with not only an abundance of talent, but a reverence and passion for the sacrament of marriage that brings a uniquely personal, prayerful dimension to their client experiences.

From photographers and videographers who understand how to capture the most significant moments of your nuptial Mass, to coordinators who understand the needs of Catholic couples, artists whose jewelry, stationery, and prints become enduring keepsakes long after your wedding day, clinical and theological experts in the fields of fertility and relationships, and beyond, Spoken Bride Vendors view their work as a call and find deep joy in putting their talents at the service of the Lord.

What’s more, our vendors are truly engaging and fun. With a range of stories, hobbies, and devotions, it’s our privilege to share who they are and connect them with their ideal clients--you, faithful Catholic couples who are energized by working with like-minded, prayerful individuals. Each month, we’ll be introducing, or re-introducing, you to members of Spoken Bride’s vendor community, and we encourage you to learn more through their full vendor listings.

Our Vendors for This Month (click to jump):

Karly Jo Photography

Midwest Region

Karly Schafer grew up watching her father photograph as a hobby. She first learned film photography from him and it quickly developed into a hobby of her own. Eventually, she attended photography school and transitioned into a new career as a wedding photographer. Karly Jo Photography has been capturing significant moments between brides and grooms for eleven years. “I always try to imagine myself at the feast of Cana. I imagine myself as a servent listening to Mary say, ‘Do as he tells you.’”

What is your favorite memory of your wedding day?: Sitting at the head table, sipping wine feeling so happy and content as I looked at all of my best friends and family there with me in celebration.

What ministries are you involved in?: Raising 4 children and volunteering at their Catholic School.

What is your favorite place you have traveled?: I've been so lucky to travel and really try to take as many trips as possible. As a child we traveled with our horses around the country and Canada. As a single person, I've traveled to Europe a few times and lived in Italy as I worked as a nanny. Now as a mother, I enjoy traveling with my kids but it's different. We have been to Mexico twice with them and it is probably our favorite place to go. I also love traveling in Wisconsin... Door County and the Northwoods have my heart.

Learn more about Karly Jo Photography

 
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Kassondra Design

Lincoln/Omaha, Nebraska and surrounding areas

Kassie Christensen has a longstanding professional background in graphic design and has more recently included photography into her business platform. From collaborating with clients to owning her own business, her work is her passion, a gift from God and a personal source of energy and joy. “I also love becoming friends with the couple and I strive to make their day less stressful and more joyful. Capturing their memories is so special for me!”

What are your favorite saints or devotions?: I love St. Therese and her simple ways. I also love St. Tarcisius and his love for the Eucharist. St. Anthony is my best friend and St. John Paul the II, well, need I say more?! I could go on all day because I have a lot of favorite saints!

What is your favorite memory of your wedding day?: I loved after communion while my groom and I were kneeling, our cantor sang "How Beautiful" and it really just hit me. The sacrament, the gift Christ gave us, how we are called to love like Him. Our wedding day was so full of love and joy and family.

Do you root for any professional sports teams?: I am a HUGE Kansas Jayhawks basketball fan. My Grandpa worked there and my grandma has season tickets, and my whole family loves it.

Learn more about Kassondra Design

 

Paint Art Live

Gulf Coast counties and available for travel nationwide

Artist Jessa Pippin has always been called to create through her artistic gifts. As a Catholic artist, she recognizes every stroke of her paintbrush is an opportunity for intentional devotion and prayer. Jessa brings this prayers approach to her work when she collaborates with brides and grooms on their wedding day, “Not only am I creating a painting for these new couples, but I am devoting a prayer in every stroke as I create it for them. I pray for their future and for their vows and other special intentions they may ask of me when we first have a consultation.”

What are three things on your bucket list?: I would like walk at least the last 100 miles of the Camino de Santiago, open my own art studio and have a second baby!

What is your favorite place you have traveled?: Key West Florida. The sunsets were incredible!

What does love mean?: Love is an unconditional devotion above riches and poverty and sickness and health. It is absolute and endless and knows no bounds.

Learn more about Paint Art Live

 

The Little Flower Company

Nebraska, Southern South Dakota, Western Iowa, and Northern Kansas

Katrina Polk has built her business around her Catholic faith and flowers. Though a small business, she aspires to make a big impact through the beautiful presentation of flowers on a wedding day, especially through the bridal bouquet. She fulfills her professional calling to floral design with passion, joy, and gratitude, “When I am setting up the day of a Catholic wedding I love spending time in the church & thanking God for my job. I truly love what I do & none of this would be possible without Him.”

What is your favorite memory of your wedding day?: My favorite moment was seeing my husband for the first time while walking down the aisle. All the craziness of the day just melted away. I also enjoyed when the photographer pulled my husband and I away from everyone at the reception to take sunset pictures. It was nice to take a step away & enjoy each other in that moment!

What are your favorite books, movies, or music?: The Notebook because it's so stinking cute and still makes me cry. I am not too picky with movies and music, I just don't care for horror movies or country music.

How do you take your coffee?: Black or iced with a little soy milk.

Learn more about The Little Flower Company

 

A DIY Bouquet for Literature-Loving Brides

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LAUREN HENDERSON

 

"Can you give me your bouquet for a moment?" asked the Lorax-mustachioed priest at our wedding Mass. I was surprised and a tad embarrassed; I don't love attention, even on my wedding day.

Photography: Jocelyn's Photography, from the author's wedding

Photography: Jocelyn's Photography, from the author's wedding

My bouquet had caught many eyes, including our priest's, because it wasn't made of flowers. I’d created it from the pages of books. Our priest asked for my bouquet during the homily. I handed it over and he started to ad lib about how the novels whose pages I included were symbolic of my husband and I. These books, The Fault in Our Stars by John Green and Me Before You by Jojo Moyes (barring its problematic ending), reminded me of how open my husband and I are with each other and how we love doing unusual things together. We each make the other better and are always working at our relationship. Books, said our priest, can already be good as their own entitiesu. But when transformed by marriage and by God, they can become something even more beautiful--like my bouquet.

Two people, their own individuals, become one new entity in marriage, better than they could be alone. How much more beautiful and meaningful could marriage get?

Truthfully, I didn’t think anyone would really care about my bouquet. In fact, when friends and family members heard about the DIY project I’d planned, they did the polite head nodding thing while saying “Oh, that sounds interesting,” which almost always actually means, “Okay, good luck with that.” I continued anyway, a sucker for meaningful things.

Practically, I created this bouquet because I was getting married in February in the Midwest, where fresh flowers would have cost an arm and a leg. But I also did it because my husband and I read The Fault in Our Stars together in our early days of dating. We both identified with the characters' interactions. I love personalizing everything I can and creating meaningful moments. I chose my bouquet as an opportunity to personalize our wedding liturgy.

I bought the books and began tearing out their pages, cutting out petal shapes, and wrapping them around floral wire. It was a long process, yet incredibly worth it--it is something I can keep forever. After the wedding, a friend asked if she could write about it for Reader's Digest in an article about alternative wedding bouquets. I was honored, and sort of stunned that my simple bouquet would reach the amount of people it did.

But isn’t this like marriage? A marriage is hard work: lots of menial tasks, yet so full of sacred meaning. A marriage starts with something ordinary, like a book or like two independent people, and makes it into something extraordinary, like a bouquet or one in the eyes of God. And then these two people go out together and serve. So without trying to, or seeking it, God taught us and our wedding guests the meaning and the call of marriage: to join together and create something extraordinary.

Let God work through your creativity. After all, he is the creator of all life.

About the Author: Lauren Henderson is a newlywed and convert to the Catholic faith who loves cooking, baking, reading, and singing in the car. She studied Psychology in college and enjoys guessing whodunit in mystery shows. A lover of children, she cannot wait to be a mother someday. Lauren and her husband host the podcast God Winks and the Kitchen Sink.

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