Photo Credit: Vintage Flower Girl
Who can resist the charms of a flower girl? She is sweet, she exudes innocence and she melts our hearts with each step she takes. For those reasons, I have decided to dedicate a whole series of posts to exploring her history and the many creative ways of adapting her time-honored traditions for today's weddings.
The idea for this series was inspired by last week's EcoEtsy theme challenge, which was "Easter and Passover." Yes, it's a bit of a leap, but the challenge got me thinking about little girls and their Easter dresses and then my wedding obsessed mind just took over making the natural leap to flower girls.
How did the flower girl come to be?The first post in this series traces the flower girl's history from her origins in ancient Rome all the way through to modern times. Along the way, I've included eco-friendly ideas you can use to translate her ancient customs into meaningful details and symbolic gestures...romantically linking past to present.
Ancient Rome
Although some sources suggest that the "flower girl" owes her start to British custom, some say young attendants made their first appearances at weddings in ancient
Rome. During that time, they carried sheaves of wheat and herbs to ensure blessings of prosperity and fertility.
Why not provide your flower girl with a small posy of wheat and herbs to carry down the aisle? A lavender and wheat bouquet would be gorgeous for a summer wedding and the traditional wheat sheaf would be lovely in fall. Another idea is to provide her with a basket of grains to sprinkle instead of flower petals.
Photo Credits: Wheat and Lavender by Emily Quinton via Bridal Soup and Wheat Sheaves via Country Living
Medieval Times
During Medieval times, young
attendants carried garlic which was believed to ward off
evil spirits. I love the idea of sending the flower girl down the aisle with a small garlic braid as a nod to this ancient tradition. Braids can easily be decorated with fresh or dried flowers. If you are concerned about the smell or want something more subtle, try adding garlic blooms to a small posy or flower arrangement for the flower girl to carry.
Photo Credits: Bouquet, Garlic Blossoms, and Garlic Braid via Flickr
Elizabethan Era
During the Elizabethan era, brides followed a petal strewn path from their homes to the church. Flower girls followed the musicians in the wedding procession carrying a gilded rosemary branch and a silver bride's cup adorned with ribbons. I will share more about the tradition of the Bride's Cup in another post, but for today's purpose, there is a photo of one below. You could substitute a vintage silver cup or seek out an actual bride's cup for your flower girl to carry. Filled with flower petals or rosemary leaves, the cup offers a unique and meaningful alternative to a basket. Likewise, a small bunch of rosemary sprigs would make a sweet posy, or you could simply work some fresh rosemary into a small floral bouquet for the flower girl to carry.
Victorian Era
The Victorian flower girl is probably the one who most resembles the flower girls of modern day. She is young and innocent...dressed in all white with perhaps a sash of colored satin or silk. Her dress, likely made of muslin, is intentionally left simple and intended for future use. The Victorian flower girl carries a beautifully decorated basket of fresh blooms or a floral hoop who's symbolic circular shape echos that of the wedding ring...symbolizing that true love has no end.
Photo Credit: via Etsy seller Plastic Moon
A quick internet search will provide endless options for beautifully decorated baskets, but floral hoops are bit harder to track down. Shown below is an elegant and modern option made with delicate Stephanotis blossoms. A circular wreath of flowers in the hair is another way to adapt this tradition quite easily.
Photo Credit: Hand-held wreath
Royal Influences
In Western Europe, the tradition of having child attendants in weddings was not limited to the flower girl and ring bearer; but to the entire group of attendants in the wedding party. This tradition has carried forward to present times in many royal and society weddings, as well as in weddings around the world where it is not uncommon to see two or more flower girls.
Top Photo: Princess Grace's Wedding, 1957. Bottom Photo: Princess Margaret's Wedding, 1960. Via Fashion Era
Over time, wedding fashion and tradition continues to change and evolve, but the one thing that remains constant is our love for the flower girl. She is the sentimental connection between childhood and womanhood; and a charming reminder to us all of the magic and beauty of innocence.
If you connected with anything in this post, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Please feel free to share comments, ideas or other inspiration in the comments section. And be sure to check back for the next post in the series. I will be exploring flower girls by theme...offering lots of fresh ideas and resources, followed by a tutorial and give-away at the end. Don't miss it!
Historical Information Sources: pinkprincess.com, answers.com
