Discover how your wedding flowers can tell a silent love story

White bridal roses signify purity, sincerity and a love stronger than death. Photo: Auckland Flowers

"A rose by any other name would smell as sweet," said Juliet to her Romeo, wishing his surname wasn't Montague. Their two families were ancient enemies.

Shakespeare knew what things are called doesn't matter half as much as what they are. He certainly knew about the importance of symbols, and flowers are very powerful symbols indeed—especially roses.

Red roses symbolise love, beauty and passion. They are probably the most romantic of all the flowers. Other flowers have more subtle love stories to tell. Your wedding bouquet could tell a whole silent story of your love without a word being spoken. A story that could carry over into your floral wedding decorations.

The meanings attached to flowers are based on their colours. There's science behind this. We not only see light but also sense it through our skin. Different colours have different wavelengths — for instance, red has a wavelength about twice that of violet. Not surprisingly, hot red is the colour of vitality and passion, while blue is all about calm. The mix of the two, violet, and its close cousin purple, has the energy of red with the calmness of blue.

Incidentally, studies show most people love purple, especially children — so maybe your little bridesmaids would be happiest in those lilac dresses you checked out.

Colour tells the story

Here's what the various colours mean:

Red — passion, excitement

Orange — joy, enthusiasm

Yellow — energy, warmth, happiness

Green — harmony, health, fertility

Blue — calmness, stability

Purple — spirituality, sophistication

White — purity, solemn peace

Black — the absence of colour, it signifies power, mystery and death

Brown — nature, friendliness, simplicity

All colours can have a place in a wedding, except perhaps black, unless yours is an emo or goth wedding. However, that said, black bridesmaids dresses are currently a popular and sophisticated choice, and work well for evening weddings. A green girl? Brown and green combined would make for a great eco-themed wedding.

As Shakespeare hints, red roses make the hottest statement, but there's a whole hidden language around the different coloured roses. Other flowers have different stories to tell. For instance, irises and lilies symbolise life. They are associated with the stars, as their petals bloom and shine.

Then there's the sunflower, which grows so well here. The English poet William Blake famously wrote a poem to the sunflower. Maybe sunflowers could be your wedding flower theme? They'd certainly be different. It's some people's favourite flower. Most flowers seem to have a meaning. Tulips could be a good bridal choice as they tell your man he's the perfect lover. Then there's sweet lavender, which is the flower of devotion. Our humble fern says you're sincere, so even the green in your bouquet can say something.

Language of roses

Many people think the most girly flower is the rose — and what a story the different roses can tell. You could use them all by themselves with no other flowers to tell your groom precisely how you love him — without a word being spoken.

Red roses — fiery red roses tell an obvious story. Cardinal red tells your man just how much you desire him. Red rose buds tell a subtler story as they're all about first-time love. They'd convey a softer message than the full-bloomed rose.

Pink roses — the colour of poetic romance. More light-hearted than red roses, they're about sweetness of thought. A mix of pink and red roses would make for a very romantic bridal bouquet.

White roses — traditionally the bride's roses, they symbolise unity, purity, sincerity and a love stronger than death. Mixing them up with red roses would send a powerful message.

Yellow roses — these are about friendship, familiar love and domestic happiness. They might suit you if you've already been together for a long time. After all, being friends as well as lovers is a recipe for long-lasting love.

Orange or peach roses — orange roses express pride, while peach roses are about appreciation. These might be nice for your bridesmaids.

Purple roses — symbolise eternal love, while lilac roses signify true feelings.

Black roses — sometimes these are red roses in bud and so signify change. They are an unusual choice and might not be understood by everyone, but, then again, if you want something different.

Roses can also be candied, as can violets, daisies and other flowers. This means they can be used for more than the bridal bouquet. They would make great table or cake decorations.