Meaning and symbolism
The symbolism of this charming flower is multifaceted, but the main meaning that runs like a red thread through all interpretations is femininity. These buds are not princesses, but queens - noble, refined, elegant.
The interpretation also depends on the color of the petals:
- white lilies are a symbol of the Virgin Mary, purity, purity and harmony;
- yellow - promise wealth and prosperity to the new family;
- orange ones speak of the coquetry and mischievous nature of the owner of a bright bouquet;
- brindle - suitable for a confident optimist who wants abundance in her family life;
- red , in addition to passion, also means truly royal greatness;
- blue - purity of thoughts and nobility;
- pink – gentle tranquility.
Interesting! In Ancient Greece, flowers were considered a symbol of the goddess of the hearth, Hera, and in the Middle Ages, a lily given to a woman literally meant “you are my queen.”
Rich floral language
Wild lilies, from which over 110 modern species descend, were only snow-white, without any shades. This is confirmed by the ancient Gaulish name “li-li”, meaning “white-white”. It was these flowers that were associated with the divine principle and the highest morality.
Varietal lilies in all their colorful diversity appeared much later. And their symbolism is slightly different:
- orange color means wealth, flirtatious character, some contradictory nature;
- yellow – lightness and cheerfulness;
- coral is associated with the greatness of the soul, grandiose plans and passionate feelings;
- blue symbolizes nobility;
- pink – tenderness and femininity;
- brindle color attracts abundance and prosperity.
The golden lily, endemic to Japan, is considered the embodiment of perfection. Its cost is high compared to other varieties. Therefore, in a bouquet, an elite flower also speaks of a craving for luxury, as well as for everything unusual.
Advantages and disadvantages
A wedding bouquet must be perfect, so when choosing, you need to weigh all the pros and cons of flowers. Among the positive features of lilies are:
- availability in any season;
- a huge palette of varieties and colors;
- sufficient endurance - flowers will definitely last several days after the wedding;
- fabulous and elegant appearance;
- a specific bright aroma: if you like notes of lily in perfumes, you will be delighted.
The flower also has disadvantages:
- lilies will not get along in a vase with anyone, as they emit a toxic substance that poisons their neighbors;
- the petals are very fragile and completely unstable to frost, that is, only artificial lilies are suitable for a winter wedding;
- flowers have bright pollen, which easily spills out of the buds: in order not to stain the dress, you should be careful, remove the stamens or treat them with a special product;
- The strong aroma may cause allergies or headaches.
Varieties of lilies for bouquets
Asian and oriental representatives of the lily family are the most popular species that are actively used by florists to create bouquet arrangements.
Asiatic lilies have beautiful, wide, small flowers. They are devoid of a strong cloying odor and are distinguished by a variety of colors. Among Asiatic lilies there are varieties with red, orange, yellow, white, cream, pink, and lilac flowers.
Oriental lily flowers are larger and brighter. Their aroma is more pronounced. It contains spicy and sweet notes.
Asiatic lily variety “Purple Rain” Oriental lily variety “Marco Polo”
What kind of brides is it suitable for?
Lilies are universal - their noble form will fit into both a classic and a themed wedding, and the abundance of shades will allow you to choose a unique composition that emphasizes the characteristics of your personality.
The bouquet will well complement both the reverent, romantic image of a very young girl, and the outfit of a bright, self-confident woman.
Lilies are able to adapt to the style of any dress thanks to the shape of the bouquet. Lush dresses look great in a duet with tall, thin compositions, straight and elegant styles - with round ones.
Girls with asthma or allergies should be wary of lilies , since a powerful aroma throughout the day, multiplied by the general exciting atmosphere, can negatively affect health.
Wedding composition ideas
To ensure that the accessory fits best into the theme of the wedding and your image, select it at the very end, when you have already decided on the dress and hairstyle.
The shape of the bouquet is also important - after all, the same scepter looks much more solemn than a delicate sphere or hemisphere, and its content - color, number of buds, presence of neighbors. Although lilies are capricious flowers, they do not like their neighbors in a vase, but in bouquets they can be combined with a variety of plants, depending on the effect you want to achieve. For exotics, a duet of lilies and orchids is perfect, especially in a green cascade. For spring romance, add bright, purple or blue irises. To emphasize the royal dignity of the image, roses or calla lilies are suitable.
The duet of lilies and alstroemerias - miniature spotted flowers from the same genus of lilies - looks very interesting. It is permissible to play on the similarity not only of shape, but also of color. Orange alstroemerias with tiger lilies look interesting. You can also try a gradient from lighter to darker tones of pink, red, white or cream.
Idea! Lilies are distinguished by the beautiful shape of not only the blossoming flowers, but also the buds - large, delicate, with barely noticeable greenish veins, they can become no less bright soloists in the composition.
An absolutely snow-white bouquet of lilies and alstroemerias looks romantic and elegant, especially with small accents of fresh greenery. Or you can take your imagination in the other direction and hide splashes of green behind white petals and lace, and add exquisite pearl jewelry and feathers. This bouquet will fit perfectly into a vintage celebration.
White mono bouquets
Lilies are absolutely self-sufficient flowers, so a bouquet made exclusively from them can be considered an ageless wedding classic. A small amount of greenery will outline the boundaries of the composition, making the image harmonious, fresh and exciting.
Native lily leaves are often not used, as they are not very beautiful. Instead, add peony, fern, asparagus, and irises.
The buds are so elegant that they do not require additional elements. But if desired, it is permissible to decorate the bouquet with pearls, lace, satin ribbons, and you can add decor both to the stem and to the flowers themselves.
With chrysanthemums
Fluffy airy chrysanthemums, a symbol of happiness and prosperity , perfectly highlight the graceful elegance of lilies.
A very stylish combination can be achieved using bright shades of chrysanthemums - yellow, scarlet, blue, and white lily buds, including those that have not fully blossomed.
Snow-white or cream monochrome also looks chic - small chrysanthemums are usually placed on the lower tiers, allowing lilies to reign supreme on top. This combination, while maintaining royal elegance, acquires a unique sensuality.
Lovers of bright solutions will love a bouquet with multi-colored lilies. For example, tiger goes well with yellow, orange or red chrysanthemums, and pink with lilac.
Chrysanthemums behave best in round and semicircular shapes , but you can also create a cascade decorated with ribbons, rhinestones and strings of beads - a bouquet worthy of a real queen.
Of roses
If you don't want to choose between two queens of flowers, then combine them in one luxurious composition. You can choose a leading flower or create a regal harmony without a favorite.
The main floral symbol of love, the rose, is presented in a huge number of varieties, differing both in color and shape and size. Miniature bush buds, vintage cup-shaped David Austin varieties, fluffier or elongated varieties - all of them will perfectly complement the delicate lily.
Important! Both roses and lilies are very capricious plants, so they cannot be placed in the same vase. Be sure to separate the flowers after the wedding. An alternative option is to use an artificial analogue made of silk, polymer clay, or felt instead of one of the types.
Monochrome is possible - white, pink, yellow, red. Multicolor compositions made from several shades also look no worse - in this case, we recommend creating a gradient from the center to the edges or from top to bottom.
The combination of pink or scarlet roses with snow-white lilies looks good. This bouquet expresses both innocence and passion, as well as royalty. A more unusual solution - non-traditional shades of roses, for example, blue or green, go well with soft pink lilies. The composition is ideal for a romantic and creative bride.
With gerberas
Perky and modest gerberas, similar to giant multi-colored daisies, look very interesting in a duet with lilies. This bouquet looks best in the shape of a ball, but a scepter is also a good choice for a stylish monochrome.
Gerberas come in a variety of shades - from pastel and delicate ones, such as white, pink, dusty yellow, to incredibly bright ones - red, fuchsia, orange. There are also multi-colored buds - they are used to create complex color combinations.
However, you should not use more than three pure bright flowers in a bouquet, otherwise the composition will turn out chaotic. You can add a little more shades of the same color, but it’s better not to get carried away, because moderation is the sister of elegance.
Form
Long stems allow you to create tall compositions from lilies, and the buds fit perfectly into a round shape or take on an exotic shape. Therefore, it is best to choose based on your own external characteristics and the style of the dress.
The round shape is suitable for a fluffy dress and short brides.
A similar, but modern composition - the so-called hemisphere, which makes the accessory more voluminous and interesting, also looks great on petite girls in ball gowns with crinoline.
Tall brides in flowing straight-cut dresses are better off choosing a scepter or cascade shape. The first option does not need decoration - its decoration is long stems, which can be tied with a satin ribbon, lace or a string of beads.
The cascade looks better framed by fluffy greenery. Advice! If you need a specific variety of lilies, order it in advance. Although flowers are available all year round, stores are not always ready to stock the required number of buds, and different varieties are often not combined into a decent composition.
If you want to stand out, then take a closer look at exotic shapes. For example, large fresh lily petals make a wonderful glamelia - a huge exotic bouquet of flowers. And if you dilute the pure white petals with multi-colored ones, you will be able to get an absolutely unique composition.
Another option is pomander. The spherical bouquet is attached to the hand with a contrasting or tone-on-tone satin ribbon.
Lilymelia
A variety of glamelias - fantastic peony camellia buds, collected from many flower petals. In this case, lilies. Glamelias are by no means a floral novelty, as is commonly believed; they appeared back in the 19th century. But today they are again at the peak of wedding fashion, eclipsing the traditional “Biedermeier” and “scepter” designs.
You can make a unique masterpiece from petals with your own hands. For this you will need:
- lily buds, longiflorum varieties, 8 – 15 pcs.;
- greenery;
- decorative beads and pendants;
- satin ribbon, 1 cm wide to match the petals, similar twisted cord;
- heat gun, floral glue;
- narrow stationery tape, tape;
- knife;
- wooden stick, 30 cm long.
Carefully separate each bud, not completely separating the petals, so that you get a kind of “ribbon”. Use tape to remove any loose pollen. We collect the stamens separately into bundles and attach them to wire.
We free the half-opened bud from the stem. We strengthen it with a wire pin and wrap it with tape to a wooden base stick. We place the stamens around the bud and “take it all together with tape.”
The next layer will be “ribbons” of opened flowers. We wrap the workpiece with them and secure it with tape. We place layers of stamens and petals one by one, each time moving them down a little so that the composition resembles a “gramophone” in shape. At the end of the work, wrap the fastening area with tape several times.
We decorate the free end of the stick with a large glass bead, placing it on a wire pin and wrap the holder with a satin ribbon. We “plant” the lily leaves in a circle on floral glue, covering the junction of the lilymelia with the wooden base. Taping greens. We decorate the handle with a twisted cord, and the ends of the stamens with light transparent beads. You can replace the leaves with beautiful feathers to match the color of the petals.
The “lifespan” of a floral masterpiece is no more than 12 hours, but this is enough for the bride to have time to amaze those present and have a beautiful photo shoot.
An approximate scheme for creating lilymelia:
And here’s how luxurious the finished composition looks.
Photo
A wedding bouquet of lilies is a real leader in popularity, not inferior even to bouquets of roses. It can be of completely different shades, see which ones exactly - look at the photo:
