What is the point of carrying flowers in a wedding?

I think it's a waste of money and that they just get in the way. Is it just for aesthetics? Or is there really a reason why the bride and bridesmaids carry flowers?

What is the point of carrying flowers in a wedding?
It would be awkward for the bride to walk down empty handed, what would she do with her hands??
Reply:I read somewhere that back LONG, LONG when people bathed only once a year or so that flowers where carried so their fragrance would cover up the odor. It doesn't make sense to me though. If you smell that bad then bathe. Don't know how true it is.
Reply:These days it really is just for aesthetics. They're beautiful but if it's not what you want... you don't have to abide by the tradition.
Reply:They didn't bathe back in the day. The flowers everyone wore (and the petals they dropped) covered up the smell of b.o.





This is also the reason we send flowers to a funeral - to cover the smell of the dead body during the wake (waiting for them to wake back up when they were mispronounced dead).





Wedding flowers also represent youth, beauty, gifts and bounty.
Reply:i really have no idea


but now that u mention it ima start askn around lol.


but it makes the bride look prettier holdin lik red roses .. i wana do that lol.
Reply:Pure aesthetics. I'm carrying a bouquet because I love flowers but my bridesmaids will have wrist corsages. They didn't want to figure out what to do with a bouquet during the reception and since they're holding a chuppah they need free hands.





Yesterday, my fiance and I were trying to figure out the whole guest book situation. What kind of book or should we get a painted canvas and have people write on it, etc. Then we asked ourselves, what's the point of a guest book anyway? That's when we decided that if we're worrying about how to do something, then we're not going to do it. Why stress, right? If you don't want people carrying flowers, then cut it out of your wedding.
Reply:In a way, I agree with you.. but personally, I'll be glad to have something in my hands!! I'll be so nervous, I don't know what I'd do with them otherwise.
Reply:It is a tradition that started in old times when bathing was only possible once a year.





People only bathed in the summer so they wouldn't freeze being wet. It isn't like they had furnaces in their homes, they normally had one fireplace in a house.





Weddings were traditionally held in the spring at the time so their yearly bath was still a couple months off.





The flowers cover up the smell.
Reply:I have heard the theory that it was to cover up body odor as people did not bathe as much in the old days.


However, in one of my wedding books, it stated that it was because the scent of the flowers were thought to keep away evil spirits that tended to "attack" soon to be brides. Supposedly that is why there are bridesmaids....so that when the evil spirits "showed up" they wouldn't know which one was the bride since all the girls were dressed up and carrying flowers and then they would just leave.


Sounds stupid but I think I read it in "Weddings for Dummies".
Reply:There's probably a tradition behind it, but there's no reason you have to follow the tradition if you don't want. When and if I ever get married, there are several traditions I have no intention of keeping. Flowers happen to be important to me, so I will be keeping that one (and splurging on nice ones! I love flowers), but no one says you have to. Perhaps you'd like to carry something else down the aisle? Perhaps you'd like to carry nothing? Go for it. Be creative. It will make your wedding more memorable.


If you want to stick with the tradition though and are looking to save money, let me tell you what we did in my sisters wedding. My mom went to Costco and picked up two boquets of roses for 10 bucks a piece. She then took 8 roses, bunched them together and wrapped ribbon around the stems (she also trimmed the stems down to just about six inches, instead of the traditional long stem length). These provided small, tasteful, elegant boquets for all the bridesmaids for only 20 dollars or so.
Reply:It started in the old days because people would not bath often and they typically did it in the spring so by weeding day the bride AND groom were getting ripe. The flowers were carried by the bride to mask her odor.





Strange but true. That's why most people back then got married in June. Less time to get stinky.
Reply:Red F is right - at least according to the lore I've heard....





They'd bathe in May and marry in June... fresh as a june bride or whatever the saying is.
Reply:tradition. it's ultimately your choice. it's your wedding you could have them hold kites or nothing at all.





flowers are "pretty" and traditional. that's all. nothing special.
Reply:i think its so you have something to do with your hands, that way you aren't swinging your arms and stuff. If you dont like them then dont use them - or better yet, get your girls together and make them with fake flowers. They look just as good, they are way cheaper and that way you get an extra night with the girls that mean the most to you before your wedding. Throw some wine and food in and i bet you all have a blast!