The Wedding Bouquet

Lily stood in her workroom looking at the beautiful choices for flowers in her fridges. She was getting married. It would finally be her turn to enjoy making her own bouquet. But she was perplexed. She’d prepared so many bouquets for brides based on what they liked but wasn’t sure what she wanted for her own bouquet. She’d drawn a number of sketches but still nothing felt quite right. Everything she’d come up with felt like it was missing something to make it extra special and unique.

Each of the bridesmaids’ bouquets had been created and put back in the fridge. Unlike many bouquets that she made for other bridesmaids which were usually all the same, she’d created something different for each of the women who were going to stand with her and support her on her big day.

All of the bouquets had sprigs of lavender and baby’s breath in them to signify new beginnings and serenity. For Sarrah, she also added some eucalyptus and daisies because she was down to earth and natural in all that she did. She had been Lily’s friend since kindergarten, and she couldn’t image anyone else being her maid of honour.

Esmerelda was the one in Lily’s wedding party who could be unpredictable and to showcase those qualities rather than fear what could potentially happen if her friend gave a wedding toast, Lily selected the iris with its uniquely shaped flower.

She added carnations to Angela’s bouquet. The small delicate pink flowers would complement her. Angela didn’t like being the center of attention and her beautiful but simple bouquet paid homage to that.

Lily’s sister Marcy was eight years younger than her, and at fifteen was extremely excited to be part of her sister’s wedding. Lily added a yellow lily and a pink one to her bouquet. Yellow was Lily’s favorite colour and pink was Marcy’s favorite. Lily wanted to signify their sisterhood with her choice.

But that still left the question of the bridal bouquet. Lily headed to the fridge and began to get out some flowers. She wouldn’t know what was meant to be until she saw them together. She got out a vase that she would use to test her designs. She didn’t want to tie a ribbon around the flowers too many times if she wasn’t going to use them.

First, she chose some baby’s breath. It would be the flower which tied her bouquet and those of her maid of honor and bridesmaids together. Next, she decided to add some of the yellow lemon lilies which she’d used in Marcy’s bouquet. The white and yellow together was stunning but Lily still felt like something was missing. She didn’t want to use the roses because they were too traditional of a choice.

Then, the marigolds caught her eye. There were yellow and orange ones in the refrigerator. They were often used in spring and summer bouquets, but rarely for a wedding because some associated them with bad luck. But, despite being a florist and being aware that each flower had a meaning, she didn’t believe in the superstitions which surrounded them.

The marigolds looked just right in her bouquet and Lily was extremely pleased with what she had come up with. The white, yellow, and orange bouquet reflected her personality perfectly. She was known for being a bright light like the sunshine.

Lily was just finishing up tying a lacy ribbon around her bridal bouquet when her fiancé entered her shop.

“Working late on the night before our wedding?” asked Ethan.

“I just couldn’t get my bouquet right,” said Lily. “But it’s nearly ready now, and I love it.”

“The chairs are all set up at the hall,” said Ethan. “And we’ve hung the streamers too. There will just be the flowers to place on the tables in the morning.”

“The vases are all ready in my fridges,” said Lily. “It will only take a few minutes to set them up. It will take the longest amount of time to drive there.”

“I can’t wait until tomorrow,” said Ethan. “I can’t believe that I’m not allowed to see you after tonight, until you walk down the aisle.”

“It’s just a superstition,” said Lily, “but our mothers insist on it, and I didn’t want to have a fight on our wedding day.”

“My mom has supper ready,” said Ethan. “Your parents and sister are already at the house, and the rest of the bridal party will be there soon.”

“Just let me put this bouquet in the fridge and then I’ll be ready,” said Lily.

She tidied up and then turned out the lights and locked the door. It was unbelievable to her that in less than twenty-four hours, she would no longer be an unmarried woman. But she knew that marrying Ethan was going to be a wonderful change in her life. They complemented each other so well and supported each other’s dreams. And, while there were a lot of details that went into the wedding, like the flowers in the wedding bouquet, they only represented a very small part of who Lily and Ethan were.