There is a tradition that started in the ancient times…wedding bouquets! However, the tradition was a little bit different then it is now. Before carrying flowers down the isle was a thing, the bride and groom wore herbs, such as garlic. In ancient Greece and Rome they carried or wore garlands of strong smelling herbs that would ward off evil spirits or bad health. Later on the wearing of herbs and spices was thought to bring on good luck, hope, and fertility.
Now, we all love the Victorian era (if you don’t agree, you’re wrong ;)…) because that is where the wedding traditions you see today came from and stuck. Such as flower bouquets, instead of just herbs and spices. Flowers began to be used in bouquets because of the “flower language”. The flower language, which is the meaning behind each flower, made it’s way all the way from Turkey to England. In Turkey flowers were used for messages between lovers, those flowers were then incorporated into the brides bouquet. The use of flower bouquets truly began with the wedding of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. They still included edible flowers, which was strung down from the tradition of carrying herbs and spies. Dill was the most common edible flower that was used in the wedding bouquets to symbolize lust. So, the bride and groom, and sometimes their guests, would consume dill to increase desires and fertility.
Today flower bouquets are used in almost every wedding, however most of them do not have edible flowers in them anymore…that tradition like so many other wedding traditions became revamped or lost in translation.
So, when you are picking out your bouquet just remember that if you put dill in it and consume it you will have a FANTASTIC night!