If you’re superstitious, you may be hesitant to tout any wedding flowers that could carry any sort of bad juju with them. For instance, according to The Language of Flowers—an ultra-romantic language for lovers’ correspondence in which flowers replaced words during the Victorian era—yellow carnations indicate “disdain.” Below, find the flowers with the worst symbolic meanings that you may want to steer clear of for your nuptials (of course, you can always thumb your nose at history and ascribe your own meaning to the below “questionable” blooms). And here’s your guide to the flowers with more positive connotations.
- Christmas Rose: Scandal
- Fig: Idleness
- Foxglove: Insincerity
- Larkspur: Infidelity
- Lavender: Distrust
- Marigold: Grief
- Mulberry: “I shall not survive you”
- Raspberry: Remorse
- Red Carnation: “Alas for my poor heart”
- Red Poppy: Consolation
- Rhododendron: Danger
- Striped Carnation: Refusal
- White Poppy: Sleep
- Yellow Carnation: Disdain
- Yellow Chrysanthemum: Slighted love
- Yellow Lily: Falsehood
- Yellow Rose: Jealousy
Additionally, there are a few other flowers you might want to avoid: Hydrangeas and gardenias if you’re having a summer wedding (they don’t like the heat), tulips for bouquets (they don’t live very long outside of soil), daffodils if you have sensitive skin (they can cause an unsightly rash or skin irritation), chrysanthemums if you or your guests are allergy sufferers (they have a high pollen count) and calla lilies if your wedding will have a high volume of children or pets (they’re poisonous if ingested). Oh, and hand-picked wildflowers in the case you have an allergic reaction during your vows.
