Through the centuries, brides have always worn some form of headdress. Of all bridal customs and traditions, wearing a circlet, wreath or coronet of flowers or greenery on the head is the one that seems to best represent the bridal legend, and be the most consistent.
In early times, flowers and herbs were chosen to wear for sensible and sentimental reasons. Rosemary and myrtle were
highly prized for their fragrance as well as for being
evergreens. Roses were selected not only for their beauty, but
they were then thought to be the flower of Venus,
goddess of love.
For their bridal headdress, country maids wound wildflowers
into a wreath or, depending on the season, would gild small
branches of leaves and wheat, then shape them into a golden
coronet. Of course, royal brides were an exception to the
botanical wreath rule, wearing crown jewels rather than some
simple flowery, pastoral crown!
orange blossoms into the bride's costume
originated in ancient China where they were emblems of purity,
chastity and innocence. There are few trees so prolific as the
orange; it is one of the rare plants that blooms and bears fruit
at the same time, thus becoming symbolic of fruitfulness.
During the time of the Crusades, the custom was brought from
the East first to Spain, then to France, then to England in the
early 1800's. By then, many enchanting legends had spread
throughout the continent of maidens entwining fresh orange
blossoms into a bridal wreath for their hair. The influence
became so indoctrinated into the culture that the phrase "to
gather orange blossoms" took the meaning " to seek a wife".
The 19th century bride even decorated her gown with this
symbol of fertility. But it was Queen Victoria who created the
vogue for the sweet smelling blossoms when she wore them in a
grand wreath for her 1840 wedding, and the classic floral
theme for the Victorian bride was set.
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