Rose & Calla Lily Wedding Ideas

In more elegant days, flowers were used as a means of communication. Each Flower had a special meaning. The Calla Lily meant: Magnificent Beauty. In the old language of flowers, a single red rose always meant "I love you". The Rose ceremony gives recognition to the new and most honorable title of "Husband and Wife".

When you're thinking about personalizing your reception, some obvious ideas should come to mind. One of the easiest ways to customize your celebration is to choose a certain flower like the rose, and a color that you love.

The key to pulling off a coordinated event: Evoke your theme throughout the affair. Whether that theme is as general as a season or a feeling, or as specific as a special flower, it should be the subtle thread that ties everything together. Your location, invitations, flowers, menu, cake, and favors should all cleverly reflect one common concept. Then, get as creative as you can!

Rose Reception Decorations

If you love Roses & Callas go far beyond carrying Roses & Callas in your bridal & bridesmaid's bouquets.

Place a vase of roses and petals on your registry table.

Using borrowed or rented hurricane lamps, cylinder vases, votive candles. Add gel beads and a single roses into bud vases. Tuck a single rose into a napkin at each place setting and eliminates the need for a separate wedding favor.

Have your caterer fold your napkins in a rose pattern and place in the center of each guest plate or have your florist tuck a rose inside each napkin band.

Have napkins imprinted with a rose design with your names and wedding date on each napkin.

Scattering rose petals around candle bowls or serving bowls and etc. adds beautiful color to tables.

To scatter roses on tables we recommend 1 bag per 5 tables for a light scatter and 2 bags per 5 tables if you want a heavier look.

Place a ring of roses around a crystal ice bucket.

Decorate the layers of your cake with roses and tuck Callas into the greenery at the base of the cake.

Place vases of Roses and Callas on the cake table and buffet tables.

Put a vase of roses in the ladies' room.

Have guests toss rose petals rather than rice or birdseed. For tossing, most brides have been using 1 bag per 25 guests (each bag represents approximately 40-50 heads worth of petals, approximately 20 cups) Some brides have stretched the bag to cover 50 guests.

The Rose Ceremony

The Rose Ceremony may be added to any other wedding ceremony.

In the Rose Ceremony, the Bride and Groom give each other a Rose. Two roses are all that is necessary. The Rose Ceremony is placed after the "vows" and just before being pronounced husband and wife.

This is a unique and meaningful addition to any marriage ceremony that also inspires your guests too. This ceremony originates from a classic rose ceremony from a lost and elegant age. Though the words of the Rose Ceremony you explain the true meaning of the ceremony - and in ways that can endure through your married life together.

Words of the Rose Ceremony:

"Your token to each other for your wedding today has been your wedding rings - which shall always be an outward demonstration of your vows of love and respect; and a public showing of your commitment to each other.

You now have what remains the most honorable title which may exist between a man and a woman - the title of "husband" and "wife." For your first gift as husband and wife, that gift will be a single rose.

In the past, the rose was considered a symbol of love and a single rose always meant only one thing - it meant the words "I love you." So it is appropriate that for your first gift - as husband and wife - that gift would be a single rose.

Please exchange your first gift as husband and wife.
(Sometimes a couple will play a special song at this point).

In some ways it seems like you have not done anything at all. Just a moment ago you were holding one small rose - and now you are holding one small rose. In some ways, a marriage ceremony is like this. In some ways, tomorrow is going to seem no different than yesterday. But in fact today, just now, you both have given and received one of the most valuable and precious gifts of life - one I hope you always remember - the gift of true and abiding love within the devotion of marriage.

_________ and _____________, I would ask that where ever you make your home in the future - whether it be a large and elegant home - or a small and graceful one - that you both pick one very special location for roses; so that on each anniversary of this truly wonderful occasion you both may take a rose to that spot both as a recommitment to your marriage - and a recommitment that THIS will be a marriage based upon love.

In every marriage there are times where it is difficult to find the right words.

It is easiest to hurt who we most love. It is easiest to be most hurt by who we most love.

It might be difficult some time to find words to say "I am sorry" or "I forgive you"; "I need you" or "I am hurting". If this should happen, if you simply can not find these words, leave a rose at that spot which both of you have selected - for that rose then says what matters most of all and should overpower all other things and all other words.

That rose says the words: "I still love you."

The other should accept this rose for the words which can not be found, and remember the love and hope that you both share today.

__________ and ________, if there is anything you remember of this marriage ceremony, it is that it was love that brought you here today, it is only love which can make it a glorious union, and it is by love which your marriage shall endure."

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Wedding Invitations & Accessories
by Carlson Craft

Old English

As romantic as an Old English garden, love will show when guests unlock your invitation wording. Flowers such as roses, tulips, daffodils and calla lilies are blind embossed, giving them a raised feel.