My Medieval Woodland Wedding

The Flowers

I knew immediately that I wanted to do my own flowers. Being an Herbalist, I have a strong connection with plants and I knew that on such a special day, I wanted to have plants that I knew and added intention to my ceremony. I also knew that I wanted this wedding to have a “homemade” feel. As if our families were putting on the event like they would have historically, doing what they could with what they had. All the work we put in saved a lot of money, and gave the exact feel I wanted.

My yard has an abundance of boxwood and evergreens. I grow Yarrow, Wormwood, and Rosehips, I foraged for Goldenrod and snowberries, and bought $5 worth of Baby’s Breath. I dried the Goldenrod, Yarrow and Baby’s Breath to preserve them, and mute the yellow of the Goldenrod a bit. I collected Goldenrod for weeks in the late summer and early Fall, until I had enough. 

Goldenrods’ tall thin stems topped with bright yellow plumes of tiny daisy like flowers represent Growth and Encouragement. The showy plant can also be used to wish good luck and fortune to someone, especially in a wedding bouquet.

Yarrows’ umbrella-like clusters of white flowers and many fingered leaves has long symbolized protection, healing, love, and establishing boundaries. In British Folklore it is said that a couple who carries Yarrow on their wedding day would form an unbreakable union.

Wormwoods’ soft and fuzzy pale green leaves are probably the most controversial thing I included in my bouquets. In the bible, wormwood is associated with bitterness and regret. In other cultures it is a magical herb, used to counter unwanted spells and protect against accidents. The mildly hallucinogenic properties of true Absinth (derived from Wormwood in alcohol) make this a dreamy plant, a soothing but powerful medicinal. The smell is amazing and I chose to include it for that, the color, and the protection from accidents. Intentions are everything!

Baby’s Breath flowers are well known for their inclusion in weddings. They symbolize Love everlasting, commitment, innocence, and purity. It’s easy to see why they’ve become a staple. Plus, they dry well and still look really nice.

Arbor Vitae, or the Eastern White Cedar, means Tree of Life in Latin. It symbolizes life, growth, and healing. It is also one of my favorite inclusions in incense, and as freshly cut decorations.

Boxwoods slow growing, evergreen oval leaves are associated with immortality in European traditions. It became popular in the 1500s and was used as topiary art and low hedge walls. 

Winterberry plants can brighten the darkest winter day, as when the leaves fall, the twiggy shrub is left covered in hundreds of clustered brilliant red berries. Being a part of the Holly family, it symbolizes good luck in the winter and is used to brighten the home. 

Timing-

I made the wreaths and ladies Headbands 2 days before the wedding, and the bouquets the day before. 

• For the Bridesmaid bouquets, I layered greenery in a jar, then placed my flowers in the middle in no particular order. I used wire to gather them from the bottom and hold them together in that circular shape while I bound them with floral tape. Each bouquet took about 15-20 minutes to make.

• For my bouquet, I laid out long pieces of greenery first, then layered in the flowers, berries, and more greenery. I used hot glue to fill it out with more green where needed. It took about 30 minutes to make this one.

• The wreaths are made from Wisteria, which also grows in my yard. I used floral wire to attach the greenery, and most of the flowers are hot glued in. Each wreath took us about 20-30 minutes each to assemble, but 20 minutes total to hang on the day of.

• The greenery on the Banister of the stage area is attached with zip ties. It was very simply just laid on and tied down. I made sure the the shape of the branch arched downwards, so it gave that draped effect. This took about 20 minutes for 2 people to attach.

• The headbands my bridesmaids are wearing are made from one piece of japanese boxwood, reinforced by floral wire, with ribbons tied on to the sides. It’s worn like a headband and took me all of an hour to make all of them. We saved time and money by doing the ladies hair ourselves (my sister and I) in very simple designs. 

• I placed lanterns on each table in the picnic shelter. I covered the picnic tables in unbleached Muslin, placed a burlap runner on top, then had a basic lantern with one fake candle on each. I surrounded the lantern with simple greenery and peacock feathers. I packed the lanterns and candles together ahead of time so on the day, it took about 30 minutes to get the tables set up.

• I made 3 Large swags to hang outside the Picnic Shelter using the same greenery and flowers, and hung them on the poles with zip ties. These were made the day before and took about 20 minutes each, and about 20 minutes total to hang up on the day of.
  

I made my decorations with these plants not only because of their symbolism, but because of their abundance around me. I included greenery on the stage where the ceremony was held, around the stumps going down the aisle, in the wreaths that decorated the pavilion windows, in the bouquets, and in various places that I thought needed some “sprucing”. The symbolism and intention behind them only lent weight to my commitment to my best friend. If you are able to include your own floral touches I encourage everyone to do so. It’s cheap and made the look so special.