I've always thought lilies of the valley were extremely traditional bridal bouquets over the years long ago and once wondered why you so seldom actually saw them used. I think I might have figured that one out, though... they're not easy to grow successfully and they're seldom in bloom. And those you do get when you try to grow them are so very precious, precious, and so few. Once picked, they don't keep for as long as many roses can keep, but their fragrance is out of this world. Then too, it's probably impractical to try to import them from another continent the way you can do with roses; they're just more fragile than most roses. But you can hardly find a more romantic flower than tiny, precious lilies of the valley. I thought her lilies of the valley were beautifully done. I think it's also a plus that she didn't apparently check around to see what everyone else expected her to wear or carry. Her veil seemed a bit uncommon to me too, and as I analyzed the looks of it, I realized that a good bit of careful thought had gone into its design choice. It emphasized her beautiful dark hair. A person with, say, short curly locks might not be flattered by a veil like that, but for someone with long dark beautiful hair, the veil made a beautiful white frame that accented the bride's beauty while not competing with it. The more I thought about it, the more it seemed to me that she was a picture perfect bride in every detail. How many people can have roses? She would have also been beautiful had she carried roses, but size and familiarity don't necessarily mean something better. The point of a wedding dress and everything surrounding the bride is that she be beautiful, and beautifully herself, not someone different than who she is or what she feels. She is and was a beautiful person, and one with elegant taste. The couple's special day seemed perfect to me, and all the more so when the groom told her how beautiful she was. What a nice beginning to what we all expect to be a long and happy marriage! May the bumps ahead be wee little ones. Mary

I would think that all of those are what we call florist varieties. A large percentage of these grow well inside greenhouses, but not outdoors. You might want to check with the florist they came from, as far as variety names, then check on HelpMeFind.com to see if they are available as commercial plants. If not, we can suggest garden varieties with the same coloring. In the meantime I would definitely dry and save some of the rose petals as a memento. Sandwiching separated petals between two paper towels and microwaving them on high for a minute or two works for me, and retains color better than air drying.

Congrats on 10 yrs together & still thinking about pleasing her & doing something nice with her bouquet! It looks great! She's lucky to have such a nice guy! Wish you many more years together. I had a terrific guy for only 23 yrs so glad we took vacations & got along so terrifically as that's all he got. True love just gets better as years go by & the little extra thoughtfulness will be so appreciated, You could put these under the glass & then have some fresh flowers low around the bottom of the glass. Don't forget a card expressing how you feel!! Jan

Thanks Babka, The link gave me a few ideas....now just to find what flower(s) want to knit...lol. Love the knit bride and groom topper...maybe if get enough time (getting married in July), I can whip one up...lol.