FAVORITE FLOWERS Brides' top 10 most beloved blooms listed

Beautiful blossoms have always played an important role at weddings.
SCRIPPS HOWARD
Picture yourself walking through a glorious garden with every flower at its peak. Then ask yourself which flowers would you pick for your wedding? The commonplace? The colorful? The rarest? The most fragrant?
Flowers come in literally thousands of varieties. So to help you narrow your list of bouquet and centerpiece choices before you meet with your florist, The Knot offers an overview of the Top 10 wedding flowers as selected by brides themselves:
URose: Long considered a symbol of beauty and love, the rose figures in many a myth and fairy tale, and romantic writers and poets have used the flower as a metaphor for emotion, beauty, passion and true love throughout the ages.
UTulip: Although this flower is most often associated with the Netherlands, it is actually a native of Persia. Representing "consuming love" and "happy years," the tulip can be a meaningful wedding choice. The flowers are grown in a huge range of colors, including white and cream; pastels like pink, yellow and peach and vibrant brights like magenta, red, and purple. Tulips are versatile enough to enhance both elegant wedding settings and more casual venues.
UCalla lily: Also known as the arum lily, this elegant, trumpet-shaped blossom originated in Africa and symbolized "magnificent beauty" in the language of flowers. The calla lily's distinctive form has been depicted in Art Nouveau and Art Deco works, in addition to 20th-century photography. Two types are commonly available: one with a large head and a long, smooth stem, suitable for tall arrangements or presentation-style bouquets, and a miniature version ideal for nosegays and boutonnieres. Creamy ivory is the most popular color, but calla lilies also come in yellow, orange, mauve-pink and dark purple.
ULily of the valley: With its bell-shaped florets dangling from a thin stem, the lily of the valley is sometimes called "the ladder to heaven." The fresh, perfumed scent from its tiny flowers is unmistakable. In Norse mythology, the flower is linked to Ostara, the goddess of springtime, and while most plentiful during this season, it remains available, though very expensive, most of the year. So while a fistful of lily of the valley might be many a bride's dream, a more affordable alternative may be to use just a few stems to infuse a bouquet or centerpiece with its wonderful fragrance.
UHydrangea: With its big bushy head and intense shades of pink, blue, burgundy and purple, it's no wonder the hydrangea represented "vanity" in the Victorian language of flowers. The color of one of the most popular varieties changes from bubble-gum pink to sky blue as it grows, depending on the acid level of the soil. A stem or two of this moderately priced, scentless shrub flower helps fill out arrangements and bouquets, and a few sprigs make a charming boutonniere. You'll find the hydrangea in white and shades of green, pink, burgundy and blue.
* Peony: The peony has a large, full head, strong perfume and bright color. Despite this outward showiness, the flower acquired the Victorian meaning "bashfulness." Cultivated in Asia for more than a thousand years and developed further by the French, the peony is available in two main types, the herbaceous and the tree peony (the latter's flowers do not last as long when cut). Grown in single- and double-flowered styles, this expensive flower is seasonally available from late spring to early summer, but can be imported in the fall.
URanunculus: Looking for a cost-effective alternative to the rose and the peony? Try the lush, multipetaled ranunculus, a relative of the buttercup. This flower was first seen by Westerners in the Far East during the 13th century. Available in many colors, including white, yellow, orange and pink, the mild-scented ranunculus features several blossoms on a stem with fernlike foliage. To carry these flowers is to tell your partner, "I am dazzled by your charms" in the Victorian language of flowers.
UStephanotis: The Victorian meaning given to the stephanotis is "marital happiness," making this dainty white flower an obvious choice for weddings. The stephanotis is mildly scented, moderately priced and available year-round. The star-shaped, waxy florets actually grow on a flowering vine; each must be individually wired or placed onto a special holder before it can be arranged. A bouquet of stephanotis blossoms is one of the most traditional a bride can carry, and a stephanotis boutonniere is a classic choice for a formal wedding.
USweet pea: The sweet pea, which signifies "lasting pleasure," was first brought to England from Sicily in 1699, and the English have had a love affair with this delicate flower ever since. Its candy-like scent and girlish ruffled blossoms make this an old-fashioned favorite in bouquets for the bride and her bridesmaids. The sweet pea's many colors range from white to intense pinks and purples, and its scent can be strong and sweet.
UGardenia: Surrounded by dark green, waxy leaves, the exquisite gardenia exudes a very sultry, heavy scent. It was this intoxicating fragrance that captivated an English sea captain traveling through South Africa in 1754, prompting him to bring home one of the native plants as a souvenir. Be gentle with the gardenia: The delicate, creamy ivory petals of this expensive flower can bruise easily. Large three- to four-inch blossoms, as well as a miniature variety, are available. Gardenias are lovely tucked into a bouquet or floating in a low bowl as a centerpiece, and a single gardenia makes a wonderful scented corsage.
XFor more ideas, check out "The Knot Book of Wedding Flowers" (Chronicle Books) at bookstores or go online at www.TheKnot.com/flowers.