Latin Nuptial Mass: Altar Flowers

The liturgical year of 2020 was historically dark in many ways. In this post I will highlight a cause for celebration: the first Latin Nuptial Mass for our rural community in over fifty years! I was honored to be asked to do the flower arrangements for the church wedding.

The lovely bride chose butter yellow carnations, saladago, irises and baby's breath. The mother of the groom pre-ordered the flowers which made my job a lot easier! On Wednesday before the Saturday wedding, she dropped off the flowers and some leatherleaf fern. I also picked up some white mums and yellow alstroemeria as I felt that some additional flowers were needed to fill out the arrangements. I went to my free greenery source and cut privet, eucalyptus, cedar, pittosporum, and magnolia leaves.

Originally I was told the preferred flower colors for the wedding were blue, yellow and white. In late summer, I dried some blue hydrangeas, hoping I could tuck them in here and there in the arrangements as blue flowers are hard to come by in the autumn.

Dried blue hydrangeas, irises opening in the sun

I must admit, when I saw the quantity of baby's breath delivered, my stomach turned slightly. Although I enjoy the ethereal quality of the flowers, my last attempt at using them was dismal (see Gladiolus Gone-Wrong in Floral Flops). I did a little online research and was inspired by some of the beautiful things designers do with baby's breath. This gave me hope that I could make it work!

I made eight arrangements: four identical arrangements for the reredos and four for the entry tables and side altars.

Work-in-progress

Unfortunately, the two side altars in this historic church were removed post Vatican II and later repurposed being fastened together to make the new table altar for the church. So I placed the two extra arrangements in the sanctuary: one next to the statue of Our Lady and another on a side table that was replete with hand sanitizer (which I discreetly stowed away in the sacristy).

Where a side altar once was...

Flowers, not hand sanitizer

Entry table arrangement

Lovely traditional architectural background for this entry table arrangement.

Making liturgical history: the first TLM for this church in 50+ years!

And what to do with all of that extra baby's breath staring at me solitary in the flower bucket? My eight-year-old daughter and I tied it in small bunches to cedar boughs with the remaining dried blue hydrangeas to make a nuptial garland! It hung cheerily on the railing just outside the church door, welcoming the bride.