Bouquets appear in weddings as early as the 17th century. The art of arranging flowers was first captured by Dutch painters in this century in paintings. In the 18th century, arrangements were used to decorate houses of wealthy families & aristocrcy.

In years past, upper class brides were required to hold wedding bouquets of roses & flowers to cover the stench or body odor. Some bouquets were also made of such strong herbs as thyme and garlic. These were meant to frighten away evil spirits.