Wedding Centerpiece of Roses and Hydrangeas

 

The love we have in our youth is superficial compared to the love that an old man has for his old wife. ~ Will Durant (American writer, historian, and collaborator of his wife, Ariel Durant. 1885-1981)
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While thinking about this post I thought, yes, if I were getting married today all the fleurs would be white. Then mind wandered back to my wedding-- the flowers were white-- and very special.
I was only nineteen when I married artist husband, and the ceremony was in his mom's living room, performed by her minister. Our guests, besides mom, were two friends who were also our 'best men'. It was kind of an elopement, considering my parents didn't know about it. No, I won't go into details- this is a flower story.
I wore a black and white wool checked dress, made by my mom when I was a junior in high school, with a white lace mantilla on my head. I did not even consider flowers.
Late afternoon, on the day of the wedding, I walked home from work, and up the stairs to our flat, and there on the porch was a great swath of white roses, with a wide white satin bow, wrapped in lovely, crinkly cellophane.

Can you image how stunned and thrilled I was?
Who would give me such a gift?
I didn't know the dear person-- he was a friend of our best men, who worked in a florist shop, and he thought I should have a bouquet.

My bouquet roses looked like these.

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In the picture with Annabelle hydrangeas, at the top of the page, are Snowbird roses.
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