Before opening my garden for weddings, I had never thought about how or why to scatter rose petals.
However, with nearly 200 white roses on the property, in flower from early November till late April, I thought offering roses petals for confetti and to line an aisle would be a good idea.
And it has been. Every bride so far has said yes to this service.
So, I have had to hone my rose petal scattering skills.
Now with some experience, I have discovered there is a lot that needs to be considered before embarking on this wonderous new art form.
First you must find out about the bride’s dress. Is it going to have a train? If Yes, then you need to make sure there are no petals down the centre of the aisle. If No, does the bride want petals scattered evenly over the aisle or just done the sides?
Then if they are having a carpet runner down the aisle, does the bride want petals on or off the carpet or perhaps artfully scattered over the edge.
How and where the rose petals fall may seem unimportant to the average person but to the bride, it makes a difference.
When it comes to picking the petals, you must master the art of plucking the petals without crushing them. To do this you must gently grab the petals, your hand in a cup-like fashion, right at the base of the flower and allow them to fall into your hand, then gently place them in your collection basket.
This must be done without gloves which increases the need to be extra careful, so you do not get pricked by a thorn, as white rose petals with blood spots are not the go.
You also need to make decisions about when to pick the petals. Do you do it first thing in the morning when they are full of water and keep them in a cool place but run the risk of them browning? Or pick them later in the day when they may be a bit limp but will not have time to discolour?
Then comes the actual scattering. You must decide at what time to scatter them. Too early before the ceremony and they may wilt in the heat or be blown away. But you certainly don’t want to be doing it when the first guests arrive, and there is always that one guest that turns up super early!
You also must make sure there is no breeze as you are scattering – the petals being very light, are easily caught by the wind. Then all your well-organised plan of a perfect scatter pattern goes out the window.
Phew! Such a tricky business all-round, this petal scattering.
Anyway, I am getting plenty of practice at rose petal scattering, learning the pitfalls and certainly honing my technique with every wedding.
Wish me luck, perhaps by the end of the year I could be in the running for the Rose Petal Scattering Olympics.
Kathy