A wedding bouquet can be more than an arrangement that matches the dresses. It can be a portrait of everyone who got you to the aisle. On choosing flowers for who they belong to, which blooms survive the day, and which ones last far beyond it.

Wedding bouquets carry centuries of symbolism. Here's what brides are really saying with roses, peonies, tulips, and more, and why so many choose to preserve those blooms long after the big day.