No flower symbolizes love more than the rose,
making it the perfect wedding flower.  Fittingly,
among the more than 130 popular varieties are the
"Bridal Pink", "Darling", "Kiss", "Flirt" and "Only Love".

Many varieties are named for women,
although roses today are often given to men
by women as a symbol of their love.  Perhaps due
to their names, "Purple Prince" and "Idole" are
popular choices for men.  Rose varieties can
be categorized as large flowered, medium
flowered, small flowered or cluster.  Some are
heavily scented; some moderately; some lightly
and some have no scent at all.  Depending
on the variety, roses can last up to 3 weeks.

The rose is from the family Rosaceae.  It is naturally
a prickly shrub with feathery leaves and showy
flowers having five petals in the wild state, but
often being doubled or partly doubled under cultivation.  The thorns on the stalks vary depending on the
variety.  The stalk length runs between 12 inches
and 40 inches, depending upon variety and quality. 
The leaves are compound and may consist of five leaflets.  They can be obtained in reds, pinks, salmon, orange, lavender, cream, white, and two-tone colors.

Some rose varieties were first seen in Asia, others
in Central Europe, the Middle East and Asia Minor. 
They can easily be used for any phase of wedding design:  altar and church decorations, corsages and boutonnieres, hand bouquets, and centerpieces. 
Roses can be used to complement any wedding
decor.  For example, the "Porcelina" rose, which is a large, ivory colored flower, can be used to create an elegant bridal bouquet, eliciting a formal atmosphere.

The softly-colored "Champagne" rose, singly wrapped
in a napkin at each dinner plate, is a nice touch to symbolize your affection and appreciation for your guests.  Warning:  make sure to remove all the thorns!