Orange blossom Wedding Wreath
Orange blossom wedding wreaths were all the rage in Europe in the 18th and 19th century. The Orange tree is one of the rare plants to bear flowers and fruit at the same time; The delicate Orange blossoms came to symbolize, innocence, purity, chastity and to be "fruitful" in married life.
In the late 19th century, if a bride to be, couldn't find fresh orange blossoms, wax ones were made.
After the wedding it was common to save one's wreath under a glass dome as a souvenir. Holding the wreath in place under the dome the bride would have gilded pieces of decorative metal in the shapes of doves or hearts.
Finding an antique orange blossom wreath is rare...they often melted in time.
