Lotus flowers and water lilies are both beautiful and exotic looking flowers. Both make excellent cut flowers for wedding decorations or can be set up in bowls to float. If you are planning on having water lilies and/or lotus flowers in your wedding, there are a few things you should keep in mind. The main thing is that lilies and lotus flowers are NOT the same thing. They have many similarities, such as they grow in water and share a few colors, however, there are some major differences that you should be aware of when planning on how to incorporate them into your wedding ceremony. Knowing this information can help you to decide whether or not you want them and if you do, how to use them efficiently to get the most out of your wedding flowers.

Water lilies come in a large variety of colors; you can generally find them in any color you want. This means you can easily color coordinate them with the color scheme of your choice. Water lilies open in to a wide star burst shape with pointy petals. The petals grow in abundance but are around half the size of the actual flower. They are usually thin but sturdy. The flowers put off a strong fragrance and attract small insects. The leaves come in a variety of colors as well; either mottled with pink, burgundy or green or in solid colors of green or burgundy. They lay flat on the water while the stem and flower grow above. Most of the plant is edible and high in vitamins and nutrients. Water lily flowers live for a few weeks before drying up and dying.

Lotus flowers only grow in three basic colors; pink, white and cream. However, unlike the water lilies, most varieties of the flower change colors. They are shaped like a cup, very similar to a rose. The petals are long, around twice the size of the actual flower and papery thin. They have a perfume fragrance but not as strong as the water lily. The leaves only come in green, but grow tall and mostly stand above the water. The stem and flower grow very tall above the water. Lotus flower plants are completely edible and are considered a food staple in Asia. The flower only lives around five or so days.

Now that you know the difference between water lilies and lotus flowers, the possibilities of using them for decorating your wedding ceremony are endless. The flowers could be used in the bouquets for the bride and maidens; hung around the area the ceremony is to take place; set in small bowls to float in various areas; a water fountain with them in it, the lotus flowers in the back and water lilies in the front; the flower petals or leaves can be used to decorate cakes or other foods. Both flowers have religious affiliations with deeper meanings attached. However, that doesn’t mean you can only use them if you are religious.

Leave a comment and let us know what flowers you like best for your wedding.

Bio: Roxy is a garden enthusiast who runs lotusmeaning.com