What the Heck Is A Tussy Mussy?

When I first started my wedding planning and saw the words “tussy mussy” I had no idea what they meant. To me, it sounded like something you would call a difficult, snotty, bridesmaid!


Tussy mussies despite their funny names, though, are actually beautiful and elegant flower holders. The first tussy mussies appeared in France during the eighteenth century and were used primarily during the Victorian Era. They recently made a comeback after Oprah Winfrey named them one of her “favorite things” in a 1999 show.


Tussy mussies can be made from pewter, cobalt glass, silver, gold, porcelain, and even plastic. Of course the finer the tussy mussies make is, the more expensive it will be. I have seen tussy mussies range in price on the Internet from $25 (plastic) to hundreds of dollars (gold). Tussy mussies are filled with small clusters of flowers that are tied. Lace and ribbons can also be incorporated into the tussy mussy.


In Victorian times tussy mussies were considered art forms and each one was unique. Suitors would spend much time selecting the flowers they wanted to put in their beloved tussy mussies, because each flower had meaning. When a woman received a tussy mussy she would read the flowers like an essay—trying to decipher what the sender was saying to her. Some of the more popular flowers to use in tussy mussies and their meanings are:


Red Rose—love


Yellow rose--friendship


Azalea-- romance


Heather-- wishes come true


Ivy-- fidelity


Laurel-- success


Myrtle-- passion


Mint -- Virtue


Lavender -- Devotion


Rosemary -- Remembrance


Globe Amaranth -- Everlasting Love


Snowdrop - Hope


Sweet Pea - Delicate pleasures


Tulip - Love


Violet - Faithfulness


If you decide to use tussy mussies for your wedding, you can get each bridesmaid a different tussy mussy with the same arrangement of flowers or the same tussy mussy with different flowers (to reflect their personality or bestow certain wishes on them). With tussy mussies, virtually any combination goes. Another nice thing about tussy mussies are that your attendants will have it forever and, if you buy ones with handles, can hang it from a doorknob in their house as a constant reminder of the day. You can give the bridesmaids their tussy mussie as their gift for participating in the wedding.