The Ultimate Guide To Wedding Flowers

It’s hard to imagine a wedding without fresh blooms of a variety of flowers lining the ceremony aisle or being strategically placed around the reception hall at the wedding venue. There’s just something about the delectable aroma and beautiful visuals of floral arrangements that make them perfect for all weddings, no matter the theme or color scheme. 

But along with pleasant perfumes, floral arrangements also carry with them a hefty price tag. This is especially true when you take into account the bridal bouquet, centerpieces, bridesmaid bouquets, boutonnieres, and all of the floral displays that populate the wedding ceremony and reception. After all is said and done, your wedding budget can grow by thousands of dollars thanks to the variety of wedding flowers you might want to include

One way to attempt to keep costs under control is to incorporate seasonal flowers into your wedding day. This not only ensures the best quality blooms, but it also saves money on your flower budget while actually helping to reduce your carbon footprint. And no matter when you plan on holding your wedding, there’s always a collection of gorgeous flowers in season. Check out our list of the best wedding flowers, categorized by seasonable availability.

Spring Flowers

It’s fitting that spring kicks off our list of seasonal wedding florals, as it’s the time of the year most associated with colorful blooms and fresh smelling flowers. The weather begins to warm and as that happens, plants start to flower into charming pastels and other bright shades like pinks, purples, and creams. Your springtime wedding will benefit greatly from any of these freshly awakened flowers.

Peonies: A wedding bouquet favorite, this voluminous flower has silky, fluffy petals and naturally bloom in light hues. Peonies possess a strong aromatic scent that pops even more as the weather warms up, which makes them ideal for a springtime wedding. 

Poppies: With a short blossoming season that wraps up in May, poppies arrive and are gone in the blink of an eye—making them all the more special for an early spring wedding. This crinkly flower adds bright colors, as the petals come in many different shades. The center of the flower typically bursts with yellow, making this wildflower fantastic for outdoor ceremonies. 

Ranunculus: These rose-like blossoms are heavily ruffled with multiple layers, yet are extremely delicate and gossamer thin. The color palette of pink, rose, salmon, sunset orange, and white make them perfect for any season, but they truly shine in the springtime. 

Tulips: A bold and bulbous bloom that some refer to as the quintessential flower of springtime, tulips come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and textures. There’s ruffled and fringed, as well as lily-shaped, and wild. Meanwhile, the red tulips have the nickname “perfect love.” How, perfect!

Summer Flowers

Flowers that begin to take shape in the spring tend to reach peak bloom when the hot summer months roll around. It’s the time of bold colors and big, boastful blooms—and you should take advantage of it. Tropical, warm-weather flowers can be bright, exotic choices to feature on your wedding day and perfectly exemplify the summertime vibe at your wedding. 

Snapdragons: These early summer flowers tend to begin budding in the springtime. With fragrant petals and long stems, snapdragons come in a wide variety of bold shades. They are perfectly paired with larger buds like roses and peonies in a bouquet. 

Sunflowers: With a bright pop reminiscent of rays of sunshine, sunflowers are a classic wildflower that is perfectly at home at a summertime wedding. Bountiful blooms that are basically everywhere, sunflowers begin blooming in earnest in July. These flowers are also considered good luck, so they are a wonderfully symbolic wedding flower. 

Orchids: These blooms are another species that are symbolic of summertime. With bright petals that resemble butterfly wings, orchids are a gorgeous bouquet choice for their long lifespan, but also because of their robustness in the face of the summer heat. 

Dahlias: Bright and uniquely shaped, dahlias are dreamy summer flowers that begin blooming in late May. They truly peak in beauty during the summer and into the early fall. These large blooms boast a wide variety and are a practical, yet stunning addition to a wedding bouquet.

Fall Flowers

Many of the flowers most associated with the summer continue to bloom through the autumn months, so even though the cool weather is rolling in, there’s still lots of flowers available. The jewel-toned hues of plants and trees makes this time year incredibly whimsical, and that color breathes a little boho chic into your wedding day.

Chrysanthemum: Signifying the abundance of the autumn season, chrysanthemums come in brilliant shades and many different shapes. Also known as mums, these flowers are easy to grow in the late-summer months, making them mainstays in fall gardens. 

Roses: Easily one of the most popular wedding flowers for any time of the year, roses especially shine during the fall. The autumn calls on you to embrace roses in shades of purple dark red, and orange, all classic colors of the autumn palette. 

Aster: A beautiful fall perennial in many regions, asters are also an outstanding annual. Flowering in striking shades of purple, pink, blue, and white, asters offer a refreshing break from the typical fall color palette. What’s more, asters are known as a talisman of love and a symbol of patience. Two important virtues of marriage. 

Celosia: These durable blooms are a natural fit for fall because they match the traditional color palette of the season. Providing bright yellow, warm orange, scarlet red, and deep purple accents, celosia gives a unique and velvety look as either a filler flower or even as the focal point of autumn centerpieces. 

Winter Flowers

Flowers aren’t typically associated with wintertime, but that’s never stopped winter weddings from blooming with brilliant floral arrangements. Winter weddings traditionally feature flowers that pop with bright red and green, matching the festive holiday feel of the season. Floral arrangements this time of year can also benefit from a splash of red berries and pine cones. 

Hellebores: Delightfully hued with a mix of yellow, pink, white, mauve, and purple-black, hellebores provide a striking visage in any situation that calls for florals. Sometimes referred to as “Christmas rose,” these hearty flowers are a fantastic fit in any dreamy winter wedding.

Camellias: A true winter gem, the petals of camellias are layered for a rich, textural arrangement that add class and elegance to any nuptial affair. With a peak blooming season beginning in late fall, camellias are readily available for early winter weddings.

Silver Dollar Eucalyptus: Here’s a touch of greenery that can go a long way to adding a pleasant accent to your winter wedding. The silvery tones and ashy blue of this eucalyptus make it a perfect addition to a number of spots including bouquets, centerpieces, and even cake decoration. 

Anemone: The symbol of love between Adonis and Aphrodite in Greek Mythology, anemones are also known as windflowers. Utterly stunning in shades of deep plum, red, pink, and even blue, anemones are perfect for the classic bride who wants to make a subtle statement with her bouquet.