Wedding Flowers
From the bride’s bouquet 
to the altar arrangement, flowers are a crucial part of every wedding, and one that’s too-often left to the last minute, with important decisions being relegated to a hired florist or an overwhelmed maid of honor. With a little careful planning, it’s easy to ensure that the flowers are exactly how you want them. After all, it is your day.
In choosing your flowers, you’ll want to keep the general tone and style of your wedding in mind. Is it a small or large wedding? Indoors or outdoors? Modern or traditional? Will there be lots of tables you’ll need to decorate, or do you just need to assemble a few bouquets for the wedding party? What’s your budget like? The time of year will also be important—remember, flowers are quite seasonal!
You may also want to consider doing the flowers yourself, which is a great way to save money and ensure that the flowers are exactly as you envisioned them. Ordering flowers in bulk from a grower or online supplier, or purchasing them at a farmer's market can often be cheaper, and gives you an outlet for your creativity. It's also much easier than you'd expect, particularly if you're using only a few varieties of flowers, or if you want simple, elegant arrangements.
Roses
Roses are the classic symbol of love and passion and have always been popular for weddings. Roses are also highly versatile because of their wide variety of colors; other than a pure, royal blue, you can get roses in just about every color or color combination you could want. Two-tone roses have a particularly magical look about them. There are several kinds of roses available, so they get a section all to themselves!
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Hybrid Tea Rose Hybrid tea roses are the most popular roses for flower arrangements. Sturdy, fragrant, and colorful, these are the florists' workhorse. |
Spray Rose Spray roses usually have smaller blooms than hybrid tea roses, but they make up for size in quantity -- usually five to ten blooms per stem. |
Garden Rose Garden roses tend to be more expensive and fragile, but they are also more fragrant and have an antique charm about them. |
Rose Petals Sure, your flower girl could scatter lavender blossoms or confetti, but there's nothing quite like a carpet of velvety rose petals to announce the bride! |
Orchids
Orchids are grown in greenhouses and are therefore available year-round. Although they are rarely fragrant, they are always stunning! Colorful, exquisitely sculptural, and often highly patterned, orchids are great on their own or when mixed in with other flowers. With so many species available, it would be a shame not to show at least a handful of the most popular!
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Phalaenopsis Available in pink, white, green, yellow, and two-tone patterns. |
Cattleya Many different varieties and colors, including some frilly types and more slender varieties. |
Cymbidium A smaller bloom, popular as part of centerpieces. Yellow and white are most common. |
Dendrobium Very popular both as a houseplant and for weddings. Colors from white to green to fuschia. |
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Oncidium Large sprays of small, delicate yellow flowers. Popular for centerpieces. |
Paphiopedilum Also known as the lady's slipper. Very exotic looking, especially in green and white. |
Vanda Large, amaryllis-like flowers. Frequently purple, but yellow and white also available. Highly patterned with spots or stripes. |
Other Year-Round Flowers
Most of these are available all year, although prices may go up and down depending on the season.
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Gardenias
Fragrant, creamy-white gardenias are beautiful but expensive. Try floating just a few blooms in bud vases instead of massive flower arrangements to save money and avoid overpowering your guests with their aroma! |
Lilacs Lilacs are a spring specialty, but you can also get imported French lilacs year-round. Fragrant, voluptuous and beautiful, lilacs come in many shades of blue and purple, as well as white and ivory. |
Stephanotis Small, fragrant and jasmine-like, stephanotis (which sometimes has a pearl pin in the center) is popular because of its traditional meaning of "marital happiness." You will certainly have bridal happiness with stephanotis in your bouquet! |
Stock Stock grows in tall, fragrant, bushy spikes in many colors. Different varieties have different textures. A great flower for a less formal wedding, it brings a touch of an English cottage garden to your wedding day. |
Springtime Flowers
In the spring, everything is bursting into colorful blooms. Below are some of the most popular choices, but you can also just look around and think about what blooms in your area around your wedding date. Your florist might be able to help you find interesting branches as well, such as pussywillow in March or cherry blossoms in April.
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Daffodils Guaranteed to infuse any wedding with plenty of sun, bright golden daffodils are sure to make everyone cheerful. Their short season makes them good only for early spring weddings.
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Tulips Springtime's most classic bloom. French tulips are taller than standard tulips, and very elegant. Many colors are available, but the season is short. |
Irises Sophisticated, yet relatively inexpensive. Irises are typically blue or purple, but yellow and white varities may be available as well. |
Lily of the Valley
Delicate, fragrant, and beautiful, lily of the valley has been popular for weddings for centuries. With a traditional meaning of "happiness", it's no mystery why! Available spring and summer. |
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Magnolia A classic for Southern weddings in the spring, magnolia blossoms are large, fragrant, and striking when used on their own or in an arrangement. Magnolias are almost always white, but there are some pink and white ones as well. |
Hydrangeas Voluminous hydrangeas makes up for a lack of perfume with visual splendor. Pink, blue and white are all available; the lush green foliage is also quite decorative. Several different varieties, with different textures, are available, so check with your florist! |
Sweet Pea The charming, delicate sweet pea is a beautiful flower and a classic spring bloom. Just a few stems together can make a beautiful, casual bouquet, or mix them with other flowers for a stunning arrangement. Many, many colors and shades. |
Summer Flowers
At the height of summer, the air buzzes with busy bees and everything is lush and green. Try some of these summer flowers out, but check with your florist; depending on your wedding month and your area, you may also be able to have spring or autumn blooms that are more to your liking. The most important thing to remember is that you'll need sturdy flowers, especially for an outdoor wedding; you don't want your blooms to wilt before you've finished saying your vows, do you?
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Calla Lilies Calla lilies and mini calla lilies are a traditional wedding flower. White is the most popular (and common) color, but they are also available in pinks, yellows and oranges. |
Delphiniums Delphiniums are a classic midsummer flower. Usually available in various shades of blue and purple, but you might also find white and even pink. |
Peonies A lush late spring/early summer favorite, peonies are lush, romantic, and deliciously fragrant. Pink (from palest blush to deep fuschia ) and white are most common. |
Freesia Freesia is well known for its sweet, intense perfume, but it is also a beautiful flower. Available in almost every color, including lavender, yellow, pink and white. |
Lilies Although lilies are often available year-round, they hit their peak in the summer. Fragrant, large, beautiful, striking, and available in almost every color, lilies are a great addition to any decor. |
Autumn Flowers
Harvest colors and imagery are popular in the autumn, but you aren't restricted to red and gold. Choose the color scheme that works best for you; you'll be able to find the right flowers. Zinnias and dahlias alone are available in almost any color you could want. If you do go with an autumnal theme, think about incorporating other design elements besides flowers. Grapes and grapevines, fall fruits like apples and pears, bunches of colorful chili peppers, and sheaves of wheat can all be used as decorations!
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Japanese Anemone Anemones are available through the spring, but in the fall poppy-like Japanese anemones are available.
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Sunflowers The classic autumn flower, sunflowers will remind your guests of the harvest and the joy of the autumn season. |
Dahlias A classic garden flower, dahlias are available in every color you can imagine. Many interesting shapes as well |
Statice Statice is a beautiful flower fresh or dried, and a classic in autumn flower arrangements. Yellow is particularly pretty. |
Zinnias Another garden favorite, the large, globe-shaped heads of zinnias are available in many warm, autumn colors. |
Winter Flowers
If you are having a wedding during the early part of the winter, sometime between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day, you might want to consider a Christmas/"holiday season" approach to your decor. Here are some of the most popular plants for a Christmastime wedding. In addition to flowers, foliage and berries can play a big part in winter decorative arrangements. Wreaths are available year-round, but they are most popular during the holiday season; you can incorporate them into your wedding decor as well!
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Poinsettia
The classic plant for Christmas, poinsettias are always a striking addition to your decor with their scarlet bracts and green foliage. |
"Amaryllis"
The flower we know as amaryllis is properly called hippeastrum, but either way its cheerful red or white flowers are sure to delight! |
Star of Bethlehem
A favorite during Christmas for obvious reasons, star of bethlehem has small, white flowers in large clusters. |
Christmas Cactus
Another red and green favorite, Christmas cactus makes a beautiful, low centerpiece (but it isn't recommended for bouquets!). |
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Holly
Holly berries are at their peak in the winter. Great for centerpieces but you'll want to arrange this spiky plant so that it won't hurt anyone! |
Mistletoe
Hang mistletoe at random locations around your reception location. More fun than a bouquet toss, that's for sure! |
Evergreens
Branches of fir, spruce, cedar and pine trees are a good way to add both fragrance and wintertime appeal to your reception. |
Ivy
Ivy is another classic Christmas decor plant. The rich green leaves look great as topiary or just in trailing centerpieces. |
Late winter weddings, on the other hand, can take advantage of many other kinds of flowers. Even though nothing may be in bloom in your neighborhood, there are many beautiful flowers available starting in January or February for late winter and early spring weddings. Take advantage of some of these; many of them aren't available to June brides!
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Paperwhites Potted or cut, a classic winter flower. Paperwhites are a variety of narcissus that blooms in clusters and gives off a sweet fragrance. |
Bells of Ireland
Although they are particularly popular around St. Patrick's Day, bells of Ireland are also a favorite for weddings with green color schemes. |
Waxflower
Waxflowers are small, so they're usually used in conjunction with larger flower for arrangements. Can be used alone for boutonnieres, flower girl wreaths, etc. |
Ranunculus Ranunculus is a full, colorful flower with a light fragrance that is becoming a popular alternative to roses and peonies. Only available February-May in most places |
Flower Packages
Consider how many arrangements, bouquets, and other decorations you'll need and ask a florist what types of package deals he/she can offer. For large, lavish, formal weddings -- and bigger budgets -- the more arrangements you'll want to have. For smaller and less formal weddings, you will probably pick and choose the arrangements you feel best complement the ceremony and reception sites.
- Bride and bridesmaids bouquets.
- Flowers for the bride's hair.
- Boutonnieres for the groom, fathers, and for the male attendants.
- Corsages for the mothers.
- Ceremony decorations, including aisle arrangements, altar pieces, garlands, arbor or chuppah flowers.
- Petals for the flower girl to toss and maybe a garland for her to wear.
- Reception decorations for the tables and chairs.
- The cake may need flowers and perhaps the cake table as well.
- The guest book table can be decorated if you wish.
- The bar and/or buffet table might also need flowers.
Money-Saving Tips
- Use seasonal flowers and those that are native to the region in which you plan to marry.
- Have your wedding close to the holidays (except Valentine's Day or Mother's Day) since the churches will already have floral decorations.
- Use the flowers for your reception for your ceremony too! Just check with your florist, if using one, that this is okay (transport is not always easy, some flowers are prone to wilting, etc.). Also ask the house of worship, if using one, if you must leave the flowers. Also note that you can sometimes use the same flowers for the rehearsal dinner, ceremony, reception, and morning-after brunch! By styling the flowers differently each time (for a fee, if you use a florist) you'll save money and get a unique look every time that keeps the continuity of the themes and colors for your entire wedding event.
- Don't invest a lot of money in flowers that people won't see up close, like the arrangements on an altar or chuppah. Go for the pricey blooms on bouquets, boutonnieres, and table/chair decorations, etc.
- Use the bouquets from the bridal party to decorate the tables.
- See if the reception site will be booked prior to or after your wedding. Perhaps you can contact that party and invite them to share flowers and split the costs.
- Rent potted plants instead of buying them. Or buy them and keep them for yourself after the wedding. They also make great wedding favors!
- Call up a floral design school and ask them to make your flowers. Chances are it will be much cheaper.
- Have an outdoor wedding and let nature decorate for you.
- Don't be afraid of using cheap flowers, such as carnations. You'll be surprised what a little ingenuity can create!
- Do it yourself! Many flower wholesalers have websites; with a little creativity and a few DIY pointers, you'll can create your own arrangements at a deeply discounted price.
Flower Trends
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An all white "champagne" bouquet and decorations are the classic touch to match an all white wedding. White flowers include lily of the valley, orchids, roses, white French tulips, calla lilies, white lilacs, and camellia. |
Decorative grasses and herbs are being used to create simple, minimalist looks with a modern edge. Pair them with green roses and yellow hydrangeas for a smashing summer look. Tiny potted plants also make excellent favors for guests. |
Bold, vibrant colors in a monochromatic or polychromatic color scheme are catching on and becoming big hits since the bright shades are striking and different. Choose bright yellows, golds, citrus shades, and blues or lavenders. |
Dahlias and other "exotic" looking flowers, such as orchids, are becoming stylish. for their unique shape. they're perfect for creating one-of-a-kind decorations. Also consider the revamp of carnations : mass clusters set tightly with no greenery. |
Candles? Yes, candles. They are increasingly becoming used in place of or in conjunction with flowers. Fruits and vegetables are also replacing or supplementing flowers in arrangements to create texture and to break up the monotony. |
Related Articles
External Links
- Flowerbud.com -- Do It Yourself Wedding Flowers (and a wedding newsletter).
- The Wedding Channel -- Ideas and advice both for and from brides.
- Indiebride.com -- A great resource for those who want to do it all themselves.
- Weddingbliss.com -- A searchable database full of great ideas.
- Theknot.com -- Ideas, advice, and great photo galleries.
- Find out about flower meanings at the following Web sites: About.com, Sweet Love Gifts, and Pioneer Thinking.
- Bliss! -- Search to get lists of what flowers are local to your area, when, and what flowers come in which colors.
- Theknot.com -- What's the difference between a nosegay and a cascade? This article has the answers.
- About.com -- a list of what flowers are in season at every time of year.
- Flowers.org.uk -- a great website to learn about all kinds of cut flowers; beautiful pictures!
