Which Flowers are Good for Use in Wedding Bouquets?

Wedding bouquets and floral arrangements are often the centerpiece of a beautiful wedding, whether they are casually arranged wildflowers or ornately structured floral masterpieces. Choosing the right flowers for wedding arrangements is dependent on a number of things: color, cultural values, and season. Some celebrants forgo fresh natural flowers altogether and create memorable and lasting arrangements of silk and tissue flowers or dried flowers. Many prefer to choose seasonal flowers, as they give the wedding a natural and organic feel.

For spring weddings, there are a number of flowers suitable for use in wedding bouquets including roses, tulips, anemones, daffodils, lily of the valley, and gardenias, along with a profusion of spring greenery. All of these flowers can be used in formal arrangements for an elegant look or combined more loosely for casual but still beautiful wedding bouquets. The important thing to remember with spring flowers is that they tend to be very delicate and they fade quickly: use a florist who has a steady supply of fresh seasonal flowers and a light hand.

Summer weddings offer more opportunities for wildflowers, along with sturdier flowers like chrysanthemums, dahlias, and daisies. Many orchids including dendrobium orchids are available in the summer, along with calla lilies and baby's breath, two pure white flowers which are sometimes used in highly traditional wedding bouquets. Summer is a fun season for flowers, especially for people throwing weddings on a budget, as wedding bouquets can be gathered from fields, parks, and gardens (assuming appropriate permission).

In the fall, many wedding bouquets switch to a focus on greenery, fall color, and late blooming flowers like chrysanthemums, statice, zinnias, and marigolds, along with grasses and berries. Fall colors of gold, brown, and red can be integrated into the garments of the wedding party as well for a unique and beautiful ceremony. In addition, many fall flowers lend themselves well to drying, so wedding bouquets can be preserved to mark the occasion.

Winter weddings pose unique challenges: if the wedding is early in the winter, greenery and berries are essentially the only seasonal options. In December, winter classics like poinsettia, holly, and fir can be used to make elegant winter wedding bouquets which can contrast beautifully with the clothes worn by the wedding party. Late winter weddings in January and February can take advantage of beautiful bulbs like crocuses, daffodils, freesia, narcissus, and others to create sweet smelling, beautiful wedding bouquets.

In addition to seasonally available flowers, most greenhouses grow flowers year round, so you can compose a wedding bouquet of favorite flowers, flowers traditionally associated with weddings in your culture such as roses, hyacinths, and lilies, or flowers that are of a uniform color. In addition, tropical flowers are available year round via next day air for striking, unusual, delicious smelling wedding bouquets. Consult several florists to talk about your vision for the wedding, and do not be afraid to have specific ideas in mind about your flowers, as they are often the most memorable part of a wedding.