The Ultimate Guide in Choosing Your Wedding Flowers

Your wedding is all about you showing off you and your partner’s style and creating a very memorable celebration that will last a lifetime. There is no easier way to make a statement at your wedding than with the choices that you make. After all, these are the first things that your wedding guests will notice.  

The wedding flowers you choose will have a huge effect on the overall look and ambiance of your wedding day. From your bridal bouquet and boutonnieres to your table arrangements, flowers are a perfect way to add color, fragrance, texture, and soul to your wedding. Flowers play a vital role in any wedding. They help set the tone and mood for the celebration, carry your chosen theme, and create a beautiful setting. 

Choose wedding flowers that fit your style and colors that match your theme and color palette is never easy with all the flowers you can choose from - and not knowing much about flowers certainly doesn’t help either. But before you start imagining your wedding bouquet, read these expert wedding flower tips will get you up to speed and talk about flowers with your florist and get the perfect flowers you are looking for. These tips will surely shed light on how you should choose your wedding flowers.

Do Your Research 

Take some time to do your own research about flowers and learn what you like, what it’s called before you start searching and talking to florists. There are two main things that you should know; the names of flowers and floral terms, like types of bouquets, arrangements, and other things. This is very important because knowing the basic information about flowers will allow you to confidently communicate with your florists about what you want - it would also easier for your florist to understand if you use floral jargon. 

Talk To Other Couples About Their Florists  

One of the best and tried and proven ways to find any wedding vendor is by word of mouth. You can ask newlyweds that you know or weddings you have been to who they recommend, you can also read reviews and browse wedding magazines and websites. If you have hired a professional wedding planner or coordinator they will have some recommendations for florists in their area. 

Find A Florist 

You should be looking to book your florist between six to nine months ahead of your wedding day. Remember good florists book up quickly, especially during the height of the wedding season. Interview your wedding florist as to how you would interview any professional - to make sure that both of you are on the same page when it comes to the vision of the most important day of your life. If you can connect with a floral designer, they will be able to understand the floral designs that you envision, even if you can’t explain it very well (but it does help if you can articulate it well enough). Always get your booking confirmed in writing and be prepared to put down a deposit to reserve your date.

Choose According To Your Venue and Theme 

Your wedding location, wedding theme, and color scheme are the ones that will greatly influence how you choose your wedding flowers. If you are getting married in a park, botanical garden, or vineyard you can keep your floral arrangements to a minimum. But if you marry at the beach or in a barn perhaps then you can absolutely go all out. Choose flowers and floral arrangements that make them look like they belong. Choosing local florists and flowers will certainly help solve this issue. Keep in mind the shape of your tables too, which can also influence the shape and style of your centerpieces - not factoring this in might cause problems such as the centerpiece taking up too much space or blocking your guests’ view of you and your partner.

Compile Pictures for Reference 

Your florist isn’t a mind reader, so be sure to clue them in to what look you want to go for. And images can tell more than words. Create and bring your own inspirational vision board of swatches of your wedding colors, swatches of the fabric of your wedding dress and bridesmaid dresses, and pictures of flowers that you love from magazines, Pinterest, and Instagram. Your florist will greatly appreciate it if you bring photos that reflect the style that you want, but it is also important to manage your expectations - your florists cannot and will not replicate the arrangements that you will have shown them and trust them that they will make something one of a kind for your wedding day. Floral designers are artists, and no two artists have the same works and the same style. Discuss with your florist what you want for your arrangements, centerpieces, or archway, but be sure to keep an open mind for modifications and substitutions, especially when it comes to the actual flowers.

Some Flowers Will Be Out of Season (Choose Your Flowers by Season) 

This is a very important element that needs to be considered but often overlooked by couples. The reality is that most flowers are seasonal. Talk to your florist about what flowers are in season during your wedding day and try to make those the mainstem of your floral arrangements. But there are also flowers that are available all year round. If you’re getting married during the hot and arid summer months or outdoors where wind and chill can affect wedding elements, you’ll need flowers that can last in weathers like these.

Choosing your flowers by season is not only cost-effective and convenient, but it would also help you create floral arrangements that reflect on the climate and landscape of where you are getting married. But without a professional florist, it can be difficult to identify which flowers are in season for your wedding.

If the flowers you are looking for are not blooming in time for your wedding, don’t worry! Some flowers have look-alikes! All you have to do is find substitutes that evoke the same style.

Summer (2,3,4)

• Amaranthus

Amaranthus can be found in a variety of colors, but it’s deep burgundy and green are the most commonly used in weddings. The plant consists of cascading "tails" of green floral clusters that can be combined in bouquets with any number of flowers, from roses to peonies to tulips. The greenery gives bouquets a lush fullness, and the slouched shape of the plant adds delicate movement. 

• Dahlias 

There is no denying that dahlias are breathtakingly gorgeous. They are picture-perfect because of their extensive range of colors and soft ruffled petals. From a wide array of colors that include; deep red, shades of burgundy, pinks, purple, and peach in all shades. Because of the extensive color spectrum available, Dahlias can be used in bright and festive floral arrangements, to pretty, soft, and feminine designs.

• Daisies

When you think about summer, it’s impossible not to think about daisies - they just go hand in hand. Daisies have long been associated with youth, purity, and vitality, hence it would be most appropriate for a young bride and her attendants. 

• David Austin Roses

No flower can match the romantic appeal of the David Austin Roses. Blooms start as closed buds then reveal amazing multifarious petalled flowers of exquisite beauty. The blooms are known for their layers and layers of ruffled petals that make them look unique from standard roses. Add these to the wonderful fragrance that you have and you will surely create a memory that will last forever.

• Hydrangea

The hydrangea is an elegant, nostalgic, and a simple flower of choice. The large round head is a cluster of small pink, purple, white, blue, or green petals. This popular flower can stand alone and be used by itself in a bouquet, it can also be mixed with other flowers for a touch of romance with the added bonus of a light sweet aroma. This flower can be commonly seen in Asia and the Americas, as they grow natively in these areas.

• Lavender

Lavender has been cultivated for centuries for its medicinal properties and heavenly fragrance, and now it is gaining a lot of popularity among lots of couples that are taking advantage of this purple plant at their weddings. We don't blame you if you never considered lavender when it comes to your ceremony and reception details, but this flower offers tons of pretty possibilities.

Autumn (2,3,4)

• Calla Lilies 

Calla lilies are one of the most popular flowers that brides choose. These flowers are known for their beauty and enhance the beauty of your bouquet. These eye-catching lilies symbolize innocence and purity and mostly used during the summer and spring season weddings.

• Bouvardia

Bouvardia flowers are made up of beautiful clusters of little tube-like flowers and they are available throughout the year.  They make wonderful additions to a number of different kinds of bouquets and arrangements and, depending on the type and style of bouquet, can be used as either filler or accent flowers.  They are known to symbolize enthusiasm so, what better flower to include in your wedding, birthday, or anniversary flower arrangements?

• Tulips

This is one of the world’s most easily recognized and loved flowers. The meanings of tulips coupled with the immediately identifiable shape of their colorful blooms make them a comfortable flower choice. They are not too elegant, too romantic, too big, too small, or too bright; the tulip is always just right.

Winter (2,3,4)

• Anemones

These pretty blossoms are known for their delicate petals and bold, dark centers. The most popular anemone variety features bright white petals and deep black centers, making it the perfect choice if your wedding colors are black and white (a classic choice), or if you're doing a black-tie dress code. Besides black and white, anemones are also available in many other colors, including blush pink, deep purple, cherry red, burgundy, and even bright blue.

• Helleborus

This is one of the favorite flowers of florists. Hellebores are known for their graceful, nodding heads and moody, variegated colors. They are most often available in shades of ivory, blush, green, mauve, and even black. Mature hellebore blooms will hold up well out of the water, making them a great choice for bouquets, boutonnieres, and even hair flowers.

• Ranunculus

Ranunculuses are a beautiful bloom with fine, intricate, and thin petals. This flower is often mistaken for peonies. They're a versatile flower and look great in bouquets as well as centerpieces. Ranunculuses are also quite hardy, with many florists also using them as boutonnieres since they'll stand up even when subjected to a lot of movement. Ranunculuses are available in nearly every color imaginable, so you're sure to find them in the perfect shade to match your wedding color scheme.

Spring (2,3,4)

• Peonies

Quite possibly one of the most popular wedding flowers of all time, peonies are beloved by brides and highly sought-after when they're in season. It’s very easy to see why brides absolutely adore peonies. With their delicate fluffy shape and ruffled petals are perfect for bridal bouquets. They are also available in countless beautiful colors, from crisp white, cream, and yellow to varying shades of pink and red. Carrying a bouquet of peonies down the aisle with you donning your perfect bridal dress will be an absolutely jaw-dropping sight!

• Lilac

This spring bloom is known for its signature color palettes for which it blooms, both deep purple, and lighter lavender, but lilac is also available in the classic white. The flowers have a wonderful, sweet fragrance and a loose, flowy shape. Mix them with other spring blossoms in a centerpiece or gather a big bunch of lilacs to carry as a fragrant bouquet.

• Lily of the Valley

Lily of the valley, known for its delicate, bell-shaped flowers and lovely fragrance, and is a very popular spring wedding flower and has been featured in the bridal bouquets of many iconic brides, including Princess Diana, Kate Middleton, and Grace Kelly. For a classic, bridal bouquet look, ask your florist to create a larger bouquet by combining several bunches of lily of the valley stems together, including the surrounding green leaves.

Make It Personal 

Choose your wedding flowers for a reason. Are you personally connected with the flowers? Do you have memories connected to the flowers that you choose? Does your late grandmother grow hydrangeas in her garden? You should choose flowers because they have meaning to you, not just because they look pretty. You should also look for ways to personalize your bouquet and floral arrangements - keep in mind the different meanings of flowers (1,2,5,6,7).

References:

1. https://www.theknot.com/content/our-top-wedding-flowers-tips
2. https://www.topweddingsites.com/wedding-blog/flowers/ultimate-guide-wedding-flowers
3. https://blog.wedsites.com/how-to-choose-your-wedding-flowers-by-season/
4. http://weddingphotography.com.ph/12986/guide-choosing-best-wedding-flower-bouquets-for-all-season/
5. https://www.interflora.co.uk/blog/how-to-choose-your-wedding-flowers/
6. https://www.kremp.com/guide-to-choosing-wedding-flowers
7. https://www.marthastewart.com/7930806/tips-choosing-best-wedding-flowers-for-venue