An Essential Guide To Seasonal Wedding Flowers

Planning your wedding can be a daunting prospect! There are so many things to consider when navigating this unknown world of satin or lace gowns, guest favours, table centrepieces and boutonnières! The good news is there are a host of industry experts out there to help guide the way and advise you on how to narrow down your vision from a Pinterest board full of images, to a concise and meaningful design that is bespoke and reflective of you as a couple.

One of the first questions that I ask my clients before I begin putting together a unique proposal for them is ‘What is the overall look and style that you envision for your big day?’. Do you have a theme or a colour scheme in mind? Think carefully about your chosen venue – what was it that first attracted you to it? Does it have rustic charm, country house elegance or is it an opulent manor estate?

Most couples want their wedding flowers to enhance the surroundings and so this plays a key part in the design of the arrangements. For example, at a countryside barn venue I would consider using meadow-like florals, British blooms that create whimsy and romance with a wild but elegant style. In a wedding marquee I would suggest a hanging installation which would create a statement against the high, white ceiling. For a Georgian manor house, it may be more appropriate to use larger, more blousy blooms to reflect the historic decor and add to the luxurious feel.

It can also be important to try and set an initial budget for your wedding flowers and to create a list of the number of arrangements needed. As a florist it allows me to make suggestions of flowers that will be in season and at the correct price-point, to create the style that you have in mind and to try and get you the most for your money. There are some flowers that I can source outside of their main season, but these will often be expensive and not of the highest quality. It’s always best to seek advice from your florist who can tell you what will be achievable at that time of year and within your ideal budget.

So which flowers are available in each season?  What colour palettes are the most popular and work well for Spring, Summer, Autumn or Winter?

When I picture Spring flowers, I imagine gorgeous pastel shades, hints of pink, lilac, blue and white with pops of yellow or peach. Spring is a busy season for weddings and there are lots of choices of beautiful blooms that are available. Meadow-style wedding flowers have become favoured more recently and creating an English country garden feel has been a popular request from my clients this year. I love incorporating small and delicate flowers such as wax flower and ammi to give a whimsical look alongside larger, romantic blooms such as garden roses and peonies.

Flowers available at this time of year include roses, peonies (always a beautiful wedding choice), ranunculus, lisianthus, sweet peas, stocks, tulips and lily of the valley (just be aware that although small in size, these are one of the more expensive flowers).

For me summer is all about the bold and bright, or the classic greens and whites. This season brings with it memories of sunflower and poppy fields and picnics amongst the wildflowers. I find that couples are willing to be a little more adventurous with colours in the summer, bringing in coral, bright pink, yellow and orange more often to their mood boards. With stunning hydrangeas in peak season also, a very popular choice is shades of white and ivory with lots of lush foliage – a classic staple of wedding flowers that I think will never go out of style.

Flowers available at this time of year include roses, hydrangeas (another flower that is more on the expensive side but creates impact), dahlias, lisianthus, delphiniums, stocks, cosmos, sunflowers, scabiosa and zinnia.

Autumn brings with it a sense of cosiness and with the leaves changing this is often reflected in a warmer choice of colour palette. Rich, deep reds are often accompanied by shades of terracotta and orange, with hints of burgundy and plum. Many couples are also embracing a more neutral palette with shades of ivory and stone with accents of copper or gold.

The use of natural or dried flowers such as pampas grass and bunny tails, are becoming more popular at this time of year too. Whilst there isn’t quite as much choice as during other seasons there are still lots of stunning options in a range of colours and one of my favourite varieties, anemones, can take centre stage.

Flowers available at this time of year include roses, amaranthus, delphiniums, clematis, lisianthus, anemones, dahlias, ranunculus, freesia and scabiosa.

Winter is when you can really embrace those darker tones. I find couples quite often will choose colour palettes that enhance the season, shades of burgundy and navy blue often with wintry foliage such as pine and conifer for a Christmassy touch. I love to add berries to my designs too such as hypericum or viburnum and finish bouquets with luxurious velvet and silk ribbons in shades of deep red. Classic winter whites are also always popular, with brunia and white eryngium thistles providing a wintry touch of silver and a gorgeous texture too.

Flowers available at this time of year include roses, anemones, lisianthus, clematis, eryngium thistle, freesias, veronica and wax flower. You could also add wintry touches such as seasonal foliage, berries, pine cones or gossypium too.

There are lots of beautiful varieties of flowers that are available all year round such as ammi, clematis, orchids, eryngium thistles, freesia, gypsophila, hypericum berries, lilies, protea and both roses and spray roses.

Mixed varieties of foliage are also available year round with some types such as eucalyptus having better or worse quality seasons so it’s always best to ask your florist for their advice on what they would recommend for your wedding month.