Popular Wedding Flowers & When They’re in Season
Planning your wedding is hard enough without having to worry about what flowers will be available on your special day. To make floral selection easier, we put together a guide detailing when the most popular flowers are in season. Choosing in-season flowers can keep you from breaking the bank, and can enable you to create the bouquets, boutonnieres, and centerpieces of your dreams.
What’s In Season When
Note: The following are guidelines and are not all-inclusive. Different weather patterns can cause a flower’s season to change from year to year. Consult your florist for more specific details.
Spring
Flowers in season in the spring: fiddlehead ferns, hyacinths, hydrangeas, jasmine, lilacs, lilies of the valley, peonies, poppies, tulips, violets
Summer
Flowers in season in the summer: calla lilies, cornflowers, dahlias, hydrangeas, lavender, marigold, succulents, sunflowers
Fall
Flowers in season in the fall: calla lilies, dahlias, hydrangeas, marigold, parrot tulips, sunflowers, winterberry
Winter
Flowers in season in the winter: calla lilies, heather, holly, hyacinths, hydrangeas, ornamental berries, poinsettias, Queen Anne’s lace, violets
Year-Round
Flowers in season year-round: baby’s breath, orchids, roses, sweet peas
Optimal Choices for Wedding Flowers
Roses
Roses have a classic look that go with nearly all wedding themes. They’re particularly great for a summer wedding because they’ll hold up well in the heat and won’t wilt. And, they’re also available all year round, making them one of the less expensive floral options.
Tulips
Tulips come in a wide variety of colors and have a clean, fresh, and chic look. These are a nice choice for a spring wedding, as they’re a classic icon of that particular season. If you’re going for a “Miss America” look – carrying the bouquet in the crook of your arm instead of holding them in front of you – tulips are a great option here because of their long stems. Calla lilies would also work for this look.
Calla Lilies
Calla lilies have a sleek, sophisticated, and modern feel to them. They’re also fairly hardy, like roses, making them a good choice for both bouquets and for centerpieces. They often come in ivory white or a plum purple, both of which are classic wedding colors.
Orchids
Hardy, available year-round, and able to go without water for long periods of time, orchids are a nice option. They can stand alone or be used to add texture to a mixed bouquet arrangement. Cascading bouquets are becoming more common – these are longer bouquets where the flowers are wired in place to keep their shape – and orchids look great with this look.
Sunflowers
Sunflowers are starting to become more popular for weddings, especially for late summer or early fall. They’re bright, beautiful, and sturdy. You could even keep it simple by having the bridesmaids’ bouquets be a single sunflower wrapped in some greenery or a ribbon.
A Flower to Rethink
Peonies are one of the traditional favorite wedding flowers. They’re gorgeous and lush, but they’re also quite expensive, partially because they’re only in season for a short time (in May and June). And, they can droop in the heat. The good news if you have your heart set on this flower is that they are very full, so you can get away with fewer flowers.