How to choose wedding flowers for every season

If you’ve already started the wedding planning process, you know that the costs add up quickly and can easily get out of control. And one of the more expensive items to check off your list is flowers.

Stay within your budget without sacrificing quality, and shop for seasonal blooms versus what’s popular on social media. Trends come and go, but the memories of your wedding day will last a lifetime. Let’s take a look at how to choose your wedding flowers for every season.

First things first, you need a budget

Your overall wedding budget will determine how much money you can save for flowers. The general rule of thumb is to set aside 10% of your wedding budget for flowers. This includes everything: bouquets, boutonnieres, bridesmaids bouquets, flower crowns, aisle decorations, and centerpieces. 

As you and your partner create your budget, pick 3 things you don’t want to compromise on—they will serve as the pillars of your wedding planning. Let’s say your 3 things are: your wedding dress, the DJ for the reception, and flowers. So, to have your ideal dress, DJ, and flowers, you may need to budget more closely for the venue, the rehearsal dinner, etc.

Get the pros involved

Whether you want over-the-top glam or understated simplicity, a wedding florist can bring your vision to life. They’re the experts, so they can create a variety of options based on your color scheme, season, budget, and inspiration photos. 

Before you go to your first meeting, gather inspiration from real weddings on the internet and Pinterest. You’ll better understand what you like and don’t like, making the process easier for you and your florist.

As with any wedding vendor, it’s crucial to do your research before you send the deposit check. Check out the vendor’s previous work and review their clients’ ratings. You may fall in love with some of their past bouquets! Also, be sure to interview a few different vendors—each florist has their own specialties and work process.

Use your wedding color palette

If you have no idea where to begin with your wedding flowers, your wedding color palette is a great starting point. It’ll help pair down the number of options available to you because not every flower comes in 20 different colors.

Certain flowers come in various colors, like dahlias, carnations, and roses. While other flowers have limited color selections, such as peonies and hydrangeas.

Your wedding flowers don’t have to be an exact match to your decor and bridesmaid dresses, but it’s best to have complementary colors. So, if one of your summer wedding accent colors is yellow, a lavender hydrangea could perfectly complement your floral arrangements.

Start with your bouquets 

If you or you’re finance are carrying a bouquet down the aisle, decide on that set of flowers first. It’s the centerpiece of the whole wedding day! Whether you’re going glam or more simple, your bouquet is a statement piece and will be included in a majority of your wedding photos.

Once you have your bouquet, go down the list of boutonnieres, bridesmaid bouquets, centerpieces, and archways. These arrangements don’t have to match the main bouquet perfectly, but they should complement each other and have similar flowers.

Pick flowers by the season

It’s recommended that you choose your wedding flowers based on the season you’ll get married in. So if you’re getting married in the spring, think of some flowers you usually see blooming around that time like tulips or hydrangeas.

While you don’t have to use in-season blooms, it’s usually the most cost-effective to do so. Out-of-season flowers can be difficult to find locally, which means that your florist will likely charge you more.

To get some inspiration for your upcoming wedding, here are some of the most popular stems for every season:

Winter wedding flowers

Winter definitely isn’t known for its blooms, but you can actually find some beautiful, unique flowers for a dreamy winter wedding. Some our favorites include:

• Rose, hydrangea, amaryllis, anemone, camellia, hellebore, poinsettia, and poppies

Spring wedding flowers

You’ll have some of the largest selection of flowers during the spring time. Just like the saying goes, April showers bring May flowers and there’s a plethora to choose from. Some of the best spring time wedding flowers are:

• Anemone, daffodil, hyacinth, hydrangea, lilac, peony, ranunculus, and tulips

Summer wedding flowers

Summertime is another great opportunity to use a lot of different flowers in your wedding arrangements. You’ll have a lot of stunning colors at your disposal with these beautiful flowers:

• Peony, cornflower, dahlia, iris, cosmo, sunflower, poppy, snapdragon, and roses

Fall wedding flowers

There’s something magical about the crisp fall air. Just like the changing colors of the trees, you’ll find seasonal flowers with rich colors of yellow, red, and orange. Some great options include:

• Garden roses, Calla lilies, cymbidium orchids, pampas grass, scabiosa, zinnias, mums

The bottom line

It’s your wedding day, so your happiness matters the most—not what’s on trend or popular at the time (or what your in-laws think). Consider your budget, wedding style, and venus as you design the flower arrangements of your dreams. Whether your dream wedding is indoor or outdoor, intimate or grand, your perfect day starts at Zingerman’s Cornman Farms in Ann Arbor. Get in touch with our team to schedule a tour.