How to Choose Your Wedding Flowers by Season

Your wedding flowers will have a huge impact on the overall look and feel of your big day. From your bridal bouquet and boutonnieres to your table arrangements, flowers are the perfect way to add colour, fragrance and texture into your wedding. But have you taken a moment to think about the seasonal availability of your dream flowers for your chosen wedding date?

It’s an important consideration that is often overlooked by newly engaged brides, but the reality is that flowers are strictly seasonal, with different varieties being available at different times of the year. It can be all too easy to find (and obsess over) your dream bouquet on Pinterest without stopping to think about the costs, logistics and availability of your favourite blooms.

Choosing your wedding flowers by season is not only cost effective and convenient, but also allows you to have floral designs that truly reflect the current climate. But without being a professional florist, it can be tricky to identify which flower varieties are going to be readily available for your wedding.

The good news is, we are lucky enough to have some seriously beautiful flowers in bloom throughout each season here in Australia – from peonies to orchids and everything in between! It’s crucial to do your research first to avoid disappointment later down the track when you discover that your favourite flower is simply unavailable for your big day.

So before you start dreaming up your perfect bouquet, read on for our top tips on why you should choose your wedding flowers by season, and the most popular flower varieties for your own date!

Why Choose Your Wedding Flowers by Season?

If you’ve never stopped to consider the seasonal availability of flowers for your wedding, you might be wondering exactly why it’s so important.

The main benefit here all comes down to your budget! Choosing your wedding flowers by season is by far the most cost-effective solution when it comes to putting your floral selections together.

Think about it like the local produce you buy from the supermarket every week. It’s always cheaper to purchase the fruits and vegetables that are seasonally available, right? So during summer, you can purchase berries, oranges and melons for a much cheaper price than you’d find during winter. This is because these varieties are readily available during this time of the year, which brings the cost down.

The same rule applies when it comes to flowers! When a flower variety is blossoming at a certain time of the year, it becomes much cheaper for florists to source, and this reduced cost is passed onto you, the bride-to-be.

If you are specifically requesting a certain flower variety that isn’t in season, this is where the additional expenses start to add up. Extra labour, handling, transport and freight costs will all apply if flowers are being imported, resulting in a much higher invoice. So if you really want to maximise your flower budget, choosing your wedding flowers by season is definitely going to be the best decision for you.

The other thing to consider here is the logistics and convenience of choosing your flowers based on seasonal availability. If you are a DIY bride planning to create your own floral arrangements, think about what this means when it comes to sourcing blooms. Are you planning on a trip to the flower market before the big day? If so, you’ll need to rely on the flowers that are going to be available there.

And finally – choosing your wedding flowers based on availability allows you to create floral arrangements that are truly reflective of the season. Think pretty pastel blooms for spring, or bright colourful bouquets for summer.

With so many beautiful varieties to choose from each season, it’s safe to say we are pretty spoilt for choice! If you’ve already chosen your wedding date, we’ve outlined some of the most popular flower selections for you below.

Flower Varieties for a Summer Wedding

Are you planning a summer wedding? You’ll be pleased to know that there are some incredible blooms available in the warmer months from December to February here in Australia.

Summer flower varieties are all about colour! From bright pink dahlias to fluffy blue hydrangeas, it’s a season to truly embrace bold, vibrant tones.

Some of the most popular blooms available for summer weddings include:

• Amaranthus: Flowering in deep burgundy and green, Amaranthus is a trailing bloom perfect for adding a textural element into wedding bouquets. We love this flower for unstructured and loose floral arrangements.
• Dahlias: One of the most symmetrical flower varieties around, Dahlias are a picture-perfect bloom known for their soft ruffled petals and rainbow shades. They are available in red, yellow and white as well as tones of pink and peach.
• Daisies: Summer and daisies just go hand in hand! These cheerful white and yellow blooms are perfect for whimsical and bohemian-inspired arrangements, especially when paired with sprigs of fresh greenery. We also love daisies as a sweet hair accessory for carefree brides!
• David Austin Roses: David Austin Roses are renowned for being one of the most romantic flower varieties, due to their soft, gentle shape and sweet smelling fragrance. Available in a range of shades from dusty pinks to apricot, yellow, white and cream, they are perfectly suited for a more elegant and sophisticated bouquet.
• Hydrangea: Some of the most incredible floral arrangements we’ve seen have been with fluffy hydrangeas! Whether they are mixed with other varieties or kept simple in a bouquet, hydrangeas are extremely versatile and make any arrangement look full and lush.
• Lavender: Fragrant lavender is the perfect floral pick for those planning a more rustic, vintage wedding. We love bunches of lavender tied with twine, hung from ceremony chairs or displayed in clear glass bottles for a simple wedding tablescape.
• Phalaenopsis Orchids: Phalaenopsis Orchids are actually one of our top predictions for wedding trends on the rise in 2018 – and for good reason! These soft, stylish blooms are perfect for cascading bouquets and asymmetrical table arrangements. Available in crisp whites and blush pinks, they are a super romantic bloom that works well for a more luxe feel.
• Proteas: Bohemian brides, Proteas may just be your new favourite bloom. These oversized flowers can be used on their own or mixed with other native varieties like succulents to create a gypsy-style arrangement. Proteas are also incredibly sturdy and long-lasting, so you can enjoy your bouquets as a beautiful reminder of your wedding!

Flower Varieties for an Autumn Wedding

March – May is peak wedding season in Australia, and luckily brides have plenty of gorgeous autumnal blooms to choose from. We love floral arrangements in warm, earthy tones to reflect the changing climate at this time of the year.

Some of the most popular blooms available for autumn weddings include:

• Calla Lilies: The unique, elegant shape of Calla Lilies can really make a statement for a beautiful bouquet. These trumpet-shaped blooms are most popular in silky white, but you can also find them in soft purples along with pink, peach, orange and yellow.
• Bouvardia: Bouvardia is one of the most fragrant floral varieties, and look beautiful in tight clusters or interspersed with some trailing foliage.
• Cymbidium Orchids: This colourful orchid variety is perfect for a more tropical-inspired wedding. Available in a range of autumnal shades including pink, yellow, orange and burgundy, they work beautifully with other brightly coloured blooms for a vibrant arrangement.
• Tulips: Colourful tulips are a trademark bloom for autumn in Australia! With several different shades and styles available, they are a versatile variety for bouquets and table arrangements,
• Freesias: Freesias are a less common bloom but we think they add a beautiful and delicate touch when it comes to wedding arrangements. Freesias are also incredibly fragrant, and with a range of different colours available including white, orange, pink and purple they can be used to complement nearly any theme.
• Hyacinth: Another beautifully fragrant floral, we love bunches of Hyacinth for textured table arrangements. A few stalks of blue or lilac Hyacinth in a simple glass vase is a simple but effective arrangement for DIY brides to make themselves!
• Tuberoses: Tuberoses are a great “filler” flower variety, and are perfect for bulking up bouquets and other arrangements. These intricate little flowers are available in shades of white and cream, making them the perfect neutral bloom to mix with other varieties.

Flower Varieties for a Winter Wedding

Along with the cooler climate, winter also means a variety of beautiful blooms coming into season. We love seeing moody bouquets and table arrangements in rich, deep colours for a winter wedding.

Some of the most popular flowers available for winter weddings include:

• Anemones: Anemones are known for their bold black centre which contrasts with the paper-thin creamy petals that surround it. They are most popular in white, but can also be found in magenta, red and even blue tones. Bunches of anemones on their own can create a striking and dramatic bouquet, or pair them with other varieties for a softer look.
• Delphinium: For the bolder bride, Delphiniums are a striking shade of blue that contrasts beautifully with white and green. Their size makes them perfect for table arrangements that require some height to really make a statement.
• Poppies: Flowering at the beginning of winter, gorgeous poppies are the perfect way to add a burst of colour to your arrangements! Available in a selection of bold tones like red, orange, peach and pink, poppies can brighten up any bouquet.
• Helleborus: Hellebore flowers are best suited for relaxed, whimsical arrangements. Hellebores are available in a range of colours, but we love the darker burgundy variety for a moody winter bouquet.
• Kale: Not just a superfood… flowering Kale is becoming more popular for brides during winter for unique, earthy arrangements. Flowering Kale can be found in deep purples and greens, making them the perfect colours to complement a winter wedding.
• Ranunculus: One of the most widely requested flower varieties for weddings year-round, winter is the best time for brides to embrace beautiful ranunculus! Their delicate, paper-thin petals help to create gorgeous bouquets in a range of colours, or kept classic in white.
• Sweet Pea: Sweet Pea flowers are renowned for their ruffled and beautifully textured appearance. Sweet Pea blooms are available in coral, peach and white, although we can’t go past a lilac bunch for a winter wedding.

Flower Varieties for a Spring Wedding

If you are a true flower lover getting married in spring, you’ll be happy to know that some of the most incredible blooms are in full blossom between September and November. We love pretty pastel tones for spring bouquets – think blush pinks, apricot and peach for a beautiful spring-inspired colour palette.

Some of the most popular flower varieties for spring weddings include:

• Peonies: Hands down the most sought after flower variety, peonies are strictly only available for 5 weeks during spring. Peonies symbolise a happy marriage, so it’s easy to see why these fluffy pink and white blooms are in such high demand!
• Gardenia: Gardenia blooms are a delicate, feminine variety that help to add depth and detail to any arrangement. Gardenias are so pretty on their own, they can even be used as an individual touch on napkins or place settings.
• Jasmine: Jasmine is another popular spring variety due to its heavenly fragrance! These wispy, delicate vines are the perfect addition to hanging foliage arrangements, to make your entire reception smell delicious. We also love sprigs of jasmine to add some freshness to a naked wedding cake.
• Lilac: The pretty pastel shade of lilac flowers make them perfect for a spring wedding! Another beautifully fragrant bloom, the unique texture of lilac makes it a gorgeous addition to colourful bouquets.
• Lily of the Valley: Lily of the Valley is another highly sought-after bloom in spring, flowering for just 3 weeks in September. Do you remember Kate Middleton’s beautiful bouquet? That was Lily of the Valley in its full glory!
• Lisianthus: Closely resembling a rose, Lisianthus makes for gorgeous bouquets as well as buttonholes and boutonnieres. Available in a selection of spring-inspired colours including blush pink and soft purples, Lisianthus works best when paired with other delicate blooms.

Ask the Experts!

Choosing your wedding flowers by season can feel like an overwhelming task if you have no prior experience in the floral industry. It’s important to remember that just because something might look beautiful on Pinterest, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s a viable or cost-effective option for your own wedding.

The good news is, floral designers in the wedding industry are true professionals and will be able to guide you on choosing the perfect blooms for your big day. You can use our recommendations above as a starting point, but it’s always best to chat through your options with a professional wedding florist for their unique insight and advice.

Choosing your wedding flowers based on seasonal availability is the best way to maximise your floral budget while still bringing your dream wedding to life. Simply take the above tips into consideration, and you’ll be well on your way to creating the perfect flower order for your big day!