Every season offers a unique backdrop for a wedding ceremony. Picturesque scenes and memorable moments are in the eye of the beholder, so every season is perfect for a bride and groom to walk down the aisle.

Letting the experts help you choose the right flower for the season is important – because wedding flowers and plants rely upon climate changes to thrive, weather often comes into play when choosing specific blooms.

This also includes weather challenges such as early frosts and drought. This handy little guide will help you figure out when your favorite flower is in season and help you plan your perfect day accordingly.

Winter Wedding Flowers

Yellows, blues, and oranges provide a stunning visual when placed against the gray skies that winter can bring. Likewise, it is a beautiful contrast against clean white snow. The Helleborus Red Racer’s deep wine hue intensifies that contrast, as do Asiatic Lilies. If you are interested in a more understated color with a beautiful bud, the unusual Star of Bethlehem is a beautiful choice as is the classic Casa Blanca Lily. The vibrant purple Muscari and delicate red Pepperberries are a gorgeous addition to any bouquet and table dressings.

Spring Wedding Flowers

Spring is the season of renewal. Flowers and plants that went dormant in the cold weather awaken during this season and treat the world to their beautiful colors. Spring offers the most versatile blooms of all of the seasons so you have your pick of beautiful wedding flowers if you get married during these months.

You can choose the unique looking Protea, stunning Parrot Tulips, tendrils of the Sweet Pea or the delicate Lilac. Add deep hues with Ranunculus or pastels with Peonies.

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Summer Wedding Flowers

Flowers flourish in the summer, growing stronger and spreading as the heat intensifies as long as there is an adequate source of water. Incredibly resilient, flowers are able to withstand the heat and maintain their beauty. Some of the most exotic wedding flowers bloom and thrive during this season such as the stately Bird of Paradise.

Add dimension to your bouquet and centerpieces with Hypericum berries or the lush Ginger and Haliconias. Accent your pieces with Kangaroo Paw or Genista. Create colorful table art or monochromatic collections with the vast array of wedding flowers available during this season.

Fall Wedding Flowers

Fall signifies the changing of climate from warm to cold. Leaves change color and hardier flowers become more prevalent. Dynamic petals and alluring colors are present during this season.

Add Viburnium berries, Dahlia and Freesia to your bouquet to increase texture. Air plants and succulents are interesting accent pieces as well. Gerbera Daisies bring color reminiscent of springtime as does the bold and commanding Rover and Globe Thistles.

Things to Remember

The climate is not the same everywhere in the world. When it is summer in one hemisphere it is winter in another. This may help you when planning a wedding and having a specific flower in mind.

If your flower is not in season in your region, you can often special order it and have it shipped from overseas to your location. That adds a touch of the exotic to your wedding, not to mention additional expense, but if you want Birds of Paradise in the centerpieces at your winter wedding that will be held on the North American east coast, that’s exactly what you will have to do.

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There are a number of things that you should keep in mind when selecting wedding flowers:

  • Be sure the flowers are an accent and not a detractor. A centerpiece that calls attention to itself because the flowers are in season rather than to the overall essence of the room is overdone. The same with a bouquet that competes with the wedding dress that is either too big or overstated. Each aspect of the wedding should be like a piece of music and all flow together rather than take over.
  • Use the best quality of flowers for your wedding. Just because the flowers are in season, does not mean that they are inexpensive. These flowers are available because it is their natural growing season and carefully selected and grown commercially for optimum performance.
  • Don’t order flowers too late as they can be flown in from commercial growers in South America, Indonesia and Holland and must be pre-ordered. Six to eight weeks is a good minimum time frame to work with when ordering blooms for your special day.
  • Choose highly aromatic flowers for your bouquet and alter arrangements only. Table centerpieces with strong smelling flowers will be difficult for guests with allergies and may make them ill. You can still achieve the opulent lily look by substituting the aromatic Casa Blanca lily you have in your bouquet to the Asiatic variety for the centerpieces.
  • Take care of your bouquet and keep it hydrated. Many brides love a lush, delicate hydrangea bouquet but it’s lifespan out of water is about three hours or less on a hot summer’s day. Work with your florist in choosing flowers that are available during your wedding season yet still hardy for hot weather if you cannot keep them in water. If you choose delicate bouquets for the women and yourself, have your bouquets photographed early in the day and keep them in water any other time you are not holding them.
  • Your spring and fall aisle runner flowers can be repurposed as reception centerpieces but summer flowers with a long sun exposure cannot withstand the heat.
  • Trust your florist with a plan B flower alternate for your bouquet. Rarely, but it has happened that flowers are frozen during winter air transportation or damaged during international customs checks.
  • Consider using high quality permanent botanicals for your “must have” flower that is out of season. Many brides desire the delicate Lily of the Valley for their bouquets at the wrong growing season. Designing permanent botanical flowers with real flowers is a very successful solution. And no one but the bride will know.
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Every season brings something beautiful. Whether you love a snowy mountain view or an oceanfront view replete with sand in your toes and warm air rustling your hair, nature provides options that are equally stunning. Getting the wedding flowers you want regardless of the season will have an emotional impact on you that will make your day that much more special.

Read our latest round-up of bridal boutiques in Calgary: Top 20 Bridal Boutiques for Wedding Dresses

Check the “Complete Guide to Wedding Flowers” article by TheKnot for an in-depth review of wedding flowers related to each season.