Seasonal Wedding Flower Advice

Advice from an experienced wedding florist

I’m so happy to have a wonderful and super talented florist on the blog today to give you some seasonal wedding flower advice. Whatever time of year you’re getting married you will have a beautiful array of flower options to choose from. Here is Joules to introduce herself and explain more.


Hi I’m Joules, a wedding and Events florist and the flowery guru behind Willow & Thyme. Thanks so much to the wonderful Katrina Mathews for inviting me to write this guest blog. I do hope I can help you all with a little floral inspiration & guidance . Please grab a cuppa and take a seat as we take you through a brief tour the floral seasons.

As a wedding florist, seasonality is hugely important to me and is key to making naturally styled bouquets and floral arrangements. I am also a keen gardener and a serial forager and I like to use British flowers when in season. This not is only ensures we are more Eco-friendly, it also opens our eyes to so many possibilities and more unusual varieties. I now grow some of my own flowers, always in search of the naturally curving stem or wonky flower, nature has it’s way of leading the way.

I know that deciding what flowers to have for your wedding can be really daunting, maybe you really love flowers but you know very little about what is available. Imagine having your  heart set on a specific flower only to be told that it’s not in season. Having to disappoint is something I personally never want to do, but we don’t really have to as there are always so many beautiful alternatives.

Let’s start with Spring as that is when the garden really comes to life:

Spring Flowers

Tulips – The varieties are endless, and with single, double or parrot tulips in brights (red, orange, purple and yellow) to the soft pastel shades of cream, white, pink and lilac, you have a wealth of choice. There are now some gorgeous new varieties in toffee, blush, burnt orange and deep plum – these are my personal favourites.

Ranunculus – These are beautiful with an intricate layering of delicate petals and are the perfect substitute for a peony or garden rose. They come in a range of bright and pastel colours, similar to the tulips.

Anenomes – These are available in purple, burgundy, red and white – the white variety with a black centre is truly unique.

Narcissi – Classically available in white, cream, bright and soft yellow with a variety of different coloured centres and known for their heady fragrance.

Hellebores – Available throughout the winter and into the spring, the hellebores are stunning and available in white, green, pinks and plums.

Muscari – These tiny “grape hyacinths” are usually found in soft & dark blue and white and a real spring classic.

Blossom – Spring is the best time for blossom of all kinds, including cherry, apple & viburnum to name but a few.

Sweet Peas – These start to appear in late spring and the British grown ones are the best for colour and fragrance, usually known for the soft pastel shades.

Lilac – This beautifully scented blooms are available in white, lilac, and a deep pinky purple.

SUMMER

There is a very good reason why “British Flowers” week is in June, it’s the summer months that have the best to offer on the British flower front. There are so many more varieties to choose from but here are some of my favourites:

Sweet Peas – These are usually available through until the end of July.

Garden Roses – Oh my word, where do we start here?! The garden roses have a delicate perfume and a more intricate petal structure. They are more expensive than the standard rose but so worth it for a beautiful blousy bloom and available in so many colours.

Peonies – The complete “show off’s” of the flower world are usually available from May through to July in white, cream, a range of pinks, cerise and the famous Coral varieties, “Pink Hawaiian Coral “and “Coral Charm” being my favourites.

Ammi Majus, Orlaya Grandiflora & Daucus – These are gorgeous frilly filler flowers in white and a brown tinged plum, perfect for light airy florals.

Cornflower – Traditionally available in blue, it can also come in white, pink and a dark burgundy colour.

Sunflowers – I am not personally a big fan of the huge bright yellow flowers as they are so bulky and dominant but the smaller headed varieties are beautiful in bright yellow, pale lemon, plum and blush.

Nigella – “Love in a List” are so delicate and a classic cottage garden flower in dark/pale blue, pink and white.

Alchemilla mollis – A bright green frilly filler foliage.

Foxgloves & delphiniums  – These stunning, tall flowers are perfect for statement displays in white, pink, peach, and blue.

Astrantia – another soft yet spikey filler flower available in a range of pinks and reds.

AUTUMN

Dahlias – These are the perfect autumnal flower and are available as small heads (single or pom pom) or huge “dinner plate” sized heads, the obvious and most gorgeous example being the blush “Café Au Lait”. The colour range is also extensive from red, burgundy, orange, yellow, apricot, pink & white.

Chrysanthemums – I think I used to be a flower snob as I really didn’t like them but I am now converted but please don’t think of “garage” flowers, the new varieties are simply gorgeous and are around just as the dahlia season finishes at the end of October. From beautiful bronze varieties to deep plums and burnt orange – we need to show you some examples here so you can see!

Amaranthus – Available as trailing or upright this flower is also known as “loves lies bleeding”. I use it in many of my autumnal weddings to achieve a rich, deep depth of colour. Available in green, brown, coral and red, often with deep colouration to the leaves.

Hydrangeas – These are just beautiful in the autumn as the colours deepen to plum, burgundy, red, purple and dark green.

Roses – Available all year round and the variety of deeper colours make them just as perfect in the  autumn as in the summer.

Berries – There are a wide variety of berries such as viburnum, hypericum and cotoneaster available to lend a really seasonal feel to your wedding flowers.

Seed Heads & grasses – There has been an increasing trend to incorporate dried materials. Some great seed heads to consider are poppy, nigella, honesty and teasel. Grasses such as pampas, miscanthus, wheat, and oats are great for additional texture and movement.

WINTER

There is inevitably a more limited range of flowers available but as in the autumn, there will still be chrysanthemums, roses and hydrangeas available in early autumn. Roses will now be imported but we can still offer a wide variety.

Later in the winter, some of the same flower varieties that are available in spring will start to become available such as: Anenomes, ranunculus, narcissi,

To create really wonderful displays for a winter wedding, there is a much stronger emphasis on the wonderful textured foliage and berries that Britain has to offer such as berried ivy, rose hips. teasel & garrya foliage with its soft silver/grey tassels.

Again, as in the autumn, dried seed heads and grasses can play a really vital role with the availability of dried flowers becoming much wider such hydrangea, helichrysum (“strawflower”), achillea, larkspur and Limonium.

I don’t know about you but I have loved looking through all of those beautiful flowers! Every season has so much to offer and all very different from each other, you can really embrace your wedding season and be bold with colour and texture all year round.

Joules’s work is absolutely stunning and I have loved photographing her work in the past, if you are looking for a wedding florist I would highly recommend you head over to her website and contact her for more information.

To see more work from Willow & Thyme check out the stunning flowers from Emma & Ryan’s wedding in my wedding portfolio.

Enjoy xx

(Images taken by Katrina Matthews Photography, Cat Lane Weddings, Jen Marino photography, Ania Ames photography, Will Patrick photography, Sharon Gibson photography, Hayley Pettit photography, Richard Galloway photography, Simon Brattell photography, Joshua Gooding photography & )