This is the second post in my Seasonal Flower Guide series. You'll often hear me raving about the benefits of using seasonal blooms in your wedding flowers. They are a great way of making your wedding look seasonally appropriate, tying what's happening inside with what's going on outside the window! AND having in-season flowers often means they're better quality; the best the season has to offer!
So you're getting married in the summer?! Here are a few of our FAVOURITE summer blooms that we LOVE using in wedding flowers.
1. Delphiniums
Does anything scream summer wedding more than a Delphinium? Their long spire shaped flowers work especially well in bigger arrangements like meadows or urns. Although they can also be used to add some drama to centrepieces.
Available in shades of blue, lilac, white and pale pink (the baby blue is my favourite!). They are available commercially year round, but summer is when they're at their best.
Do be aware that the price of Delphiniums can spike in August. They're a wedding season favourite... more demand = higher wholesale prices.
2. Garden Roses
The garden rose might just be my favourite flower EVER. All that glorious fluffy ruffled gorgeousness!
Garden roses are available commercially year round, although some varieties stop production in the colder months. They are fuller and fluffier than your "standard" rose and some carry gorgeous fragrance.
I love using them in bouquets and table centrepieces where they can be seen up close and their beauty fully appreciated. But their large size means they are great for large scale work too.
(They're also really good at pretending to be a peony, if you want peonies but are getting married out of season).
3. Scabiosa
Scabiosa (or Pin Cushions, as they are sometimes know) have to be one of my favourite summer flowers. Despite their name (does it sound a little like an illness to anyone else?!) they are so delicate and understated, but they can create impact when used in designs.
I love using Scabiosa in bouquets, bud vases and centrepieces where they can be viewed close up, but they also look fantastic in naturalistic designs like aisle meadows.
Scabiosa are available commercially year round (they do drop off slightly in the winter), but they are at their best during the summer months.
Their seed pods are beautiful too, we often use them dried to add texture to designs.
4. Nigella
Nigella are a real English country garden favourite, their delicate blue flowers and cobweb-like leaves look beautiful and dainty in summer wedding arrangements.
I love to use Nigella as an accent flower in bouquets, bud vases and centrepieces to add a little bit of whimsy. They work in larger scale pieces too, although I usually try to group them together as their delicate flowers can get lost amongst a busy design.
Nigella come in a variety of different colours; blues, whites, pinks and purples and are usually available from early summer all the way up to early autumn. Their seed heads are beautiful too and can also be used, fresh or dried, in designs.
5. Peonies
THE PEONY. How could any list of summer flowers be complete without the peony?!
Peonies are probably my most requested seasonal flower. And unfortunately they have a realllyyyy short season which means that a lot of couples can't have them in their wedding flowers (see Garden Roses if this is you!). I have some couples who love peonies so much that they have chosen their wedding date specifically so that peonies were in season!
Peonies come into season at the beginning of May and usually stick around until the beginning of July. They are available commercially slightly before and after this, although I am reluctant to use them beyond these points as the quality is often impaired.
Peonies come in a range of shades, most common are the pinks and reds, but white and yellow is also available (although a little trickier to source!).
Peonies are a showstopper flower. They look great in everything, from bouquets and centrepieces to large scale designs. It is, however, worth noting that sometimes their large blooms can look a little overwhelming for daintier pieces.
Want to see of my favourite summer wedding flowers in action?!
Photo by Jake Morley Photography
Photo by Upon The Heath Photography
If you'd like to enquire about flowers for your summer wedding, fill out the contact form on my website. I can't wait to hear from you!
Photo by WyldBee Photography
Cover image by Upon The Heath Photography