Flowers and Floral Arrangements for a Summer Wedding

Summer and weddings seem to go hand in hand. The season is full of bright promises of perfect sunny days and long nights. School is finally out, which is the icing on the cake for college sweethearts anxious to finally tie the knot.

While there is a great deal to consider when planning a wedding, most often, it's the little details that really count. Flowers are one of those fine details. While you may want to just pick whatever sorts of flowers you like or ones that will match your wedding colors, take the summer season into account before you choose.

Though you shouldn't have to sacrifice your palette for the sake of the summer heat, you may need to put careful thought into which flowers you choose so you don't have to worry about upkeep. The last thing you'll want on your wedding day is to look down and see your flowers wilting.

Heartier flowers that can stand the heat are usually your best bet, especially if you're having an outdoor wedding and reception. Tropical flowers, such as orchids, are known for their staying power. If you're willing to be a little daring, the exotic birds-of-paradise are also very hearty.

If you're not too keen on the tropical blooms, have no fear. As long as you have someone in charge of the blooms' upkeep, they should stay fresh all day. Such upkeep would include keeping them in water in a refrigerator before the beginning of the ceremony. If you want to keep your flowers on hand for most of the day, use a spray bottle and periodically mist them. Otherwise, keeping vases of water on your reception table for your blooms is a beautiful and decorative way to keep them fresh.

Another way to ensure the longevity of your flowers is to try to choose ones that are in-season at the time of your wedding. Those that are typically not in-season may not last long.

Despite what people may think, summer weddings do not automatically mean a bright, bold palette. There are a variety of colors of flowers in-season during the summer to suit any sort of taste.

If you do want bright and bold, consider the daisyesque zinnia, the dahlia or bright Gerber daisies. Available in such colors as bright yellow, orange, dark pink, green and red, you'll get a variety of ideas from these stunners. Orchids not only stand up to the heat, but come in such colors as green, yellow, apricot, orange, red and burgundy.

The beautifully scented freesia comes in most colors except blue and makes a delightful filler. The roselike ranunculus is a multipetaled beauty that comes in most colors and is always striking. Of course, if you want to make a statement with only a few blooms, the sunflower is your flower. Available in pale yellow, dark gold, orange, russet and brown, a couple sunflowers make a beautiful bouquet or centerpiece.

If you're not a fan of the bold and are looking for softer colors, there's no reason why you can't do so! In fact, lighter colors such as whites, greens, pale yellows and blues are often more striking against the backdrop of summertime.

If you're aiming for a more elegant theme, all-white bouquets made up of gardenias, Lily of the Valley, stephanotis or Queen Anne's Lace are lovely choices. If you're looking for flowers that will deliver striking shades of blue, delphinium and tweedia are lovely accents. Delphinium (also called Larkspur) comes in pale and deep, dark blues, depending on the variety. Tweedia, a delicate vine grown plant, has a unique pale, almost turquoise blue hue and makes a beautiful statement.

If you're looking for arrangements that can accent pink or chocolate colors, look no further than the cosmos. A beautiful flower, similar in make to a daisy, the cosmos comes in shades of white, pale pink, dark pink and a stunning chocolate. The strong smelling tuberose comes in shades of pale pink and white, as does the full-headed hydrangea.

The thing to remember when choosing wedding flowers is that you can pick whatever you like. You may be limited as to choice depending on the season or your flower shop. However, the main thing is to ensure that your flowers are well taken care of so that they remain beautiful all day long.

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The Ultimate Wedding Flower Guide, The Knot

Personal Experience