Best Summer Wedding Flowers

There is such an abundance of choices for summer wedding flowers it can be hard to pick!  And though I am a complete flower nut, I know there are some people out there who aren’t as obsessed as I am and who might not be familiar with their names or even know much about flowers!  Well, here’s to the rescue:  I’ve created this guide of my favorites, with an emphasis on locally grown, seasonal blooms.


Beebalm adds scent to a summer wedding bouquet

Bee Balm

Also known as Bergamot, for you Earl Grey Tea drinkers!  I love this flower for adding a spicy scent to bouquets.  Typically found in reds, purples, and pinks.  This one is ‘Beauty of Cobham’  – I love the ethereal lavender color and the purpley accents on the foliage.

Campanula is a good cut flower

Campanula

I love including these bell-shaped beauties in wedding centerpieces and bouquets.  They add cottage-garden charm.  Choose from white, pinks both pale and strong, and bluey purples both pale and dark.

Cosmos flowers add magic to summer weddings

Cosmos

This cheerful garden classic will bring a happy dance to your centerpieces and bouquets.

Chocolate Lace Flower is a great filler for summer wedding bouquets

Chocolate Lace and Queen Anne’s Lace

This airy filler is great for many styles of weddings.  The lacey texture echoes the lace of a bridal gown, can soften bolder palettes, and works for both country/rustic style events as well as chic, elegant affairs.  I love the moody dark tones of the ‘Chocolate Lace’ selection almost as much as I love the traditional white and green varieties.

Clematis can be used in summer weddings

Clematis

This wily vine is valuable to summer weddings in many ways.  There is a huge range of choices in flower color and size, and the vines are beautiful draped over arbors or spilling out of centerpieces and bouquets.

Cafe Au Lait Dahlia is the queen mother of all summer wedding flowersDahlias are the queens of the summer wedding flowers

Dahlia

Dahlias are maybe the most poplar of summer flowers.  Shown here is ‘Cafe Au Lait’, a dinner plate Dahlia that still reigns supreme as the queen mother of all summer wedding flowers.  But if she is not your cup of tea (or coffee!), there is an incredible range of choices in color, size, shape and form.  You could have a bouquet of only Dahlias and still have rich variety!  We are so lucky that they grow so well in western Washington, making them both an affordable, as well as a choice, option as the main course in your summer wedding flower palette.

Thanks to Clare Day Flowers for the image!

the best blue summer wedding flower is delphinium

Delphinium

Need some height for your centerpieces?  Delphinium are a great choice.  They are also one of the best blue flowers out there.  But you’re not limited to blue – choose from white, pale or dark blue, or a range of blue-violets to purples.  There’s a short form colored cobalt blue called ‘Belladonna’ that’s great in bouquets.

Echinacea is a great summer wedding flower

Echinacea

You might recognize this name from a cold medicine or immune-boosting tea.  Well, this is the flower!  The medicine comes from the root.  As a cutting flower, there are lots of “fancy” cultivars available, ranging from whites, peaches/oranges, reds and purples.  Choose this bloom if your wedding theme is garden theme, country, rustic theme, or wildflower.

Lavender Lisianthus is a beautiful summer wedding flowers

Lisianthus

People that love Roses, Peonies and Ranunculus are bound to like Lisianthus too!  Adding to the classic white, purple and mauvey pink that have “always” been around, there are new, intriguing color introductions available, including the very fashionable brown shades.  I still have a soft spot for this luminous lavender color.

Garden Roses are my favorite summer wedding flowers

Rose

I admit that I have a hard time dreaming up a wedding – or a garden! – without including Roses.  My true favorites are the English Garden Roses, like this ‘Charles Austin’ here.  I love their ruffles, their fragrance, their grace.  Sweethearts, Sprays and some of the Tea Roses are good too…

Chantilly Peach Snapdragons are a great summer wedding flower

Snapdragons

This line flower comes in so many colors except for blues – whites, pinks, oranges, peaches, yellows, corals and reds.  My favorites are the frilly ‘Chantilly’ series and ‘Madame Butterfly’ series.  They are great for adding soft color and fluff to an arrangement.  These work for both pastel wedding color themes, or as pops of coral in brighter color themes.  Shown is ‘Chantilly Peach’ – I love those carmelly tones in neutral color themed weddings.

Thanks to California Sue and Annie’s Annuals for the image!

Stock brings fragrance to summer wedding bouquets

Stock

I love to include a stem or two in an arrangement to provide sweet fragrance.  This fluffy charmer comes in white, butter, pink, lavender and purple.  Sooo romantic…

Zinnias are a great summer wedding flowers

Zinnia

How can you be anything but cheered when you see a Zinnia?!  There are so many colors and forms of this old-fashioned flower there is one to fit most any style event.  Perfect for jewel-toned themes as well as for soft colored color combos, this favorite garden flower  is a summer wedding flower staple.  Shown here is one of my favorite cultivars ‘Zinderalla Peach’.

Thanks to Ariella Chezar for this image!

I hope this has helped you think about what flowers you might want in your wedding bouquets and centerpieces.  There are so many other flowers out there, and so many other versions of the ones I’ve shown here, you may still be wondering.  I’d love to hear any questions you may still have – feel free to leave a comment below or drop me a line – I’m happy to help, and would love to talk more with you about your wedding flower plans and dreams!