40 Summer Wedding Flowers & Bouquet Ideas
Photography by Cassandra Lane PhotographySummer is just magical, isn't it? It's the height of wedding season for good reason. Longer, brighter nights are perfect for partying: warmer temperatures and (hopefully) less rain. But probably most notably in the world of florists and stylists, the landscape just bursts to life as the choice of blooms for summer wedding flowers explodes. From big pillowy peonies to the abundance of white sprays of delicate tiny blossoms, summer is the perfect time to play with scale, colour and texture. And with such an array of blooms to choose from, the only problem is... Where to start? We worked with our Recommended Florists to give you the ultimate advice and inspiration.
40 summer wedding flowers and bouquets ideas inspired by our Recommended Florists
Summer weddings are a time of stunning colours, warm sunshine, and an abundance of beautiful flowers. This season is the perfect opportunity to go bold and wild with your colour palette or opt for a more muted option; there are plenty of flowers to choose from. The right blooms for your special day can make all the difference, adding to the overall ambience, creating stunning visual memories and bringing your wedding to life.
Dorothy Seed
Trending Summer Wedding Flower Inspiration
We asked our florists what are the current summer 2024 trends when it comes to wedding flowers. Fleurs&Ink Floristry talks about versatile bud vases for your table decorations. The bud vases can be used as aisle decor and then used as centrepieces. Bud vases look amazing clustered up together to create a statement visual.
Megan Lily Floral Design has spotted that adding details like fresh grasses and flowering herbs to your bouquet or flower arrangements all add to that summery feel. Horseshoe Flowers has said that couples tend to be a little more adventurous with their colour palettes. Pastel tones are still popular and always look timeless, but they now see lots of pink, blue, lilac and peach tones. Hayley Scott Blooms has hopped on the mismatched trend. They love it when bridesmaids have mismatched bridesmaid dresses and mismatched bouquets. The dresses and flowers are in the same theme but all slightly different tones. Gorgeous!
Emma Hewlett Design mentioned how sustainable wedding flowers have become a priority for couples, which means florists are working to locally source flowers. The sustainability push means that florists are working less and less with a recipe design and more with just the materials they have, making a more natural, free-flowing floral style.
Popular Colour Palettes For Summer Wedding Flowers
According to Megan Lily Floral Design, their most popular colour palette is white with neutrals, beiges and champagne tones. Howe Hill Flowers says, “Couples are asking for wildflower styles in specific colour palettes with lots of white, blush, champagne and sage tones.” Fig & Bramble have seen contrasting colours such as pinks with oranges, or peach with lilac. They predict that 2024 summer wedding flowers will have touches of lemon yellows. Whereas for Horseshoe Flowers, summer is all about colour. Their couples are looking for flowers that are vivid and colourful but also have that naturally foraged look. Think daisies, statice, thistles and lots of colourful dried grasses such as oats and wheat. Colours are more muted than in previous years, less rainbow and more along the lines of the colour combinations mentioned by Fig & Bramble.
Summer Table Centrepieces
Obviously, your wedding table decorations strongly depend on your table layout and venue. Sophie & Bee have said that their couples are choosing mixed bottles, footed bowl arrangements and candles to decorate the centre of the tables for long banquet-style tables. This works well as all of these can be used to decorate the ceremony area, and then be moved to the guest tables for the reception. Fig & Bramble also noted that summer wildflowers with small dainty heads and thin, waving stems lend themselves perfectly to bud vases. Megan Lily Floral Design loves making a statement top table garland for the ultimate summer wedding flower inspiration. You’ll have some incredible pics!
Summer Aisle Flowers
One thing almost all of the florists we reached out to mentioned is floral meadows! These are THE ultimate summer wedding flower arrangement styles with their whimsical and natural vibe. Fleurs&Ink Floristry highlighted how tall meadows can be positioned on the floor along the aisle or in front of the top table or even low meadows can be used on long trestle tables. Plus, Sophie & Bee said that flower columns or broken arches are great for accentuating the altar or decorating doorways. The modern and sculptural effects of these flower columns are stunning!
Summer Bouquets & Bouquet Shapes
The Sunday Floral Studio states, “The summer is the most abundant season in terms of the variety of flowers and foliage in bloom so we love to reflect this in arrangements; including lots of texture, tones and shapes to mirror the beautiful, diverse range of flowers available during this season." This means that wildflower bouquets are the ultimate summer bouquet. Fleurs&Ink Floristry and Howe Hill Flowers say that garden-style shaped bouquets and layered flowers with asymmetric styles are definitely in, summer bouquets are all about personality.
How to keep your flowers looking fresh in the summer
All our Recommended Florists had the same top tips for keeping your flowers fresh in the summertime. They all recommended keeping the flowers in a water source (such as bowls and bud vases) during the day. Another option is to have dried flowers so there's no need to worry about any wilting! Howe Hill Flowers and Fig & Bramble gave a great tip regarding your bouquets and buttonholes! Buttonholes will be working under a lot of pressure, so your florist will try to select items that will potentially hold up, or support more delicate ingredients with old-fashioned wiring or support techniques. Bouquets should be returned to water when they're not being used for photographs. This is particularly important in summer, especially if the couple would like to preserve their flowers. Your florist will know a few days beforehand what to expect weatherwise and this is the point that any changes will be made in choosing the right flowers.
What flowers are best for a summer wedding?
Incorporating summer flowers into your wedding not only adds beauty and colour but also helps to create an atmosphere that's in harmony with the season. Work with your florist to find the best blooms that reflect your personality and match the mood you want to set for your big day. It is also the height of the season in British flower farming, so ask your florist to aim to use locally grown, organic flowers. This will not only provide you with an authentic, seasonal alternative but also offer a sustainable choice with the freshest, most unique species.
Dorothy Seed
Popular flowers for summer weddings
Flowers
Lilac, Sweet Peas, Astilbe, Peonies, Lisianthus, Roses (many varieties available), Jasmine, Stocks, Nigella, Tanacetum, Ammi, Agapanthus, Dahlias, Hydrangeas, Freesia, Poppy, Aster, Zinnia, Gypsophila, Waxflower, Geranium, Lavender, Iris, Larkspur, Cosmos, Chrysanthemum etc.
Foliage
Hazel, Willow and Feather Eucalyptus, Silver Dollar & Gumdrop Eucalyptus, Bells of Ireland and Queen Anne’s Lace, Trailing Jasmine, Fern.
Extras
Sheer or Satin Ribbons, Pampas Grass, Dried Palm Leaves, Disco Balls, Pearls.
How to choose your summer wedding flowers?
Gathering inspiration from sources like Pinterest can be incredibly helpful in visualising your wedding vision. During discussions, I love exploring details like your dress style, wedding party colours, and most importantly, your unique personality to create a cohesive and personalized design. Understanding your preferences, likes, and dislikes, as well as the venue where you’ll say “I do” plays a crucial role in curating floral styles that complement and enhance the space. By delving into these details, we can craft a bespoke floral experience that mirrors your individuality and brings your dream wedding to life.
The Feel Good Florist
The ultimate guide to summer wedding flowers with advice from Recommended Florists
Just because you’re getting married in summer, doesn’t mean you have to stick to summer flowers or summer themes. Perhaps you prefer the styling and colour palette of autumn, but your venue only had spring dates available. If that’s the case, check out our autumn wedding flowers and spring wedding flowers article. We have winter ones too!
A huge thank you to our incredibly talented Recommended Suppliers for their insightful expert floristry knowledge and for sharing their beautiful work. Thanks to Fleurs&Ink Floristry, Megan Lily Floral Design, Sophie & Bee, Howe Hill Flowers, Fig & Bramble, Horseshoe Flowers, Dorothy Seed, Emma Hewlett Floral Design, The Feel Good Florist, Bloom, The Sunday Floral Studio, Country Wild, Hayley Scott Blooms, and Fletcher & Foley Floral Design.
