WEDDING

Top 17 Types of Wedding Flowers for Your Wedding (With Pictures)

A bunch of flowers for wedding day

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Choosing your wedding flowers is a fun part of the entire wedding process, but it’s also a bit daunting because of all the choice available. The flowers that you select should match the overall style of your wedding, from the dress to the cake to the other decorations and colors that you have chosen. While picking your favorite flowers is one way to go about it, it’s also important to consider the overall aesthetic of your wedding. A good place to start is by checking out the most popular flowers for weddings.

We’ve got you covered! If you’ve been struggling to select the right wedding flowers for your special day, check out our list of the top 15 most popular wedding flowers.

The Top 15 Wedding Flowers for Your Wedding

1- The Rose

White roses in bouquet for wedding day

This is a timeless classic that matches any type of wedding and never goes out of style. It’s also the most romantic flower, the one that symbolizes love and passion. Roses offer the added benefit of coming in many different colors and varieties, so matching a color theme you have chosen is no problem at all if you are using roses. Roses also look amazing when paired with other flowers in bouquets or flower arrangements for table centerpieces.

2- The Anemone

White anemone flower for wedding day

Anemones often come in black and white but also are available in brighter or more pastel colors. They have lovely, dark centers that make them eye catching and offer a unique look if they are chosen as the main flower for your wedding bouquets and table centerpieces. They have a more casual feel and pair well with a country wedding or an outdoor wedding theme.

3- The Dahlia

  • dahlia bouquet for wedding day
  • Single pink dahlia close up in green background

Dahlias are excellent alternatives for the more expensive peony. They’re also ideal if you’re looking for bright pops of color and full and fluffy flowers in your main bouquets and on the tables at your reception. Dahlias come in many colors and have a gorgeous look to them. They’re also an excellent choice if you’ve decided to carry just a single flower down the aisle. An added plus to the dahlia is its lack of noticeable scent which is perfect if you are trying to avoid a strong floral smell from your arrangements.

4- Lilac

  • lilac flower
  • lilac with leaves next to vase

Most people are familiar with lilac but more often as a scent in other products.  Lilac is delicate and beautiful and can make lovely, aromatic bouquets with stunning purple color in them. The one downside to lilac is that it is a bit fragile and easily wilts, so it really is best paired with an evening wedding or a wedding that will not take place during the heat of summer.

5- Sweet Pea

Sweet pea flower bouquet

These are often connected with vines planted outside, but sweet peas actually have lovely blooms and a sweet and pleasant scent. They are the perfect addendum to a bouquet or to centerpieces and go well with a casual or outdoor wedding. An added plus to sweet peas is that they come in many colors and patterns so they can match almost any color theme.

6- Hydrangea

hydrangea bouquet for bride

This is another flower choice that comes in many colors and offers up a different style of fullness and bright colors than the dahlia.  These flowers are shaped like round balls and have many tiny petals in each flower which makes them both delicate and strong enough to be used as the centerpiece of bouquets or centerpieces. They are a bit sensitive to heat, so these flowers are best used for weddings taking place later in the day or during cooler months.

7- The Tulip

  • wedding tulips bouquet
  • Bride holding tulips wedding bouquet

Tulips are simply gorgeous and have a simple, innocent look to them. They’re representative of summer and the gorgeous colors of the warmer months. They come in many colors and varieties and are hardy enough for any season or for use out of doors.  These are the perfect flower if you want really large flower arrangements or if you are looking for a very unique presentation on your wedding day.

8- Ranunculus

  • White ranunculus bloom
  • ranunculus bouquet

This is a cheerful flower with a layered bloom that makes for a full, blooming look. They are often white or a soft pink but they can come in many other colors as well.  These are the kind of flowers that can be used in a centerpiece or in addition to other flowers you have chosen.  They are budget friendly and look great in any style of wedding.

9- The Peony

  • Bride holding peony bouquet
  • Bride holding peonies large bouquet

This is a classic choice, rather like the rose but comes at a higher price point. Peonies are delicate, unique and very stunning. Peonies have long been associated with wedding bouquets and are often just confined to use in centerpieces or the bride’s bouquet due to the cost. If your wedding budget allows you to spend a bit more on flowers, you will not be disappointed if you select peonies for your main wedding flowers.

10- The Orchid

  • White orchids for wedding day
  • Pink orchid flower for wedding day

While these are some of the most expensive flowers on the market, orchids are both delicate and noticeable and they come in many colors. They can also be dyed to exhibit unique colors.  They make interesting and variable arrangements possible and there is something exotic and fanciful about them that can add that last little touch to an upscale or a themed wedding.

11- Gardenias

  • Gardenia bouquet
  • Gardenia bloom

Famously known for their white variety, gardenias come in other colors and can be used in bouquets and centerpieces but can also be place in water for an elegant, floating effect. They are very fragrant and their full, lush blooms are naturally decadent. These are the perfect choice for a very traditional wedding or for the bride that is looking for very large flower arrangements at her wedding.

12- Calla Lily

  • Bride holding white calla in bouquet
  • lily blossom

Calla Lily is an elegant choice of flower for your wedding bouquet and arrangements. The word ‘calla’ is Greek for beautiful and its classic look has enraptured people for millennia. Calla Lily’s symbolize purity and loyalty. They’re very elegant and can easily transition to suit an upscale wedding or an outdoor, rustic theme. These flowers also have a clean, neat look which makes them ideal for minimalist wedding themes as well.

13- Lilly of the Valley

Lily of the valley flower

This delicate flower is known for its white color with the fronds covered in delicate, bell-shaped flowers that swing and bob cheerfully.  They prefer cooler temperatures as they wilt easily but are a lovely addition to other larger flowers in arrangements. Lilly of the valley also can be added to bridesmaid and bride bouquets for a touch of delicacy and movement.

14- Casablanca Lilies

casablanca lily flower for wedding day

These large and colorful flowers grow very tall while still attached to their roots and the flowers are huge, impressive and come in many color varieties. They’re very elegant and neat-looking flowers, with a neutral color combination of white, brown and green. This is the right choice for a simple but noticeable bouquet or for very large table centerpieces.

15- Stephanotis

Stephanotis flower

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Stephanotis is called the ‘wedding flower’ because it symbolizes marital joy. As such, it’s a meaningful flower for a wedding. Today, it also represents good fortune and wanderlust or the longing to travel. Stephanotis are white and star shaped, with a luscious smell.  These happy and elegant flowers can be clustered for use as the focal point of bouquets and other arrangements but can also make lovely side-notes to other larger flowers. This is a great choice for any wedding style.

16- Jasmine

jasmine flower

There are many varieties of jasmine from fragrant to non-fragrant with varying numbers of petals. However, the common thread is that jasmine is white and small, with a delicate yellow center. Jasmine is typically fragrant and small and is a great companion to larger flowers. It can even be used as the focal point of the bouquet if beautifully arranged. Jasmine is lush and tropical and has a feminine, innocent look about it.  It is hardy enough for most seasons as well, which makes it an excellent choice no matter what time of year you are having your wedding.

17- Baby’s Breath

  • baby's breath flower
  • baby's breath flowers
  • baby's breath bouquet

Baby’s Breath is a small white flower that is a symbol of long-lasting love. It’s commonly associated with weddings and flower arrangements. Baby’s Breath is a versatile flower, and while it’s not typically used by itself, it’s ideal in rounding out flower arrangements. Whether you use a lot or a little of it, Baby’s Breath definitely adds a touch of elegance and delicateness to any flower arrangement.

How to Choose Flowers For Your Wedding

Bride holding flowers in her wedding day

Now that you’ve seen some of the most popular choices for wedding flowers, it may still seem hard to choose between them all.  Making a selection is actually easier than you may think, however. The most important two factors to keep in mind are the overall style of your wedding and the season that it will be taking place in.

There’s nothing worse than selecting all of your flowers without realizing that they cannot withstand the heat of summer. In the same way, if you’re having a rustic wedding, but the flowers you’ve chosen are just too upscale, it might not work together.

Think about the style of your dress, the time of year that you are getting married and your overall budget and you should have no trouble picking the perfect flowers for your wedding!

Remember as well, that highly scented flowers may cause allergic reactions for some and that large bouquets on the tables might impeded people’s ability to talk and see one another.  You might also want to check with everyone in your wedding party to make sure that no one is sensitive to any of the flowers that you are thinking about selecting.

How Much Should You Spend?

The overall budget for a wedding is often the reason for style choices that are made as you are planning.  While it might seem like the flowers that you choose for your wedding absolutely must be large and expensive to be beautiful, you can look at the above flower list and see that that is not necessarily the case.  If you have room in your budget for some large and expensive flowers and that is the style of your wedding, then by all means go for it! But note that minimalist arrangements and even single flower bouquets are very popular and stylish.

However, if you are struggling to cut costs elsewhere to make room for a large flower budget, you might be putting too much pressure on the cost and the rarity of the flowers over other factors. Remember, you want to enjoy your wedding day and stress caused by expenses you did not budget for can make the entire wedding planning process stressful and chaotic. And remember that you can always DIY your flowers and still have an amazing look.