How To Choose Wedding Flowers - Brittony Swalm

Jun 9

What Flowers Are Needed For a Wedding? Find Out Here!

As you prepare for one of the most exciting days of your life, the one thing you can’t overlook is your floral arrangements. Flowers are the perfect way to decorate the church and your reception space. Plus, there’s the all-important wedding bouquet to consider!

But if you’re wondering what flowers are needed for a wedding, you’re in the right place. Instead of trying to figure it all out on your own, this article shares what you’ll need for the bridal party and your reception so you can create a stunning display.

Flowers For the Bridal Party

First and foremost, your bridal party will need some flowers to complete their ensembles. This includes the bride, bridesmaids, groom, and groomsmen. Bridesmaids will have bouquets and the groom and groomsmen will have boutonnieres. And of course, we can’t forget about the bride’s bouquet! However, that’s not all to consider. You’ll also want to invest in flowers to decorate the tables at your wedding reception.

Here are some of the best ideas for each one to help make your decision easier:

1. Bride’s Bouquet

Choosing the flowers for the bride’s bouquet is an important decision. You’ll want to select flowers that complement the color scheme of the wedding. Plus, you’ll need to factor in which flowers are currently in season. This ensures you’re getting fresh flowers without having to spend a fortune on off-season floral arrangements. Some popular flowers to consider are roses, orchids, jasmine, lilies, and tulips.

2. Bridesmaids’ Bouquet

When creating the bridesmaids’ bouquets, you’ll want to use the same flowers contained within the bride’s bouquet. This creates a cohesive look and ensures everything fits within the color scheme and overall vibe of your wedding. You will likely want bridesmaid bouquets to be a bit smaller though, so consider using fewer large flowers and adding some filler flowers, like baby’s breath, for volume.

3. Groom & Groomsmen Boutonnieres

Normally pinned to the left lapel, boutonnieres are common for the groom and groomsmen. It’s a small detail that adds just a hint of something special while tying the men’s ensembles to the bouquets the women are carrying. You’ll want to coordinate the boutonniere flowers to the other bouquets, of course. However, some options to consider include calla lilies, ranunculus, tulips, and roses.

Head Table Decorations For Wedding Reception

The head table at a wedding is an important space to decorate. After all, all eyes will be on the bride and groom during the reception! To ensure your head table looks great in person and in pictures, here are some suggestions:

1. Flowers for the Head Table

As you’re creating the look of your head table, first consider the flowers you’ll be using. Then, you can choose other decorations accordingly to ensure they complement the flowers. First, you’ll want to use the same flowers that have been incorporated into the bouquets and boutonnieres of the bridal party. This just helps to create a cohesive look, which is important for your big day.

For the flowers themselves, you can opt to go for a large floral display or smaller bouquets that are scattered across the table. Just make sure that you don’t go too large or too busy with your flowers as it’ll prevent your guests from getting a good view of the beautiful couple. Plus, you don’t want flowers in the way when your photographer is snapping photos.

2. Decorations for the Head Table

Now that you know what flowers are needed for a wedding, you’ll want to look into other decor elements as well. This will help bring everything together to create a truly special look your guests will rave about.

For example, you can add a table runner or a tablecloth that complements the look of your wedding. A white table cloth gives off an elegant vibe, while a burlap runner is more rustic. Greenery can be placed alongside floral arrangements to make your flowers pop. And you may also want to add a few candles for ambiance. Your chairs can even be adorned with fresh flowers for a truly romantic look. The options are endless!

Flower Arrangements For Wedding Tables

As you decide what flowers are needed for a wedding, you don’t want to overlook the tables your guests will be sitting at. These tables deserve to have a little TLC when decorating so they look equally as stunning as your head table. Luckily, you can make small flower arrangements for these tables so they’ll look nice without costing as much as larger bouquets. Plus, you don’t want these bouquets to be so big that they’re distracting for guests.

Consider using roses, daisies, carnations, hydrangeas, or orchids to adorn your wedding tables. Once the celebrations are over, you can invite your guests to take the flowers home as a party favor. It’ll give them something to enjoy and to remember your special day.

Flowers For Your Big Day

Your wedding is a day you’ll remember forever. That’s why it’s important to know what flowers are needed for a wedding so you can place your order for fresh flowers in plenty of time before the big day. Use this article as your checklist so you can be sure to get enough flowers for your entire bridal party and all of the tables at your reception.

Flowers Needed For a Wedding FAQ

To wrap things up, let’s take a moment and review some frequently asked questions on the flowers needed for a wedding. These final questions will help you perfect your floral display:

● What is a Reasonable Amount to Spend on Wedding Flowers?: On average, wedding flowers cost around $2,300 so make sure to set aside a decent chunk of your budget for your floral arrangements.

● How Far in Advance Should You Order Floral Arrangements? Your best bet is to order your flowers at least six months before the wedding. Never wait until the last minute.

● What Flowers Should Not be in a Wedding Bouquet? It’s suggested to avoid using flowers such as peonies, lilacs, daffodils, and poppies. Learn more to avoid in this article.

For more DIY Flower ideas - check out my post on DIY Floral bouquets

Brittony Swalm

Brittony Swalm shares her experience in flower arranging, party planning and DIY home decorating. She loves writing about and experimenting with flower design, color and texture. Brittony lives with her family in the beautiful city of Boston, MA, with her British Shorthair cat, Winston.