Wedding Gazette

Summer Wedding Flowers

By Jennifer Baumann

Looking for inexpensive, easy-to-get flowers? Check out our list of summer's best wedding blooms for bouquets, centerpieces, and decorations.

Summer's best bets in the flower market are colorful, hearty blooms from the lily, orchid, daisy, and dahlia families that burst onto the scene with warmth and grace. Choose summer wedding flowers that are white, full of color, airy, or solid. No matter which you choose, each of these summer flowers is bursting with decorating potential.

Calla Lilies

These funnel-shaped, elegant flowers aren't really a flower at all, but a large horn-shaped extension of the stem, called a spathe, which ranges from 6" to 9" in length. Most available from March through June, they come in a small variety of colors that range from pure white to orange to dark magenta. Currently very popular flowers for wedding bouquets, also use this dramatic flower as the focal point of centerpieces, or singly for bridesmaids to carry.

Dendrobium Orchids

These delicate, six-petaled beauties are tropical flowers of summer that are least expensive during the months from April to August. Available in a variety of colors from simple to truly exotic, dendrobiums make exquisite additions to your hair, corsages and boutonierres. In addition, you can sprinkle over tables, down the aisle, or add to centerpieces for a heavenly floral arrangement.

Dahlias

Available in a variety of rich colors and easiest to get in the summer and early fall, these full-bodied blooms laden with petals are great stock flowers for centerpieces, pew decorations, and other sturdy arrangements.

Daisy

Blooming from May to July, these classic wedding flowers represent hope, purity, and innocence. Whether mixed with greens in a bridal bouquet, placed in bud vases for airy centerpieces, or hand-tied in minibouquets for the bridesmaids, add the joy of daisies to your summer wedding celebration.

Chrysanthemum

Daisy's spiny-bloomed cousin is also most readily available during the long, hot months of summer. This airy flower with narrow petals comes in a much wider range of color than the classic daisy, and looks beautiful in bouquets, centerpieces, and decorations.

Baby's Breath

Each stem is bursting with tiny white blossoms on this summertime flower used as a filler for bouquets, centerpieces, corsages, and boutonierres. Although most florists carry it the whole year through, if you're thinking of doing your own flowers or want to choose from a local garden, baby's breath is in full bloom in the garden from May - August.