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These flowers have small, bright blooms that grow in clusters and often have freckled petals. They’re best used as a backdrop to primary flowers (but make a lovely and cost-effective bouquet).

Season
year-round

Colors
white, yellow, orange, pink, red, lavender, purple, flecked

Scent
none

Cost
$​​

See more amaryllis photos

Brides desiring maximum impact may choose this impressive flower, which features two to five large, trumpet-shaped blossoms that open in succession at the top of its extra-long stalk. Grown from a bulb, the amaryllis originated in the tropical rainforests of Africa and South America and is now available in white, pale yellow, pale green, pink, salmon, and red. Very rare and expensive, these flowers are long-lasting and offer a lot of drama with just a few stems.

Season
November-April

Colors
white, yellow, green, pink, red, burgundy

Scent
none (belladonna variety has a mild sweet fragrance)

Meaning
splendid beauty, pride

Cost
$-$

See more amaryllis photos

Greek mythology has two legends about the anemone. These jewel-toned flowers were said to have sprung up from the blood that was shed by Aphrodite’s lover, Adonis, when he died. The ancient Greeks also believed that Zephyrus, the god of the west wind, favored the bloom, hence its other name: windflower. Though unscented, this relative of the peon and ranunculus is sought after for its vibrant magenta, red, and purple hues. Just a few bright blooms add a blast of color to bouquets and arrangements.

Season
November-May; primarily spring

Colors
white, pink, purple, magenta, burgundy

Scent
none

Meaning
expectation

Cost
$-$$

This flower is perfect for fleshing out a classic wedding bouquet or arrangement. It has clusters of small, star-shaped blossoms bursting from a leafy green stem and is very delicate.

Season
year-round

Colors
white, peach, pink, red

Scent
faint

Meaning
enthusiasm

Cost
$

Also known as the arum lily, this trumpet-shaped blossom originated in Africa and symbolized “magnificent beauty” to the Victorians. Two types are commonly available: one with a large head and a long, smooth stem, suitable for tall arrangements or presentation bouquets; and a miniature version ideal for nosegays and boutonnieres.

Season
year-round, winter to late spring is the peak

Colors
ivory, yellow, orange, light pink, dark pink, red, dark burgundy

Scent
none

Meaning
ardor, magnificent beauty, feminine, modesty

Cost
$$$

A symbol of loveliness and beauty, this multipetaled relative of the tea plant was originally from China. The flower had a notable role in Verdi’s opera  La Traviata , which he adapted from the play The Lady of the Camellias. In the story a courtesan named Violetta always wore a white camellia, except for the few days of the month when she was “not available” and donned a red camellia instead.

Season
late-winter to early-spring, fall

Colors
white, cream, pink, red

Scent
mild, sweet

Meaning
excellence, beauty, perfected loveliness, contentment

Cost
$-$$

Don’t turn up your nose at the common carnation — this long-lasting flower is full of possibilities for weddings. The ruffled-heads look offers an inexpensive way to bring lushness and color to bouquets and arrangements. When massed, they also make a pretty bouquet of their own.

Carnations have a long history; they were reportedly used to make ceremonial crowns in ancient Greece, and they were on hand at the wedding of Maximilian of Austria, the emperor of Mexico (1864-67), symbolizing marital bliss. Today, more than 300 species (in large, single blooms and miniature spray varieties) are available.

Season
year-round

Colors
white, yellow, apricot, pale pink, dark pink, red, burgundy, also bicolors and flecked

Scent
spicy, clovelike

Meaning
admiration, fascination, strong and pure love, unfading beauty

Cost
$​​

​About a thousand varieties of long-lasting, versatile mums can be found in single blossoms or sprays. The mum has been cultivated in the Far East for more than 2,500 years, even making appearances in the writings of Confucius. What it lacks in sweet perfume, it makes up for in a range of bold colors.

Season
year-round, peak in late summer and fall

Colors
white, yellow, green, orange, russet, red, burgundy

Scent
strong, musky

Meaning
cheerfulness, optimism, long life, joy

Cost
$​

Named the coxcomb due to its resemblance to a rooster, this vibrant flower is sure to make a statement. Coming in a variety of colors, this flower looks brilliant when cut short and used as a centerpiece.

Season
mid summer-frost

Colors
yellow, green, orange, pink, crimson

Scent
none

Cost
$

In medieval lore, it was believed that a girl who placed a cornflower beneath her skirt could have any bachelor she desired — which is perhaps how the flower acquired its other name, bachelor’s button. An inexpensive choice appropriate for a casual wedding, the cornflower comes in white, pink, dark magenta, and, most commonly, blue, with feathery blue-gray foliage. Its button head and colorful legend make it a charming boutonniere flower for groomsmen.

Season
summer-early fall

Colors
white, pink, blue

Scent
none

Meaning
delicacy, felicity

Cost
$-$$​​

Brides hoping to capture the look of a summer garden in full bloom would succeed with cosmos. This daisylike flower grows in shades of pink and magenta on long stems with feathery foliage. A striking chocolate color is also available and can be used to create rich, late-summer arrangements.

Season
mid summer-fall

Colors
white, pale pink, dark pink, chocolate

Scent
none

Meaning
modesty

Cost
$-$

Shakespeare and Wordsworth both created rhapsodies about this humble bulb flower. Perhaps it is so well liked because its merry yellow bloom is one of the first to appear after winter’s frost subsides. The daffodil (and members of its family, including the narcissus and the jonquil) is a flower of true variety — blooms can be single or multiple, with large or small cups, in solid colors or in combinations of white and yellow with touches of orange.

Season
November-April

Colors
white, yellow, apricot, orange

Scent
clean, sweet or none, paperwhite narcissus have a very strong scent

Meaning
regard, respect, chivalry, gracefulness

Cost
$-$$​​

These bold, bushy flowers have a history as dramatic as their appearance. Conquistadors found the dahlia in the gardens of the Aztecs and caused a sensation when they brought the flower back to Europe. As the dahlia gained popularity, the pursuit of its potatolike tubers was conducted with intrigue and deception — dahlia tubers were reportedly stolen even from the garden of the Empress Josephine!

Season
summer-early fall

Colors
white, yellow, orange, pink, red, purple

Scent
spicy

Meaning
gratitude, dignity, forever thine

Cost
$

You may find the daisy a fitting flower for your wedding if you plucked its white petals in a game of “he loves me, he loves me not” as a child. Generally available year-around, the affordable daisy is a lovely and whimsical flower for a casual wedding.

Season
summer-early fall

Colors
white

Scent
none to faint

Meaning
innocence, simplicity, I share your sentiments

Cost
$

Season
year-round, peak June-October

Colors
white, pink, lavender, purple, blue

Scent
none

Meaning
well-being, sweetness

Cost
$$-$$$

Widely available, this flower shouldn’t be overlooked just because it’s fairly common; its versatility and wide range of colors make it a wonderful flower at weddings. Dutch tulips have shorter stems and smaller blossoms than the French tulip.

Season
November-May

Colors
white, yellow, orange, pale pink, dark pink, red, purple

Scent
none to mild, sweet scent

Meaning
declaration of love, honest, happy years, memory

Cost
$-$$

A favorite of perfumers for its fresh, fruity scent, freesia packs a lot of fragrance in just a few blossoms. A couple of stems are all that’s needed to make a bouquet sweet-smelling. The green buds clustered along the thin, arched stem open gradually into delicate flowers.

Season
year-round

Colors
most colors are available, except for blue

Scent
very sweet, almost fruity

Meaning
innocence

Cost
$$

Large, tapered heads spring from graceful stems in this elegant variety. The extra-long stems can be 12 inches or longer, which makes the French tulip a natural for presentation bouquets or tall centerpieces. More expensive than the Dutch variety, the French tulip is most often seen in cream, soft pink, and yellow pastels.

Season
November-May

Colors
ivory, pale yellow, pink

Scent
none

Cost
$$$

Surrounded by dark green, waxy leaves, the exquisite gardenia exudes a very sultry and heavy scent. It was this intoxicating fragrance that captivated an English sea captain traveling through South Africa in 1754, prompting him to bring home one of the native plants as a souvenir. But the delicate, creamy ivory petals of this expensive flower can bruise easily, so handle with care. Fragrant gardenias have many uses — carry a few as a posy, wear one as a corsage, or float a few in a low bowl for a minimalist centerpiece. Large three-to four-inch blossoms, as well as a miniature variety, are available.

Season
year-round

Colors
ivory

Scent
very fragrant perfume

Meaning
transport of joy, ecstasy, I love you in secret, purity, peace

Cost
$$$

Scent
none

Meaning
needing protection, friendship

Cost
$

Standing tall and proud, the gladiolus has a spiky stem with large florets that open in succession; miniature varieties with fewer florets are also available. Full stems can be used to add height to arrangements, while the individual florets can be made into boutonnieres. The flower’s name is derived from the Latin word for sword, gladius, after the shape of its leaves.

Season
year-round, peak during summer

Colors
white, yellow, green, apricot, orange, pale pink, dark pink, red, lavender, purple

Scent
none

Meaning
generosity, strength of character, you pierce my heart

Cost
$​​

While technically not of the lily family (it grows on a climbing vine, not from a bulb), this flower’s refluxed petals and stamens bear a resemblance to those of actual lilies. Generally pinkish red and tipped with yellow, the gloriosa, or Rothschild lily, adds a tropical punch to bouquets and arrangements.

Season
year-round

Colors
red with yellow edges

Scent
none

Cost
$$-$$$​​

​Grape hyacinth gets its name from the shape of its flower and perhaps from its mild, sweet scent. Its cone-shape resembles a miniature bunch of grapes perched upside down on a slender green stem. Sometimes called muscari, grape hyacinth is available in greenish white but is most often seen in a pretty purplish blue. This springtime bulb flower can be expensive, so it is best used as an accent or massed in small bunches.

Season
November-May

Colors
white-green, blue-purple

Scent
sweet, like grapes or candy

Meaning
usefulness

Cost
$$-$$$

See more hyacinth photos

In ancient mythology Hyacinthus was a figure in a tale of tragic love. Today, we know this stocky bulb flower as a fragrant signature of spring. The hyacinth’s scent is strong, so only a few flowers are needed to make their presence known in centerpieces or arrangements.

Season
November-May

Colors
white, yellow, peach, pale pink, fuchsia, lavender, purple, blue

Scent
very sweet, stronger as florets open

Meaning
benevolence, play

Cost
$

Scent
none

Meaning
devotion, remembrance, boastfulness

Cost
$$-$$$

This unusually shaped flower has been admired by many throughout history. Ancient Greeks associated it with their gods, and ancient Egyptians linked it to their pharaohs; to the medieval Europeans, it signified chivalry and served as a model for the French fleur-de-lis symbol. Painters like Monet and Van Gogh were captivated by its appearance too. Myth and majesty aside, the three most common varieties are the Dutch iris, the graceful Siberian iris, and the large “bearded” iris, all grown in numerous shades of white, yellow, and purple.

Season
year-round, peak in spring and early summer

Colors
white, yellow, purple

Scent
none to sweet depending on variety

Meaning
message, eloquence, my compliments, promise

Cost
$-$$

Their fresh, perfumelike scent is unmistakable, and it’s hard to believe such a delicious fragrance can come from such tiny flowers. With its bell-shaped florets dangling from a thin stem, the lily of the valley is sometimes called “the ladder to heaven.” In Norse mythology, the flower is linked to Ostara, the goddess of springtime, and while most plentiful during this season, it remains available — and expensive — year-round. Though most people only know of the white lily of the valley, a very rare rosy pink variety exists too.

Season
available year-round in limited quantities, peak in spring

Colors
white, pale pink (rare)

Scent
very fragrant perfume

Meaning
return to happiness, delicacy

Cost
$$$

This cupped flower somewhat resembles a rose or ranunculus that is missing a few petals. Lisianthus boasts multiple blossoms and buds on a single stem and has a slight peppery scent. Its wide range of colors make it an excellent choice as a secondary flower for bouquets and arrangements.

Season
year-round

Colors
white, cream, pale green, peach, pink, lavender, purple

Scent
none

Meaning
showiness

Cost
$$​​

Sexy and exquisitely gorgeous, the orchid is a star at any wedding. Thousands of species are cultivated worldwide, which means there is an orchid for every type of bride. A full spray of orchids can be used in bouquets and arrangements, or a simple blossom can be plucked to make an exotic boutonniere.

The main types of orchids commonly used at weddings: cymbidium (usually green; popular, yet expensive; durable yet perishable in cold temperatures); dendrobium (sweetly scented; used in classic Hawaiian leis); oncidium (often referred to as “spray orchids”; they come on slender long branches); vandas (summer-blooming; comes in a rare, yet stunning bluish purple); and phalaenopsis (popular and widely used; usually comes in white and purple).

Season
year-round

Colors
white, yellow, green, apricot, orange, pale pink, dark pink, red, burgundy

Scent
some varieties are fragrant

Meaning
luxury, nobility, lust

Cost
$-$$

​This flower is known particularly for its ability to open in the morning and close in the evening. Add it to your bouquet or let it fill in your centerpieces.

Season
year-round

Colors
white, ivory, yellow, orange

Scent
slight to none

Meaning
purity

Cost
$$​

​ See more tulip photos

Also known as the Rembrandt or parakeet tulip, this showy bloom is noted for its ruffled, striped petals in intense colors. Some varieties feature fringe-tipped petals for added drama. Although beautiful, their full, heavy heads tend to sag and droop and may cause stems to curve, which make them somewhat unpredictable when used in arrangements.

Season
November-May

Colors
white/green, yellow. red, orange/green, pink/green

Scent
none

Cost
$$-$$$

The peony is showy in its lush and full-headed structure, sweet perfume, and bright colors. Despite these traits, the flower became a symbol of bashfulness. Cultivated in Asia for more than a thousand years and developed further by the French, the peony is a cherished wedding flower. A relative of the ranunculus and the anemone, the peony is available in two main types: the herbaceous and the tree peony (the latter flowers do not last as long when cut).

Season
spring, imported, scentless variety available in fall and winter

Colors
white, cream, peach, pink, burgundy

Scent
sweet and mild to very aromatic

Meaning
beauty, welcome, bashfulness

Cost
$$-$$$

​Perhaps phlox’s popularity at weddings is due to its meaning: “unification of the souls.” These dainty flowers originated in North America, where they are a backyard staple. With large clusters of small-petaled, disk-shaped blossoms atop branching stems, phlox provides a lush backdrop for featured flowers in a bouquet or arrangement.

Season
June-November

Colors
white, orange, pink, red, purple

Scent
sweet and mild to very aromatic

Meaning
our souls are united, proposal of love, sweet dreams, unanimity

Cost
$$​

Known for the flower head’s similar appearance to lace, this wildflower symbolizes “protection.”

Season
spring-early fall

Colors
white, green

Scent
grassy scent

Meaning
haven, protection

Cost
$

Looking for a cost-effective alternative to the rose and the peony? Try the lush, multipetaled ranunculus, a relative of the buttercup. This flower was first seen by Westerners in the Far East around the thirteenth century. Available in practically every color, the ranunculus features several blossoms and a stem with fernlike foliage.

Season
November-April

Colors
white, yellow, apricot, orange, pale pink, dark pink

Scent
mild, sweet

Meaning
you are rich in attractions, I am dazzled by your charms

Cost
$-$$

Their accessibility means that roses can be surprisingly affordable. However, the price of roses goes up around key flower-giving holidays such as Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day — so if your wedding date is near one of these holidays, you may want to rethink your flower choice. Three main types of roses are likely candidates for your wedding flowers: hybrid tea roses, spray roses, and garden roses.

Season
year-round

Colors
white, cream, yellow, apricot, orange, pale pink, dark pink, red, burgundy, lavender

Scent
none to intense, depending on the variety

Meaning
several meanings depending on color, general, love, beauty, grace, joy, unity

Cost
$$-$$$

It’s not hard to figure out how the scabiosa, with its tufted head atop a long, wiry stem, got its other name, pin cushion. This enchanting flower is right at home tucked in between showier blooms.

Season
spring-early fall

Colors
white, burgundy, lavender

Scent
none

Meaning
sensible woman

Cost
$$-$$$​​

The name stephanotis means “marital happiness,” making the flower an obvious choice for weddings. The star-shaped, waxy florets grow on a flowering vine; each must be individually wired or placed onto a special holder before it can be used in a bouquet or boutonniere.

Season
year-round

Colors
white

Scent
slight to none

Meaning
will you accompany me?

Cost
$$$

Rising from a tall stem, stock has dense clusters of small single- and double- blossomed flowers. Stock first became known outside of the Mediterranean region toward the end of the Middle Ages. Stock is valued for its use as a complementary flower and its fragrant, spicy clovelike scent.

Season
year-round, peak in spring and summer

Colors
white, yellow, apricot, pale pink, dark pink, purple

Scent
strong, spicy clove scent

Meaning
promptness, lasting beauty

Cost
$

Season
May-November, peak in summer

Colors
pale lemon, deep gold, orange, russet, brown

Scent
none

Meaning
loyalty, adoration, pride

Cost
$$

The sweet pea was first brought to England from Sicily in 1699, and the English have had a love affair with this delicate flower ever since. Its sweet scent and rugged blossoms grown on a spindly green vine make this flower an old-fashioned favorite.

Season
November-June

Colors
white, cream, apricot, pale pink, dark pink, red, lavender, purple

Scent
intense, sweet fragrance

Meaning
everlasting pleasures

Cost
$-$$

Season
summer-fall

Colors
ivory, pink

Scent
very strong perfume

Meaning
dangerous love, voluptuousness

Cost
$$-$$$​

Best used as an accent flower, these cheery, star-shaped blossoms grow on climbing branches. While available in white and pink, tweedia is most admired in its unusual soft blue hue. A delicate tweedia boutonniere provides a little “something blue” for the groom’s lapel.

Season
April-November

Colors
blue

Scent
none

Cost
$

Shaped like a plume, the tapered spike of veronica pokes out from the tops of arrangements and bouquets for a wild, garden-inspired look. Its white, pink, or blue color meshes with its greenery to provide a lush complement to more prominent flowers.

Season
year-round

Colors
white, pink, purple, magenta, burgundy

Scent
none

Meaning
fidelity

Cost
$-$$​​

Brides seeking a spectrum of unforgettable color and a causal garden style will appreciate this perky, daisylike flower. The zinnia symbolizes “thoughts of friends,” which makes it an appropriate element in bridesmaid bouquets or reception centerpieces.

Season
June-September

Colors
yellow, green, orange, pink, red

Scent
none

Meaning
thoughts of friends

Cost
$

We kind of want all of these flowers everywhere! If you’re planning an event and need some or all of these flowers, we actually do know a guy! Also, head to our Pinterest to get some awesome flower arrangement ideas!