Summer Wedding Flowers

In Australia: December, January, February

Your wedding flowers for summer wedding bouquets open up a different range of options. We need to keep in mind that the Australian summer heat can be quite harsh and especially if you are having an outdoor wedding, the flowers you carry need to be chosen carefully. They must be very fresh and hopefully of a variety that is more resistant to the heat. Now remember there are no fresh flowers that can be left out in the sun and still be expected to look fresh, so protect them as you would a baby. Keep your summer wedding flowers cool and shaded.

Have you considered carrying gorgeous tropical blooms, how about the fragrant frangipani, the vision of these beauties for your summer wedding flowers immediately conjures up an image of a romantic, carefree island paradise.. Beautiful posies of white blooms with yellow centres or pink/apricot with the perfume tantalizing your senses. Now, visualize a beach wedding with your toes in the sand and the waves lapping at your feet; or at your favourite getaway destination, both you and your loved one have a frangipani tucked behind your ear and the music is playing softly in the background.

If a tropical paradise is out of the question don’t be concerned, carry some frangipani flowers at your summer wedding anyway!!

Tropical orchids

There are tropical orchids available in colours that can adapt to any style, for a soft feminine look consider palest pink and white dendrobium orchids, teamed with roses, lisianthus, stephanotis and gardenias for fragrance. For a vibrant, colourful story there are the wild and exotic summer colours of hot pink, purple, orange and yellow Vanda orchids, the modern bride may choose an asymmetric style with fabulous moth (Phalaenopsis) orchids in white, palest mauve to purple and even in shades of pink

Although these orchids are usually available all year round they are an excellent, safe choice for summer wedding bouquets. Spider orchids, in spotted red or orange/bronze, Cattleya orchids, the ‘queen of orchids’, these range in size from 5-12 cm (2-5 inches) across and are available in pink, purple, mauve, white and yellow. Dendrobium orchids also known as Singapore orchids, colours are white, green, lilac, pale pink and purple... And then there are Oncidium or Dancing Lady orchids in yellow and bronze/yellow hues.

Vanda orchids in yellow, orange, blue and purple

Phalaenopsis or Moth Orchids, white with either yellow or mauve throats, purple, pinks and green yellows.

Anthuriums, the Flamingo Flower, these waxy-looking heart or arrow-shaped blooms are available in pink, red, green, purple, scarlet and white, with many variables in between.

For Fragrance

white Gardenia and waxy Stephanotis,

Bouvardia, clusters of tiny tubular white flowers. Oriental Liliums in white, pale to hot pinks with or without spotted throat.

White November lilies, now also available in new hybrids with a deep pink/purple throat.

Whilst Lisianthus are not fragrant, they have the appearance of a soft open rose and are an excellent choice for summer weddings, alone or in a mixed bouquet. Colours range from pure white, palest to rosy pink, lilac to blue purple, burgundy, cream and lime green. There are also beautiful bicolours of white with a pink, or lilac blue edge and purple with a white edge.

Curcuma or ‘Thai tulips’, these are a relatively new introduction and come in pure white, pale to deep pink.

Hydrangea, from late summer, through to mid autumn hydrangea plays a strong supporting role in many a bouquet and bowl arrangement, blues, purple, pink, white, green and then the wonderful autumn hues in the late flowering varieties.