Favorite Florals

Our editors have selected their favorite florals for weddings, with special insight into their meaning, the availability of shades, and what season they’re most likely to be available.

Acacia (mimosa)
Season: Late winter, spring.
Meaning: Purity, immortality or hidden love.
Shades: Bright yellow.

Agapanthus
Season: Spring, summer.
Meaning: Good weather, love or patience.
Shades: Blue, white, violet-blue.

Amaryllis
Season: Naturally spring, but blooms can be propagated anytime.
Meaning: Determination, passionate desire or radiant beauty.
Shades: Red, pink, white, lavender or variegated.

Amaranthus
Season: Summer, fall.
Meaning: Unfading and immortal.
Shades: Golden, yellow, orange, copper (foliage). Pink, orange or dark purple (blossoms).

Anemone
Season: Spring, summer or fall.
Meaning: Anticipation and undying love.
Shades: White, red, blue, pale yellow or purple.

Apple blossom
Season: Spring, summer.
Meaning: Good fortune, health and youth.
Shades: White, light pink or pink.

Asiatic lilies
Season: Summer, but can be propagated anytime.
Meaning: Flirtaciousness, innocence and beauty.
Shades: White, yellow, peach, pink, orange, red, or variegated.

Aster
Season: Summer, fall.
Meaning: Love, gentleness and hope.
Shades: Light blue, blue, purple, pink or white.

Baby’s breath
Season: Late spring, summer, fall.
Meaning: Purity of heart.
Shades: White.

Bachelor’s button (cornflower)
Season: Spring, summer.
Meaning: Bravery, blessings or felicity.
Shades: Usually bright blue or violet-blue, but also white, pink or dark maroon (black).

Bells of Ireland
Season: Summer.
Meaning: Luck, fanciful hopes or tranquility.
Shades: Light green to green.

Bird of paradise
Season: Fall, winter.
Meaning: Joy and faithfulness.
Shades: Yellow, orange or red.

Caladium
Season: Any.
Meaning: Great joy and delight.
Shades: Green, white, cream, pink, and red combinations (foliage).

Calla lily
Season: Spring, summer (but like many other bulbs, they can be brought to bloom at any time).
Meaning: Magnificent beauty, marriage, or transformation and rebirth.
Shades: White, green, pink, yellow, orange and purple.

Camellia
Season: Fall, winter.
Meaning: Longing, adoration or devotion (Chinese).
Shades: Pink, red, white, lavender or variegated.

Carnation
Season: Any.
Meaning: Fascination, love, yearning, admiration, health and energy.
Shades: Pink, red, white, yellow, purple, orange, peach, green or variegated.

Casablanca lily
Season: Spring.
Meaning: Celebration.
Shades: White, cream or yellow.

Cherokee rose
Season: Fall, winter.
Meaning: Love, beauty, desire, hope and regeneration.
Shades: White, light pink or pink.

Cherry blossom
Season: Spring.
Meaning: Good fortune, love or springtime.
Shades: White, light pink or pink.

Chrysanthemum
Season: Any.
Meaning: Happiness, honesty or encouragement (Japan).
Shades: White, yellow, pink, green, orange or red.

Coreopsis
Season: Early summer, fall.
Meaning: Eternal cheerfulness.
Shades: Yellow.

Cosmos
Season: Spring, fall.
Meaning: Balance and peace.
Shades: White, pink, orange, yellow and red.

Dahlia
Season: Spring.
Meaning: Dignity, elegance and good taste.
Shades: Yellow, white, pink, orange, lavender or variegated.

Daisy
Season: Late spring, summer.
Meaning: Innocence, loyalty or new beginnings.
Shades: White, lavender or pink around a yellow disk.

Delphinium
Season: Spring, summer.
Meaning: Heavenly, beautiful spirit or lightness.
Shades: Blue, purple or white.

Dogwood blossom
Season: Spring
Meaning: Generosity, trust or regeneration.
Shades: White, cream or pink.

Dusty miller
Season: Any.
Meaning: Calmness.
Shades: Silver (foliage).

Eskimo rose
Season: Late summer, fall, winter.
Meaning: Purity or reverence.
Shades: White and ivory.

Fern
Season: Varied.
Meaning: Fascination, grace, sincerity or confidence.
Shades: Greens (foliage).

Forget-me-not
Season: Spring.
Meaning: True love, memories and unflinching devotion.
Shades: Bright blue.

Forsythia
Season: Spring.
Meaning: Anticipation and hope.
Shade: Yellow.

Freesia
Season: Spring.
Meaning: Trust, innocence or closeness.
Shades: White, lavender, purple, yellow, pink, orange and red.

Gardenia
Season: Spring, summer.
Meaning: Beauty, admiration, good luck and hidden love.
Shades: Cream or white.

Gerber daisy
Season: Fall, winter.
Meaning: Strength, purity, beauty and cheerfulness.
Shades: Pink, red, yellow, white, orange, peach or salmon.

Gloxinia
Season: Late spring, summer.
Meaning: Love at first sight.
Shades: Purple, lavender, white or maroon.

Heather
Season: Late summer, fall.
Meaning: Protection, granted wishes and guidance.
Shades: Purple, mauve, white, pink, lavender, magenta, red, copper, silver and green.

Heliotrope
Season: Spring, summer or fall, depending on the climate.
Meaning: Search for truth, honor, hope or devotion.
Shades: Purple, lavender, white, blue and mauve.

Hibiscus
Season: Spring through fall (any if warm).
Meaning: Desire, love, feminine power or delicate beauty (Hawaii).
Shades: Pink, lavender, red, yellow, white, blue, peach, orange or variegated.

Holly
Season: Winter (berries).
Meaning: Domestic bliss or protection.
Shades: Red (berries), green (foliage), white (flowers).

Hyacinth (see also Muscari)
Season: Spring.
Meaning: Playfulness, constancy and sincere affection.
Shades: Purple, red, blue, orange, white, pink, mauve and yellow.

Hydrangea
Season: Summer.
Meaning: Understanding, enlightenment or unabashed love.
Shades: Blue, pink, green, red, lavender, yellow, maroon, white or variegated.

Hypericum berry
Season: Any.
Meaning: Protection, clarity and good health.
Shades: Red, orange, green, purple or brown.

Iris
Season: Summer.
Meaning: Wisdom, devotion or strength, vitality and boldness (Japan).
Shades: White, yellow, pink, magenta, blue, purple and variegated.

Ivy
Season: Any.
Meaning: Wedded love or fidelity.
Shades: Greens (foliage).

Jasmine
Season: Spring, summer.
Meaning: Love, vision and affluence.
Shades: White, light yellow or golden.

Lavender
Season: Summer.
Meaning: Romance, peace or homosexuality.
Shades: Purple, light purple or blue.

Lilac
Season: Spring.
Meaning: First love (purple) or youthfulness (white).
Shades: Purple, white or light pink.

Lily of the valley
Season: Spring.
Meaning: Sweetness, a return to happiness or fulfillment.
Shades: White.

Lisianthus
Season: Summer.
Meaning: Heartfelt desire, boldness and communication.
Shades: White, pink, lavender, deep purple and bicolors (like violet-blue).

Marigold
Season: Summer, fall and sometimes winter.
Meaning: Passion, creativity, harmony, truth and good cheer.
Shades: Yellow, orange, red, rusty red or bicolored.

Modern garden rose
Season: Primarily fall and spring, but available continuously.
Meaning: Love, sensuality, passion and immortal union (varies with color).
Shades: Cream, white, peach, coral, red, maroon, pink, lavender, yellow, bi-color or even brown (Pernetiana).

Muscari (grape hyacinth)
Season: Spring.
Meaning: Forgiveness, loveliness or lasting love.
Shades: Light and dark blue contrast, cobalt blue, white, or mauve.

Narcissus (daffodils, paperwhite, jonquil)
Season: Winter, early spring.
Meaning: Beauty, sweetness or high self-esteem.
Shades: Golden yellow, light yellow, white or a contrast of these.

Old garden rose
Season: Usually fall, but any season for ever-blooming varieties. Some bloom mainly in summer (damask).
Meaning: Love, devotion, timelessness, honor and beauty (also varies with color).
Shades: White or cream (alba, Tea, Portland), yellow (moss), maroon or red (gallica), pink (gallica, damask, China, bourbon).

Orange blossom
Season: Spring.
Meaning: Eternal love, marriage or fruitfulness.
Shades: Yellow-white or cream.

Orchid
Season: Fall, winter.
Meaning: Love, beauty, refinement, maturity or fertility (Chinese)
Shades: Pink, lavender, purple, red, orange, yellow, salmon, variegated or white.

Palm
Season: Summer, fall.
Meaning: Victory, success, wisdom or long life (Egyptian).
Shades: Bright to dark green (foliage).

Pansy
Season: Early spring and summer, fall and winter in warm climates.
Meaning: Merriment, deep love or thoughtfulness.
Shades: Blue, yellow, red, orange, copper, bronze, lavender, purple, white or mixed.

Parrot tulip
Season: Late spring, summer.
Meaning: Light, hope, beauty or avowed love.
Shades: Peach, red, white, orange, yellow, pink, mauve, lavender, black, or rainbow (these are frequently variegated).

Peony
Season: Spring.
Meaning: Happiness, desire, wedded bliss or prosperity.
Shades: Pink, light pink, white, lavender, purple, magenta or blue.

Poinsettia
Season: Fall, winter.
Meaning: Purity, beauty, hope or celebration.
Shades: Red, light green, white, pink or variegated (foliage).

Poppy
Season: Spring, summer.
Meaning: Pleasure, imagination, rejuvenation or eternal life (Egyptian).
Shades: Gold, yellow, orange, red, blue, lavender or pink.

Queen’s Anne’s lace
Season: Fall, winter.
Meaning: Sanctuary, grace or elegance.
Shades: White, ivory, pink and light purple.

Ranunculus (buttercup)
Season: Spring, early summer.
Meaning: Radiance, beauty or fascination.
Shades: White, yellow-gold, peach, bronze, orange, deep red, bright green, pink or hot pink.

Rose
Season: Any, but easiest to find in fall and spring.
Meaning: Beauty, beginnings, desire, unity and eternal love.
Shades: Bright red, deep red, pink, white, cream, orange, yellow, mauve and lavender.

Snowberry
Season: Fall, winter.
Meaning: Destined or fated.
Shades: White or light pink (fruit).

Spider flower
Season: Spring, summer and fall.
Meaning: Eloping and adventure.
Shades: Pink, lavender, purple, yellow, blue or white.

Statice
Season: Spring, summer or fall (depending on variety and climate).
Meaning: Fond thoughts or remembrance.
Shades: White, lavender, pink, deep blue or purple.

Stephanotis (waxflower)
Season: Naturally spring and summer, but available anytime.
Meaning: Happiness, safe travels or good luck.
Shades: White.

Stock
Season: Late spring, summer.
Meaning: Undying love and affection.
Shades: Pink, lavender, mauve, white or variegated.

Sunflower
Season: Late summer, fall.
Meaning: Pure thoughts, longevity or happiness.
Shades: Yellow or gold around a darker center.

Sweet pea
Season: Late spring, early summer.
Meaning: Bliss, departure, adventure or fresh starts.
Shades: Purple, bright pink, white, blue, lavendar, mauve, variegated or mixed.

Sweet william
Season: Summer.
Meaning: Gallantry or cheer.
Shades: Pink, lavender, white, deep red or variegated.

Tulip
Season: Late winter, spring.
Meaning: Passion and perfect love.
Shades: Red, yellow, pink, purple, orange, maroon, white, salmon, lavender, deep purple or mixed.

Viburnum
Season: Late winter, spring and summer.
Meaning: Eternal beauty, strength or interconnectedness.
Shades: White, pink or pale green.

Violet
Season: Late winter, spring and year-round.
Meaning: Modesty, faithfulness, affection or taking chances (white).
Shades: Periwinkle, purple, blue, lavender, pink, mauve or white.

Wisteria
Season: Spring, summer.
Meaning: Closeness, affection and spontaneity.
Shades: Lavender or purple.

Zinnia
Season: Late spring, summer, early fall.
Meaning: Lasting affection, constancy or goodness.
Shades: Orange, purple, red, golden yellow, pale yellow, green, white or variegated.