Do wedding flowers have to be in season?

“Winter blooms can be just as stunning as spring, summer and autumn weddings without a trace of Christmas’! That’s according to Jo Copsey of Aquaflorist in Cirencester. Of course, there is less choice of British-grown flowers around during the winter months, as we just don’t have the growing conditions or the vast green houses that other countries have. But that doesn’t mean winter wedding flower arrangements can’t be stunning. You just need to be a bit more creative with your choices and think about using colours and textures that complement the season. Here’s how:

Experiment with colour in your winter wedding flower arrangements

“The most popular colour palette we see for winter weddings is invariably neutral whites and ivories, with foliage greens and pops of berries such as Virburnum and Brunea Berries,’ says Jo from Aquaflorist. 

Shelley Prior from The Broadway Florist in the Cotswolds agrees. “Whites and greens are classic and timeless winter flowers, with an elegance that is beautiful.” But Shelley also loves adding drama to a display: one of her favourite looks is for a red winter wedding theme using winter red berries and flowers with glossy green foliage for a luxurious look. 

Wispy silvery foliage is another big trend for winter wedding flowers especially if you’re after a more rustic winter wedding. Eucalyptus is a good choice to use as foliage, as is Brunea Berry with its unusual texture and beautiful silver colour.

Away from the neutrals, Shelley says that earthy colours are popular in winter wedding flower displays and bridal bouquets. Think chocolate and burgundy, dusty pink and burnt orange, all tied together with contrasting stems of green and grey foliage. These earth colours help to create a soft and warm ambience for winter weddings.

Play with texture in your winter wedding bridal bouquets

When you’re thinking about what flowers you can have on your winter wedding day, think about texture as well as colour. Playing with texture can be a really exciting way to add warmth and drama to winter wedding flower arrangements. “Texture is massive for winter wedding flowers,” says Shelley. “You can use so many different foliages such as moss and twigs, fir cones, magnolia branches and pussy willow to get that rustic winter wedding theme spot on.”

And you don’t have to just stick with natural textures. Shelley wraps her winter wedding bouquets in luxurious velvet ribbon and adds beautiful velvet bows, in a range of jewel-like colours to match the floristry. It’s about embracing the winter season by adding luxurious, cocooning elements to create a warm and tactile feeling. 

How to choose your winter wedding flowers

At the end of the day, your wedding flowers should reflect who you are as a bride and a person. Yes, you might be interested in the latest Wedding Trends for 2024, but it needs to feel like your wedding. Whatever winter wedding flower arrangements you decide on, the key is to create a sense of flow through all the displays. The bridal bouquets, the button holes, the church flowers and the wedding venue displays should all complement each other. And there’s plenty of stunning winter flowers and foliage to help you do just that. Here are our florists’ top picks:

Top 5 Winter Wedding Flowers

Ranunculus 

Jo thinks this “is the most stunning seasonal flower available in the winter months. I refer to it as a winter Peony as it’s a winter show stopper! Along with crisp whites and blushes (Kloon Hanoi being my favourite Ranunculus) they are available in vibrant jewel shades too.”

Anemone

“Brides love these winter wedding flowers, especially in white with the darkest of blue centres,” says Jo. “I often feature them in neutral bouquets with Eryngium, commonly known as Thistle in dark blues.”

Hydrangea

“These large blooms can add wonderful texture and impact in arrangements,” says Shelley. They come in a range of muted colours as well as deep reds and bi-colours and are best used to add drama to displays.

Paperwhite Narcissus

Sometimes, simple is best and this relative of the daffodil family gives a nod to the spring months ahead. Both Jo and Shelley agree that this unassuming flower can look stunning if you’re after a less formal look for your winter wedding.

Rose 

It’s a staple wedding flower for a reason. But, “roses don’t have to look boring,” says Shelley. “It all depends on what you marry them with, whether you group them or not.” Jo agrees: “Because roses are available all year round in a variety of colours, there is just as much choice as you would have for a summer wedding.”

5 Fab Winter Foliages

Eucalyptus

Round silvery leaves lining a woody stem – this is the ideal winter wedding foliage for making a statement.

Waxflower

This is Jo’s favourite ‘filler’ with its lemony scent and tiny daisy-like flowers and woody stems.

Brunea Berry

Jo wishes “this berry was available all year round as it’s unusual in its texture and beautiful silver colour”.

Dusty Miller

With its soft grey leaves that look almost frosted, this plant gives a beautiful contrast to darker foliage in winter wedding arrangements.

Asparagus Fern

This wispy green foliage is enjoying a resurgence in popularity and is a go-to foliage filler for Shelley.

Planning a wedding?

If you’re planning a wedding at Lapstone Barn and need more inspiration for your wedding flowers, do get in touch with Aquaflorist and The Broadway Florist or our other recommended local florists. To see our current availability for 2024 and 2025 weddings, please contact our wedding planning team.