Flowers Wedding

When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site.

Nancy Mattia is a freelance writer covering wedding and bridal content. She was an editor at for more than 18 years.

If you're planning a wedding with plenty of special touches, it's a good idea to think about personalizing your flowers. Instead of basing your choices on color and style alone, though, let each flower's significance inform your final decision. From your bridal bouquet to your ceremony arrangements, there are so many ways to infuse your personality into your wedding day blooms, especially if you're mindful of their individual meanings.

Modern & Traditional Italian Wedding Flowers By Season

What many don't realize is that the language of flowers dates back to Victorian times, when florals were used to express emotions once words and gestures failed. That's why many couples today have the ability to follow this romantic practice and create arrangements that hold a special place in their hearts. Additionally, color has the ability to play a substantial role in a flower's meaning, as specifically seen with the rose. While a red rose symbolizes passion, a white rose means purity, and a pink one signifies joy and admiration.

Aside from roses, there are a variety of blooms with special meanings that all couples should know about. Ahead, we're sharing a list of 41 popular wedding flowers and what they symbolize today.

While most flowers have good vibes and positive sentiments, you'll want to steer clear of those whose meanings have a negative association—such as begonia which symbolizes beware and tansy which is associated with hostile thoughts.

Traditional Wedding Flowers And Their Hidden Meanings

Don't call amaryllis a wallflower! Though pictured here in a coral hue, amaryllis comes in a variety of bold colors as well. With its lily-like style, it has rightfully made a name for itself in the botanical world as a splendid beauty.

You don't need a breeze to be charmed by the allure of this delicate bloom. Anemone comes from the Greek word for windflower and symbolizes anticipation.

If you're going with a heart theme for your wedding, this tropical beauty is a true fit. Anthurium stands for hospitality and has a Cupid-inspired shape that will fit right in.

Wedding Flower Arrangements Ideas & Inspiration

Like an extra in a movie who stays in the background, this popular bouquet and centerpiece filler—which signifies festivity—is often used to support the star flowers. But with tiny white clouds for petals and its ability to stand on its own with other decor, we think it deserves top billing of its own.

When people think wedding flower, this bloom often comes to mind. With its trumpet shape and elegant air, the calla lily more than stands up to its meaning: regal.

Far beyond being just a lapel decoration, carnations can be massed together for a lush look that's affordable. The pink variety means gratitude, and white is pure love, but stay away from a striped hue, which represents refusal.

Best Fall Wedding Flowers

Couples who want to incorporate these delicate pink buds, which symbolize the fragility of life, better act fast: They're only around for a few short weeks in the spring. But if you're able to get them, they'll add great volume to statement pieces, ultimately cutting down on your floral budget.

Presenting as a cross between a pompom and a daisy, mums are a full-bodied favorite for their variety of colors, shapes, and sizes. However, it's not just the versatility of this bloom that wins over the hearts of soon-to-be-wed couples—it's also its meaning which symbolizes joy.

A climbing plant of the buttercup family with large showy petals, clematis could be considered a clever flower. Blooming in a wide variety of colors from white to purple and pink, clematis symbolizes ingenuity and mental beauty.

Fresh & Fragrant Lilac Wedding Bouquets

What do marriage and this shapely spring flower have in common? Both represent new beginnings, which are tailor-made for a couple's big day. Plus, the sunny hue of daffodils is as happy as can be!

A cousin of the daisy family, the dahlia originated in Scandinavia and means from the valley, making it perfect for a wedding with a garden theme. These big, bold flowers bloom in summer to make for a gorgeous seasonal statement.

If ever there was a flower that made the world smile, it's this pretty little thing. With dainty white petals, a yellow center, and a meaning of innocence, the daisy's free spirit vibe can be a beautiful addition to a wildflower bouquet, and it works perfectly with casual weddings.

Can You Grow Bridal Flowers

If you've been planning your big day for months (years even), why not give a nod to your excitement by including this bell-shaped bloom? This sunny-hued plant means anticipation, and it's the perfect way to add a pop of color to an arrangement.

A sweetly fragrant spring favorite with up to ten tiny, bell-shaped flowers on each stem, this beauty originated in Africa and represents innocence and friendship. Many couples are opting to incorporate freesia in new and unique ways, replacing other traditional white flowers, such as roses, in a bouquet.

This tropical treasure, known for its fragrance and waxy, pointed petals, symbolizes joy. It's earned a reputation as a popular flower for to wear in their hair, but it's also the perfect base for a beautiful posy.

Wedding Flowers & Gifts

A wildly popular member of the daisy family, the Gerbera differs from the traditional variety with rows of overlapping petals. Available in a wide variety of bright colors and a name that means cheerfulness, it's no surprise that it has the same sunny disposition.

If you're athletic and looking for a flower that symbolizes your love of games, look to the highly fragrant hyacinth. Named after a Greek boy and representing sport or play, this purple bloom is a unique addition to any bouquet or centerpiece.

If you love full-bodied flowers, this round bloom with an abundance of tightly packed petals is the one for you. Bonus: It's marriage-ready symbolizing both perseverance and heartfelt emotion.

Lucky Flowers To Include In Your Wedding Arrangements

The inspiration for the fleur-de-lis, France's national emblem, the iris represents three important entities: faith, valor, and wisdom. It's also best known for its deep purple hue.

Also known as camellia, this classic Southern charmer, which grows as a flowering shrub, has lush petals similar to the peony and glossy leaves. Newlyweds choose it because it exemplifies graciousness.

Let's hear it for a flower that has a dual personality: It symbolizes both beautiful spirit and fickleness. Part of the buttercup family, larkspur is a complex flower like the orchid, with an irregular tall shape to make a statement.

Types Of Filler Flowers And Greenery (and Their Meanings!)

Don't just pick this flower for its gorgeous purple hue and scent. Give it a place in your arrangements for what it symbolizes: devotion and virtue.

Is your partner the very first person you fell for? Consider walking down the aisle carrying a bouquet of this bloom that exudes the meaning of first love. Opt for purple or white, or both!

The symbol of modesty and virginity, the white variety of this timeless flower is a wedding staple. The other shades also have a significant meaning: The orange lily symbolizes passion while yellow represents gaiety.

Seasonal Flowers For Your Summer Wedding

Just one look at the tiny petals of this dainty bloom and its symbolism makes perfect sense: sweetness and purity of heart. The flower is also thought to represent a return to happiness.

Generally associated with the South, this large showy flower with a distinctive fragrance is prized worldwide and has been around for 20 million years! Fittingly, it symbolizes nobility and dignity.

Also known as grape hyacinth, this flower develops small, urn-shaped blossoms that are usually purple (symbolizing mystery, calm, and creativity) but also come in dark blue (for power and confidence). What's more, it makes for a darling statement as a boutonnière or could even be incorporated in small bud vases on reception tables.

A Guide To Choosing Your Wedding Flowers

Carrying a bouquet of this exotic beauty on your wedding day can certainly be a dramatic touch, but that's not all it shows. Orchids have a meaning of refinement and charm, everything that this stunning bloom symbolizes.

Romantic couples may love peonies for their lush fluffy petals, but they'll cherish the meaning even more. This springtime bloom symbolizes a happy marriage, and it's the ideal big, bold flower to make a statement in a beautiful bouquet.

For your wedding, choose the right color of this eternally cheerful bloom: A red poppy is linked to pleasure while yellow stands for wealth and success. But steer clear of white, which signifies consolation.

Premium Silk Flowers

Dating back 300 million years, this flower comes in many sizes and colors that symbolize courage and diversity. It was named after the Greek god Poseidon's son, Proteus, who could change his shape at will.

Symbolizing delicate femininity and complexity, this wedding favorite of