Lisianthus have great looking buds that add a fabulous texture to any bouquet or arrangement. The purple lisianthus is one of the best purple flowers available, in my opinion and was perfect for this wedding pictured below as the bride’s chosen colors were purple and green.

In this picture, you can see that the bride’s bouquet contains white lisianthus with the purple edges as does the bridesmaid bouquet that you can see in the lower left corner of the picture. The buds give a fabulous texture to both bouquets. In the picture to the right you can see the bridesmaid bouquets up close.

These centerpieces also had the purple lisianthus in them. The color scheme was “colorful” using reds, oranges, yellows, purples and blues.  And with rich jewel tone colors being one of the biggest trends this year, the deep rich purple Lisianthus is the perfect choice for your wedding arrangements.

Peony are grown around the world and are typically available from April through August, with peak season hitting around April, May and June, which is the most popular month for weddings. Most white varieties bloom early in the season. They are available in so many colors, including various shades of pink, purple, red, salmon, apricot, white, ivory/cream, yellow and bi-colors and are a densely packed bloom which makes them perfect for use in bouquets.

This is a pretty easy bouquet to make. In this picture I used approximately 10 stems of white double peony to form a round hand-tied bouquet, approximately 10 inches in diameter.

This next bouquet is a mixed bouquet containing pink peony, stephanotis, pink roses and Bells of Ireland.

Are you planning to have candles on your reception tables? A gentle breeze can sometimes whip up quite a mess at a moment’s notice. Check out any local craft store for inexpensive hurricane covers to shield your candles from gusts of wind. Also make sure that the flowers you chose will stand up well. Mums for example are excellent for outdoor receptions.

Consider an assortment of paper fans colorfully arranged for your guests to pick up as they head into the reception in your wedding is towards the end of Spring when temperatures can spike up without warning. If you are planning to set up event tents no matter what the weather, think about portable heaters or fans as well to keep everybody comfortable.

Always make sure to check out the location you’ve picked for the outdoor portion of your spring wedding on a windy day. It is possible that what looks to be the perfect place to exchange your vows or celebrate your wedding on a calm sunny day is the worst place possible if the wind picks up. If that gorgeous country setting you and your fiancée fell in love with is surrounded by dirt roads, a kick up in the wind could create a mess.

If you are planning to take advantage of the warmer weather to plan some of your big day outside, remember to have a backup plan in place. April Showers bringing May flowers is not just part of a child’s nursery rhythm, springtime brings unpredictable weather with it. The weather can go from balmy to snowy in the space of a few days in early spring and from delightfully cool to hot and humid in late spring before you know it.

Consider double checking with an indoor hall or your church to make sure that your reception or ceremony can be quickly moved indoors if those April showers come calling on the morning of your special day. Also think about renting event tents and having them on hold for delivery or tucked away at your ceremony/reception site so that they can be put up quickly in the event of a change in the weather.

Stock is available year round, but peak season spans from February through August. When you buy stock, make sure they have at least six, but no more than half open florets per stem. Avoid bunches with smashed, flattened, bruised, brown, molded, rotted or otherwise infected florets. Soft, limp flower spikes, leaves or stems should also be avoided. And, if the stems are slimey and/or the leaves have yellowed don’t buy them!

When you get them home, as with ALL flowers, give them a fresh cut (about one inch cut off bottom at a sharp angle) and strip any foliage that will fall below the water line fo the vase or bucket you will be storing the flowers in. Sometimes these flowers come with roots attached! If yours came that way, cut the entire root off or any white portion of the stem. It is always best to dip the flowers in a hydrating solution before putting them into the bucket of water. Store them in buckets/vases with flower food and lukewarm water. Then, after a couple of hours, put them into refrigeration until you are ready to use them.

Florists use a variety of items as fillers. Baby’s Breath or Gypsophilia is one of the most popular fillers although I don’t use it much myself. The small white flowers make a great filler for bouquets as well as centerpieces.

Queen Anne’s Lace is another popular filler. This white lacy bloom has the added advantage of being easily dyed to match or contrast with the arrangement you are creating.

Hypericum berries also make a great filler. Their brilliant colors make them especially popular with summer arrangements.

Generally known as “bachelor’s button,” this lovely flower is a great choice for bouquets and boutonnieres. Although just as lovely as it’s more fragile counterparts, the Cornflower is sturdy and holds up well to pinning, moving and all the other goings on that occur during the wedding and reception. This lovely flower, which is also available in pick and white is perfect as a bridal or bridesmaid hair ornament. Cut cornflowers can be woven into a head band or attached to ribbon hair floaters. These long lasting flowers also are perfect for the groom and groomsmen boutonnieres. It also works well as a corsage, either at the wrist or pinned to a dress so also consider this as a choice for flowers for the mothers of the bride and groom.

These long lasting flowers are also edible, believe it or not, so they are a perfect choice if you are planning to have flowers strewn on the tables at your receptions or even floating in your punchbowl.

One of the most popular flowers for weddings and receptions of the Edwardian era was the fragrant sweet pea. This beautiful and sweet smelling flower was a staple for arrangements back then and if you are planning to re-capture the romance with a vintage style wedding, you’ll want to make sure that this lovely flower makes an appearence.

Sweet peas are available in a variety of colors, white, lavender, blue, pink and even red. These tiny blooms and their long winding stems are perfect to intertwine through centerpieces as a finishing touch. Their fragrance will create the perfect atmosphere for any reception.

And if you are planning to dry the flowers from your reception as a keepsake, the sweet pea will retain it’s fragrance and create a wonderful potpourri that will give you a lasting reminder of your beautiful day.

Looking to add touches of other colors? Consider green Bells of Ireland; white Casa Blanca Lily; pink Boronia or white or blue Delphinium. Stock, Calla Lily,Narcissus and Primrose come in multiple colors and are always excellent choices for everything from the bride’s bouquet to the reception centerpieces.

And of course, let’s not forget the timeless wedding classics. Roses and tulips come in almost any color you could imagine, from the iciest whites to the deepest reds and purples and just about every color in between that you could imagine.

For splashes of yellow consider using daffodils, gerbera daisies, ranunculus, anemone, roses and lilies in your bouquets and centerpieces. Flowering forsythia branches make for a perfect addition to centerpieces or standing arrangements around the church or reception area.

Pink Peonies are a bridal favorite and start blooming naturally in the United States in late May and are perfect for bouquets. Their dense blooms hold up well and give a wonderful shape to any arrangement. If pink is in your color scheme, you might also consider Stargazer lilies, Sweet peas or even Hyacinth. Orchids are extremely popular this year and their delicate blossoms will add a touch of elegance to any floral display for your special day.