The Flowers and Plants Association gives us the low down on wedding flowers to suit the season

If you’ve got your heart set on a particular flower for your wedding bouquet, the chances are, somewhere you’ll be able to find a florist to deliver the goods. If they’re not in season in the UK, they probably are elsewhere, they just might cost that little bit extra, but what’s a few extra pounds if they’re what you really, really want. If you want your bouquet to match the season you’re marrying in, or haven’t given much thought to your bridal bouquet to date, it might be worth looking at our suggestions for seasonal wedding flowers. And, you never know even if you think you know what your heart desires, you might find something more fitting!

SPRING

(February to May)

Anenomes come in pretty pastel shades, perfect for spring weddings. Look out for the varieties with black centres for a natural dramatic contrast. Their fearny leaves make a perfect frame for the flowerheads and a pretty surround for buttonholes. Anemones also make good handtied bouquets, perfect for a bride who wants a simple, unfussy, yet striking bouquet.

Tazetta narcissi are great for wedding bouquets. They have a frilled look and a gorgeous sweet scent. Narcissi (the name for the daffodil family) are extremely good value in season, perfect for a spring bride on a budget. They suit country-style bouquets and modern minimal shapes too. Be warned though, narcissi are one of the few flowers that are difficult to get outside of spring months, so plan for an early wedding if they’re your favourites.

Tulips are really popular as wedding flowers as they’re so versatile and come in a wide range of colours to suit any theme. The single forms are perhaps the most elegant; their simplicity is modern and chic, but the more unusual varieties such as parrot (ruched, frilly, often bi-coloured), fringed (with ice crystal edges), Waterlilly (double-flowered bowls) and lily (pointed, curled-back petals give an exotic look.

Lilac comes in white as well as lilac. The purpleflowered varieties have the stronger scent, but are only available for a very short season of perhaps about six weeks, so make the most of them while you can. Best known as a shrub in English cottage gardens, the cut flower form is far more glamorous. Lilac looks great in full-blown country-style posies and handties, either for a country wedding or for bringing softness to a more formal event.

SUMMER

(June to August)

Sunflowers are great for a country-style wedding for those with big, sunny personalities. Most are bright yellow with dark brown centres but varieties are appearing now which have tan, orange, maroon or striped petals and greenyellow centres. There’s even a low pollen variety - ideal for brides with hayfever.

Gloriosa are fabulous, tropical, exotic flowers. Known as ‘flame lilies’ they add a whimisical, lively quality to longer bouquets, with their long curving stems and petals twisting through the other flowers. They’re not the cheapest of flowers but they are great for a wedding with style and sophistication. Try something unusual for table decorations, like arranging them in gorgeous high heels.

White scabiosa look delicate and pretty for a summer wedding. Although they have tissue-soft petals, they’re a robust flower to last the whole day. They may look oldfashioned and nostalgic, but they have only been cultivated since 1800, and work really well alone or in a large bunch, or in a supporting role with another large flower such as roses.

Delphinium are great summer garden-style flowers, coming in all shades of blues, lilacs and white. The flower usually comes as a tall spike of a stem with many small flowers on it, so your florist can use individual flowerheads for headdresses and buttonholes and the long flower stems for venue arrangements, tall bouquets and table centres.

AUTUMN

(September to early November)

Autumn is a time of year when many flowers have already gone over, but roses are available all year round, in an amazing number of colours and shades. The aptly named ‘Extase’ has deep wine red petals, perfect for those autumn months when you want to add a bit of warmth and colour, and a heady, rich rose scent.

For a more exotic look try glossy red or orange anthuriums. They also come in a range of pastel colours and are best displayed simply, two stems in a bud vase makes a great table arrangement.

Chrysanthemums are another traditional Autumn flower but are often overlooked by brides. What about featuring a ‘bloom’ chrysanthemum, where all the shoots on the side of the stem have been removed to allow one giant flower to form; these are only available in the autumn and often amaze and delight wedding guests.

These sunny yellow alstroemeria, with its trumpet shaped flowers like a miniature lily are becoming more and more popular as they fit well into most bouquets and their sturdy resilience makes them particularly good for overexcited flower girls who might not be too delicate in their handling of a posy.

WINTER

(mid November to February or March)

Brides are advised to choose richer, more vibrant shades of flowers in both autumn and winter. The phalaenopsis orchid as enjoyed a huge rise in popularity either for corsages, as part of the bride’s bouquet, table centres and buttonholes. They come in a vibrant deep magenta, shades of pink and peach, pure white and combinations of white and pink spots and stripes.

Well known for their pillarbox red hue, Amaryllis are show stopping as a wedding flower. The white version is also well matched to a winter theme. Thick, smooth, leafless stems are topped by four or five outsize blooms which make an impressive display or stunning bouquet - just one stem will be enough. They can be cut short for handtied bouquets, or arranged into flower ‘topiary trees’ for flamboyant decorations, they can even be hung upside down for a very alternative decoration.

Eryngium (known as sea holly) is a gorgeous navy blue. Soften it by placing with roses, or accentuate with holly for a winter wedding, or for those with Scottish blood in their veins.

Freesias are among the most popular and widely grown cut flowers in the world. For highly scented varieties look for the pink and red flowers - the darker they are the stronger the scent. They work beautifully with loose, romantic styles of bouquets, where arching stems have freedom to show off the flowers.

Not sure if your favourite flower is in season? Try www.flowers.org.uk for a full listing of what is available and when.