From Idea to I Do: Chapter 2 - A Guide to Choosing the Right Floral Varieties

Katie
Oct 7
5 min read

Updated: Oct 14

When it comes to planning your wedding, few details are as emotionally meaningful, or as visually striking, as your flowers. The right wedding flowers add shape, texture, and a personal touch that brings your entire theme to life. But with so many floral varieties to choose from, how do you pick the perfect blooms that reflect your style, your story, and your personality?

In this installment of the From Idea to I Do series, we’re exploring how to thoughtfully select floral varieties, especially for couples seeking highly customized, meaningful, and keepsake-worthy designs.

Table of Contents:

Flower Varieties that Fit Your Theme
Flowers That Tell Your Story
Flowers in Memory of Your Loved Ones

Option One: Choose Flower Varieties that Fit Your Theme

Your wedding theme is the foundation of your aesthetic. It doesn’t have to be overly specific (no need to declare “Boho Chic Literary Garden Party” unless you want to!), but knowing the general feel of your day will help narrow down floral choices that fit naturally into your vision.

In Chapter 1: Creating Your Wedding Vision, we explored how to define your wedding theme. Now, let’s bring that vision to life by choosing flowers that align with it naturally. Below, we’ll explore three popular wedding aesthetics and the floral varieties that help each one bloom.

Romantic & Vintage Wedding

romantic and vintage themed bridal bouquet in ivory, peach, gray and navy with roses, hydrangeas and daisies with pearl details.

Style and Atmosphere - Think soft, timeless romance with a touch of nostalgia. This look draws on delicate details, graceful shapes, and an old-world charm that feels like a love story preserved through the years.

Fitting Florals - Select flowers that radiate softness, timeless elegance, and classic beauty. Whether fresh or hand-crafted from the pages of books, the following blooms perfectly embody the essence of romance and vintage charm, creating unforgettable bouquets and arrangements that evoke heirloom sophistication.

Statement Blooms:

Peonies – Full and fluttery
Roses – Whimsical and soft
Lisianthus – Light and romantic
Anemones – Elegant with contrast
Hydrangeas – Textural and voluminous

Soft Accents & Greenery:

Forget-Me-Nots – Symbolize remembrance and eternal love
Sweet Peas – Light and romantic, with natural height
Lavender – Delicate with old-world beauty
Dusty Miller – Vintage foliage
Eucalyptus – Romantic and flowing

A note about book page flowers: While season and availability often limit fresh floral options, that’s not the case with book page flowers. Every floral variety we offer is available year-round, so you can design based on vision, not what’s in bloom that month. Want peonies in October? Or wildflowers in winter? We’ve got you covered.

Boho Wedding

wildflower bridal bouquet for a boho themed wedding

Style and Atmosphere - Imagine effortless romance and untamed beauty, where nature takes center stage. Think bare feet, magical forests, and sunlight filtering softly through a canopy of leaves. It’s a celebration where every detail feels organic and unforced; a dance between the raw wilderness and intimate connection.

Fitting Florals - Think wildflower-inspired arrangements, soft neutral tones, and blooms that feel freshly gathered rather than perfectly polished. Lush greenery like eucalyptus and unexpected elements like feathers add that free-spirited, earthy edge.

Wild & Textural Blooms:

Anemones – Striking centers with soft petals
Scabiosa – Airy with a touch of whimsy
Cosmos – Effortlessly pretty
Craspedia (Billy Balls) – Round pops of texture
Lavender – Delicate and nostalgic

Flowy Greenery:

Eucalyptus – Dreamy and textural
Ferns - Adds whimsy and wildness
Ruscus – Greenery with graceful height
Dusty Miller – Adds softness

Bold & Modern Wedding

Style and Atmosphere - Where geometric forms meet unexpected pops of color. This theme embraces individuality and creates a memorable experience that’s as unique as the couple themselves.

Fitting Florals - For a bold and modern wedding, floral varieties that offer sleek lines, strong color contrasts, and dramatic shapes are key. Think calla lilies, with their smooth, sculptural form, or orchids, whose air of elegance makes a bold statement.

Sculptural Florals:

Calla Lilies - Sleek and sculptural
Orchids - Exude luxury and sophistication
Protea - Geometric statement blooms
Lilies - Dramatic and exotic
Hellebores - Add texture and depth

Bold Greenery:

Acacia Leaves - Bold and distinctive
Agave Leaves - Geometric statement
Eucalyptus - Adds structure
Magnolia Leaves - Large and minimalistic
Lily Grass - Clean and sleek

Option Two: Choose Flowers That Tell Your Story

Wedding flowers can do more than just look beautiful. They can capture the unique story of your life: individually and together. Here are some meaningful ways to choose blooms that express your journey:

Blooms Tied to Special Places or Travels

tropical themed bridal bouquet made from book pages

Incorporate flowers that remind you of places from your childhood or special travels. Flowers from your early years often carry deep sentimental value, evoking memories of home, family, and meaningful moments. Whether it’s the peonies that bloomed each summer in your backyard or the wildflowers from the meadow where you shared your first kiss, these blooms can transport you back to those cherished times. Including these familiar flowers in your wedding adds a nostalgic, personal touch that celebrates your roots.

Flowers with Symbolic Meanings

vintage themed ivory and pink bridal bouquet

Symbolic flowers carry more than just beauty, they hold timeless meanings that can add depth and significance to your wedding day. Consider choosing roses for love, lilies for purity, or forget-me-nots for true love and remembrance. These flowers have been used for centuries to represent emotions. By incorporating these symbolic blooms into your wedding florals, you’re not just adding color and texture, you’re embedding your vows into every petal, creating a floral language that speaks directly to your hearts.

Visit FlowerMeanings.org for a truly deep dive into floral symbolism.

Flowers That Reflect Personal Milestones

Select flowers that mirror the significant moments you’ve shared together, such as the flowers you were given during your first date or a bloom that marks the season of your engagement. If your engagement happened in the crisp days of autumn, dahlias may evoke that cozy, intimate feeling. Or maybe a sunflower reminds you of a joyful summer trip you took together. These carefully chosen blooms not only symbolize those precious milestones but also weave a personal narrative into your wedding, adding an extra layer of meaning to your celebration.

Choosing flowers in this way ensures that your wedding blooms are not just seen, but deeply felt, remembered, and cherished for years to come.

Option 3: Choose Flowers in Memory of Your Loved Ones

"The ones that love us never really leave us."

— Sirius Black, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling

fall themed bridal bouquet with flowers chosen in memory of loved one

It can be especially difficult to navigate a day as important as your wedding without those who played a pivotal role in your life.

By choosing flowers in memory of your loved ones, you honor their impact on your life and carry their love with you on your wedding day. This might be a favorite bloom of a grandparent, a flower that your mother grew in her garden, or a meaningful flower that reminds you of a close friend. Each petal can carry the memory of someone special, connecting the past with the present in a beautiful and lasting way.

Infusing your flowers with memories of those who shaped you ensures that your wedding day is filled with love, honoring the ones who helped make you who you are.