Flowers For Every Season

Whether your wedding is at the peak of summer or during snowy mid-winter, four Michigan florists share their favorite flowers for your celebration

By Rebecca Voigt

With so many beautiful blooms to choose from, picking the perfect flowers for your wedding can seem a bit daunting. Here, we ask four Michigan experts — Ashley Brunette of Brunette Blossoms, Rachel Chaffee of Eastern Floral, Josephine Brown of Michigan Flower Barn, and Libby Hogan of Lilies of the Alley — for their favorite flowers for all four seasons.

Winter

White Anemone

“White anemones are iconic in the winter,” says Libby Hogan, owner of Lilies of the Alley in Traverse City. “The deep-colored center adds the perfect amount of contrast and drama to a bouquet or arrangement. If monochromatic is more your speed, Anemone the Bride is a variety with white petals and a pale green center that’s also gorgeous.”

White Scabiosa

Hogan also loves white scabiosa for winter because “it’s a wonderful, fluffy flower. It’s a pure white, not cream or ivory, and has the most romantic shape. It’s reminiscent of a fluffy snowfall.”

Amaryllis

With grand, trumpet-shaped blooms in shades of red and pink, amaryllis is “the perfect holiday winter flower,” says Rachel Chaffee of Eastern Floral in Grand Rapids.

Hellebore

While also popular in the spring, Chaffee loves hellebore for winter because of the bloom’s “perfect, moody colors — mauve, dark purple, green and white.”

Roses

Roses are a classic wedding flower for a reason. “Nothing beats a good red in a winter wedding color palette,” Hogan says. “I love a black pearl rose for a deep, rich red or a piano garden rose for a softer, more delicate red. Think classic, but with a modern touch.” If red isn’t in your winter wedding color palette, roses come in so many colors you will find one that works with your aesthetic. Ashley Brunette, owner and creative director of Metro Detroit-based Brunette Blossoms, suggests Westminster Abbey roses for a champagne blush hue or Quicksand roses for “the perfect mauve/brown/blush color.”

Spring

Peonies

Brunette has crowned the peony the Queen of the Spring. “Her beauty is unmatched by any other statement bloom in the spring,” she says. “Peonies are a showstopper and you only need a couple to make a statement — my favorite thing about them. I also love how many different varieties and colors they come in. You can generally use a peony with any color palette. My favorite variety is the Claire de Lune in blush.”

Specialty Tulips

Josephine Brown, an Owosso-based, first-generation flower farmer and founder of the Michigan Flower Barn, loves specialty tulips for spring weddings. “I know a lot of people hear tulips and picture your grandma’s garden tulips — that is not what these are,” she says. “We grow double, parrot fringe tulips that come in a variety of beautiful natural shades. The double tulips specifically remind me of peonies or even garden roses and are such a treat after a long winter.”

Hellebore

These early-blooming perennials “provide incredible texture and come in fun colors
from green, to white, to mauve,” Hogan says.

Specialty Daffodils

For spring weddings, Hogan also recommends specialty daffodils, especially the aptly named Bridal Crown Daffodil. “They have sweet, petite clusters of blooms and smell absolutely divine,” she says.

Hyacinth

Chaffee says hyacinths “always make me think of spring. They come in some beautiful periwinkle and purple colors, and the smell is also amazing.”

Freesia

Chaffee also recommends freesia, “a delicate flower with multiple blooms per stem, with a lovely, fruity smell.”

Poppies

Delicate poppies are an eye-catching spring favorite for Brown. “They almost look fake because their petals are so thin and bright,” she says. “Poppies add such great movement to our designs.”

Scabiosa

To add bounce to a whimsical, organic floral design, Brunette recommends scabiosa. “Scabiosa are really cute and fun blooms. They come in several different colors and have round heads that I consider a ‘dancing/bouncy’ bloom. Their stems are sturdy, and they last a long time in water, so they are perfect for bouquets and centerpieces.”

Summer

Dahlias

Thanks to a multitude of beautiful varieties that come in countless shapes, colors, sizes, and textures, dahlias are a nearly universal favorite. “Dahlias are an incredible flower that come in an insane array of shapes, sizes, and colors, all with their own unique — and often funny — names,” Hogan says. Brunette adds, “Dahlias always wow wedding guests, and they provide a funky, fun, trendy element in any design.”

Feverfew

For summer weddings, “there’s nothing more charming than feverfew,” Hogan says. The petite, white blooms with sunny yellow centers “embody happiness — they’re so small and cute. And the smell! Whenever I get a bunch in the shop, the first thing I do is stick my nose in and take a good, deep inhale.”

Cosmos

“Another favorite in the garden, cosmos offer a whimsical feel to any summertime wedding,” Chaffee says. Hogan and Brunette agree. “Cosmos add a dance-y, floaty element to arrangements and bouquets that create a feeling of levity and ease,” Hogan says, while Brunette loves the “wildflower feel” they lend her summer weddings.

Queen Anne’s Lace

Another wildflower popular for summer weddings is Queen Anne’s Lace. “The range of colors this flower shows is remarkable — from pale lavender to deep eggplant,” Hogan says. “It’s quite the fan favorite of our clients.”

Zinnias

Available in a variety of colors and sizes, zinnias are a favorite for Chafee and Brown. “I know zinnia’s might not be a go-to for most designers, but they really add character,” Brown says. “If you can get your hands on some of the giant varieties, they’re comparable to dahlias.”

Astilbe

Carefree, summer-blooming perennials that brighten shady gardens with their brilliant flowers, astilbes “offer dense, plume-like blooms. These are great for texture,” Chaffee says.

Fall

Dahlias

Because they are “cut and come again” flowers with a long growing season, Brown says dahlias are perfect for fall weddings as well. They “come in such a wide range of colors and sizes, each stem feeling so unique,” she says. With dahlias, Chaffee adds, “you’ll be sure to find the perfect blooms for your palette.”

Yarrow

“Yarrow comes in the sweetest colors, from buttercream to white to blush to magenta to bright yellow to orange sherbet,” Hogan says. “Its versatility allows these blooms to fit seamlessly within any wedding color palette, and they have such a unique shape and texture, too.”

Sunflowers

These late summer blooms are a fan favorite, Chaffee says, and they’re available in a range of hues. “They come in other colors besides golden yellow — you can find varieties of white and even burgundy.”

Chrysanthemum

“My go-to fall bloom is chrysanthemums, and these are not the big-box pots of rainbow mums,” Brown says. “We grow and work with cut-flower chrysanthemums that are over a foot tall and come in stunning shades. I love to pair them with a mix of any fall foliage and grasses, giving an arrangement such a feeling of elegance and texture.”

Ranunculus

Available year round, Brunette turns to ranunculus as flower varieties and availability start to dwindle in the fall. “Ranunculus comes in several colors, but in the fall, I love the deep oranges, reds and burgundy,” she says. “They are hearty and last a long time in water and open really pretty with lots and lots of petals. They’re cute in bouquet work and provide that dancing, whimsical element for an organic design.”

Campanula

With several bell-shaped blooms on a single stem, campanula is another fall go-to for Brunette. “It comes in a couple different colors, but in the fall, I like using it in white to add a pop of contrast,” she says. “They are bouncy and tall with strong stems, and fabulous in bud vases as well.”