Flowers are an essential part of setting the atmosphere of a wedding through their colour and fragrance. The bouquets of flowers carried by the bride and her bridesmaids are a reflection of the bride’s personality and sense of style. While the trends for flowers for summer and spring weddings lean toward pastels, the romantic flowers for winter and autumn weddings tend to have deeper and richer tones, which bring warmth to the wedding ceremony and reception as the air becomes chillier outdoors.

A bride who is planning to have an autumn wedding has a broad range of flowers from which to choose. Traditionally the colour palette for flowers in an autumn wedding features warm earth tones, such as dark greens, browns, oranges and gold, accenting creamy whites. Many traditional arrangements feature creamy white and peach roses in bouquets, with tiger lilies and cream coloured freesia accented by stems of berries in the fixed structured arrangements.

For those looking to follow the fashion trends for autumn, this season features bouquets with dark pink and purple orchids along with chocolate brown roses, a new hybrid just introduced this year. Dahlias in all sizes and the jewel coloured tones so popular this season, ranging from the mini-dahlia suitable for boutonnieres and corsages to large dahlias used in fixed centrepieces. Fern curls are a popular accent for wedding bouquets and arrangements.

Another popular trend this autumn is the use of herbs and edible flowers in bouquets, either as accents or as the bouquet itself. Many environmentally conscious couples find these bouquets as greener option than traditional flower arrangements as the flowers and herbs are usually sourced from local organic farms. The herbs and edible flowers used in bouquets include flowering thyme, chives, sage, rosemary, lavender and nasturtiums. Additionally, berries are being used to accent flowers in bridal bouquets, such as blackberries accenting white anemones.

When people think of flowers for a winter wedding, often the first flower that comes is a red Christmas rose or a white rose. Most floral colour schemes include deep rich greens, burgundy and reds accented by gold or silver ribbons. While flower arrangements tend to be more expensive during the winter months, it is possible to intersperse red holly berries as well as gold and silver silk flowers amongst the live flowers.

In addition to the rose, white orchids are a popular selection for winter wedding bouquets and floral arrangements this year, along with burgundy, dark pink and white poinsettias. Mistletoe as well as dark red and variegated plants are also a favourite with winter brides this year. Another trend is the use of antique white flowers or white flowers with a very light hue. For fun loving brides, another trend is to add tiny Christmas ornaments to the bouquets carried by the bridesmaids and to the throw away bouquet.

While trends and seasonal traditions certainly play a factor in a bride’s decisions about what types of flowers she has on her wedding day.