By now, many couples planning to marry in 2020 have been affected by COVID-19. Certainly, if you were planning an April-June wedding you have likely rescheduled to late summer, fall or possibly even 2021. Many brides dream of having peonies, lilac and other spring flowers on their big day, but this may not be possible with a summer or fall wedding. How do you pivot flower choices, colors and design style when you change the season of your wedding? Is that even possible? Please don’t feel too discouraged, we are here to help. This is why having a professional florist on your team is so important. We always have a flower contingency plan even during when we don’t expect any type of problem. Let’s dive in.

Flower Substitutions

Most florists won’t promise you any specific flower no matter what season it is. Even in May, when all of the peonies are blooming and plentiful, there could be a weather event or shipping issue that prevents us from getting your preferred flower. In the case of popular pink or white peonies, we often substitute garden roses. Take a look at the similarities below.

The garden rose is on the left, the peony is on the right. Both flowers are lush, romantic and smell delightful. Garden roses are available year-round. Peonies are typically available in springtime but can be flown in during September or winter months but at a significant extra expense. Garden roses are more costly than traditional roses but they are a wonderful substitution for the peony. Now look below at white garden roses (top left) and dahlia (middle) as a substitute for white peonies (bottom left).

From a design standpoint, the most important thing is to choose a flower with a similar shape and feel to your preferred flower. You’ll probably be introduced to some flowers you may have never seen before. This is a fun way to get a flower education. Your guests will be excited by seeing new and unexpected flowers on your big day.

Change of Season

Now, let’s talk about your wedding in a new season. If you moved from spring to late summer, you may want to add just a few deeper colors to your bouquet. Take a look at the two bouquets below.

(Photography: E Losinio Photography on the left, Darling Photographers on the right)

Just a few simple color changes can make such a difference! The blush and white bouquet on the left is upscale and glamorous. The more colorful bouquet on the right has a few extra pops of color.  Now let’s look at another example changing from medium pink to burgundy. (Photography- Emily Kane Photography on left, Darling Photographers on right)

These are just a few common examples. The possibilities are endless. If you were planning a spring wedding and still have your heart set on a greenery and white wedding, don’t despair! This wedding below was in late September which is a fall month. We also see plenty of winter weddings with green and white. You may just want to adjust the colors of your bridal party attire. The main point we want to drive home is you definitely have options. Trust your wedding pros, chances are we’ve encountered similar situations before and we have the solution for you. We look forward to talking with you about your wedding ideas! Subscribe to our email list for a free download to our favorite wedding flowers. Our email list will keep you up to date when we post to our blog and when we send out other useful flower related tips.