Fresh and Colorful Floral Ideas for Your Spring Wedding
- Karlie Larson
- Apr 1
- 8 min read
As the days continue to get longer and the snow just lingering on the mountaintops, spring finally brings us warmer weather and brand new blooms in the nature surrounding us. Spring breaths life into our surroundings - making it such a beautiful season to get married! Maybe it's the start of a whole new season with so much opportunity, but Springtime is always inspiring and makes me so excited for the year ahead! And with spring comes gorgeous florals in a variety of colors, which makes Spring my all time favorite time of year to photograph elopements and micro-weddings here in North Idaho. For the upcoming spring season, here's Fresh and Colorful Floral Ideas for Your Spring Wedding, whether that be for your wedding in Northern Idaho, or anywhere!
Why Spring is a Great Season for Weddings
As someone who photographs almost exclusively outdoors, spring is such a great season to consider for your wedding because the weather is pleasant, there are natural wildflowers growing in the forest, everything is fresh and green, and there's even snow left on the mountaintops which is just breathtaking to me!
I am personally someone who loves weather in the 50-60s (not 80 degrees plus 😂), this is honestly just the perfect temperature for being outside. You don't have to worry about sweating in your dress nearly as much as on a summer day, and you can always bring a cute coat along if you get a little chilly!
As for crowds as well, spring is just the beginning of a busy season to be outside so depending on when you get married, you can avoid the crowds and have a much more intimate experience for your day when getting married outside!
Best Months to Have a Spring Wedding
April
April can be a beautiful month to have a spring wedding! Even with rain likely to be present, this doesn't make it any less romantic. Bring along some clear umbrellas for an outdoor ceremony, or rent an Airbnb or a local lodge or venue for your wedding to have a good indoor option. But even with that, vibrant spring florals will just pop off of any cloudy weather and can really make the indoors look absolutely stunning!
May
Mid-late May is another pleasant time to have an outdoor wedding - May is typically the first month to hit some higher, warmer temperatures which makes May a top pick for a Spring wedding. May is also a great month to consider as more local activities open up (typically after Memorial Day weekend) if you want to do more adventurous activities like hiking or doing a local excursion.
Early June
Especially in North Idaho, I count early June as spring! Late May and early June is my absolute favorite time of year for Spring weddings. Early June - Mid June is perfect for warm weather, outdoor activities, and colorful spring bouquets.
Spring Floral Color Palette Ideas
Here's some inspiration from real weddings I've photographed to give you an idea of some spring color palettes - and how you can include the florals to tie in the overall theme and feel of your wedding.
Pastel Spring Hues - Romantic and Airy
Purple/Lavender/Peach - Greens and purples are some of my favorite colors to pair together, and this bride did just that for her Idaho forest elopement in Mid-May.
Orange/Pink/Yellow - This Priest Lake micro-wedding took place on May 25th here in North Idaho and is a prime example of how beautiful late May weddings are! This bride channeled the warm hues of pinks and oranges that just popped off the greens of the forest.
Vibrant Pops of Color - Fresh and Colorful
Blue/Purple/Pink/Yellow - This elopement took place on June 1st and we spent the entire day outdoors, and even went ziplining - and the bride had the most beautiful Idaho wildflower inspired bouquet 😍
Yellow/Pink/Red - Even with cloudy days of spring and early summer, picking vibrant colors will just pop off the blue mountains and gray skies, just like the florals for this wedding in Grand Teton National Park in mid-June.
Popular Spring Flowers for Bouquets
Now that you have some fun ideas for colors, and maybe in the photos above you found some flowers that you love! I'll go over a list now of some of the most popular spring flowers that you can incorporate for your wedding.
Lilacs
Fragrant and lovely, offering a rustic yet romantic feel.
Peonies
Symbolizing love and romance, available in various pastel shades.
Poppies
Their vibrant colors add a touch of boldness to any arrangement.
Ranunculus
Full blooms with intricate layers, often in soft tones.
Snapdragons
A unique, elegant shape, making them a versatile and eye-catching.
Anenomes
Bold, contrasting black centers that pop against soft petals.
Cosmos
Adds a delicate, airy, and "wildflower" touch to arrangements.
Bellium
Cheerful appearance that just yells springtime, looks just like mini daisies.
Delphinium
Adds a beautiful blue hue and height with texture.
Lupines
Available in a variety of colors to add height and dimension to your bouquet.
Roses
Also available in a wide variety of colors, roses add the perfect soft and romantic touch, especially these pinky-coral colored ones!
Popular Greenery for Bouquets
Tips for Choosing Flowers for Your Outdoor Wedding
From a photographer's perspective, having nice florals makes a huge difference in your photos! Flower bouquets even give your hands something to hold, so you don't feel like you have to be doing something with your hands the whole time. Florals one thousand percent add to your final gallery of photos, and if you pick florals that go with your theme, you can see how it all ties together so nicely in the photo gallery!
Things to Consider When Choosing Your Florals
Some locations like national forests and national parks can have limits on what you can bring, so faux flowers are a great option if you still want real looking flowers - like the ones in this elopement in the North Cascades.
In addition, wooden flowers (like Sola Wood Flowers) make a great keepsake and look real in photos. These are a great option for more alpine areas where real flower bouquets aren't allowed, like in national parks or national forests. Or even if you just want them for easier shipping if you're doing a destination wedding or elopement!
Pick a local florist that may be more familiar with what's allowed in certain areas and what's not. They will also be able to help you pick flowers based off what you're looking for, and what's in season! Especially if you want to hike and put your flowers in you backpack, picking sturdy florals that won't drop seeds or petals is the way to go.
More Ways to Include Spring Florals into Your Wedding
Your wedding bouquet doesn't have to be the only thing you focus on when choosing florals. Incorporating the flowers you get in these different ways will add some gorgeous variety to your photos as well!
Hair Pieces
Flower crowns, hair clips, or even just a single flower as a statement in your hair is a beautiful way to add a soft touch of color.
Boutonnieres
Can't forget about the grooms! Boutonnieres are great to include for portraits of the groom. There are also really unique flower pockets that you can put in the suit pocket for a different look!
Pocket Boutonniere Photo: https://palmyra-greenhouse.com/shop-qXlBn-uwwLC-ABUJM/p/pocket-boutonniere
Table Decor
I absolutely love it when there's a gorgeous table setup for a reception! In the photo below they also included bud vases for sprigs of flowers all down the length of the table, with the bride's bouquet as the center focal point.
Aisle Decor
Can't forget about some ceremony/aisle decor! Whether you want to have a floral arch, ground cover, or even hanging flowers as a backdrop, there's so many unique ways to include florals into your aisle decor!
Ways to Customize your Bouquet
Here's some unique ways to add a personal touch to your flower bouquet!
Leather Wrap
How neat is this handmade leather wrap that the groom made for the bride? This was such a unique piece and was so fun to photograph and include in their gallery.
Macrame
Perfect for a more boho-feel, macrame bouquet wraps add a perfect amount of texture and interest.
Ribbon
I personally love some strings of ribbon that cascade down off your bouquet, it adds nice movement and a touch of elegance at the same time.
Meaningful Mementos
Including some mementos on your flowers is a great way to bring them along with you for the day. Adding some personalized dates, initials, or family heirlooms in a unique way is the perfect touch.
Sustainability in Floral Arrangements
Choosing sustainable options can help your flowers look their best, while also helping be less wasteful. Here's some sustainability tips for your florals.
Choose Locally Sourced Flowers
Support local florists and sustainable farming practices - local flower farms typically use less pesticides, and they are also harvested closer to your wedding date, which in turn ensures they are at their peak freshness.
Choose Flowers in Season
Out of season flowers can cost more, as well as require specialized shipping. Picking local, in season flowers will save you in cost and will reduce special requirements to obtain them.
Consider Floral Preservation
A great way to preserve your flowers is preserve them into art! There are several different ways to do so, like getting them pressed into frames to display as art on your wall, or even getting them preserved in resin to use for decor around your home like coasters or bookends.
If you're in North Idaho check out The Petite Pansy!
Donate Any Leftover Flowers
If you have any leftover florals, either from table decor or from your bridesmaids, consider donating them to a local hospital, or to someone who will appreciate them a little longer while they last! At the end of the night, you can even have your guests bring some home to enjoy!
Leave No Trace:
I touched on this a bit earlier, but leaving no trace even while getting married outdoors is definitely important, especially for an outdoor hiking elopement! Picking flowers that aren't invasive or ones that won't drop seeds or petals while out in the mountains will help keep the outdoors wild in their natural way. Other things to be aware of include not throwing flower petals, seeds, or anything along those lines while out in nature.
These are all the floral tips I have for you today for Fresh and Colorful Floral Ideas for Your Spring Wedding! As a photographer, Spring is my all time favorite time of year to photograph weddings, and choosing florals that go with your wedding theme seriously make such a huge difference in your final gallery of photos!
Here's some more elopement planning resources to help ensure you'll have the most beautiful and memorable day:
Elopement Packages
For even more help for all things wedding/elopement, check out my elopement packages and pricing to see how I can help you throughout the process of planning your dream day and getting the best images for your elopement! Don't forget to check out my other blogs for even more free helpful planning resources, for more help besides florals!
Elopement Photographer
As an elopement photographer, it's super important to me that you get images you'll cherish and an experience you won't forget on your wedding day (read more about working with me here). That's why I love providing these blogs for you to help navigate the process of creating your own unforgettable and beautiful elopement day! Interested in working together? You can contact me here and let's schedule a free planning call for your elopement experience!
