A Glossary of Wedding Flowers by Color

Delphinium

This flower is often used in large ceremony arrangements. It also comes in white, mauve, peach, and other blue shades.

Hydrangea

You need just a handful of these big, preppy blooms to create an abundant centerpiece. It also comes in white, green, blue, and assorted pinks.

Blue Thistle

Despite its name, it's not prickly and makes an excellent boutonniere flower.

Tweedia

Besides hydrangea, tweedia is the only flower that comes in this shade of sky blue. It also comes in white.

Pansy

This flower is ideal for DIY centerpieces. It comes in many color combinations.

Muscari

An all-muscari bouquet is chic and ladylike. It also comes in white.

Water Lily

This aquatic flower is a good focal bloom for a tropical centerpiece. It also comes in white, blue, hot pink, and yellow.

Anthurium

This is an accent flower for a stylish bouquet. It also comes in green, red, blush, orange, white, red and green, and red and white.

Stock

This inexpensive filler is available year-round. It also comes in dusty peach, dusty pink, white, and lavender.

Clematis

This graceful, star-shaped flower is ideal for an airy, garden-inspired bouquet. It comes in a handful of colors—from purple to magenta to a striped white—and is a great accent flower. It pairs well with sweet peas, garden roses, and peonies.

Hyacinth

This flower is hyperscented, so don't use it on your reception tables. It comes in pink, green, white, blue, peach, and soft yellow.

Blackberry

Mix this berry with garden roses for an English-cottage look.

Lilac

This classic bloom is most affordable in spring when it's abundant. It's very fragrant, but isn't as hardy and doesn't do well without water, making it better for centerpieces than bouquets. It also comes in two shades of white and mauve.

Phalaenopsis Orchid

This contemporary flower is available all year, comes in an array of colors, and is quite pricey. It's ideal for a bride who wants a formal, luxurious aesthetic. Nothing cascades better than an orchid—so if you want a tumbling, oversize teardrop bouquet, look no further.

Leucocoryne

Leucocoryne looks sweet grouped into a colorful posy. Its flowers range in color from white to pink to deep purple.

Pinks and Reds

Blossoming Oregano

Are you a foodie? Tuck a spring into the napkin at each place setting.

Rose

This flower is available year-round and pairs well with everything under the sun. A rose can work in any genre—it looks rustic with sunflowers and refined with lily of the valley.

Sharry Baby Orchid

It often has a faint vanilla scent.

Parrot Tulip

Perfect for a spring wedding, parrot tulips come in a huge range of colors, from the softest pink to the brightest coral to the deepest blackened eggplant.

Anemone

This modern-looking flower also comes in white, blue, red, plum, and blush. On their own, anemones feel modern, festive, and cheerful.

Nerine

This quirky flower also comes in white, fuchsia, and salmon. It looks playful in a corsage.

Dendrobium Orchid

Arrange this orchid variety en masse for an extravagant centerpiece. It also comes in white, purple, green, and magenta.

Queen Protea

This statement flower also comes in white. Consider this showstopper if you love the look of a single flower over a bouquet.

Double Tulip

This flower is only available in winter and spring. "Double" implies that it has a fatter head size and more densely layered petals than other tulips.

Scabiosa

These flowers also come in white, lavender, blue, burgundy, and black. They're a great substitute for wildflowers if you're marrying in their off-season (generally winter and spring).

Bromeliad

This rare, tropical flower is perfect in a gallery or loft setting.

Garden Rose

A garden rose has a Victorian, and it comes in every color except blue and is one of the more fragrant roses. It's pricier than the average rose but more affordable than a peony.

Mokara Orchid

This orchid variety also comes in orange, yellow, cream with pink dots, green, and lavender. It's the most budget-conscious orchid.

Lepto

This is an affordable filler with a romantic vibe. It also comes in white.

Quince

This flowering branch also comes in white and blush. It is available in only winter and spring.

Amaryllis

This winter flower is expensive, but you get a lot of look for your buck. It's ideal for a holiday-inspired wedding in a loft or gallery.

Gloriosa Lily

This flower also comes in yellow and orange-and-yellow. Some have long, delicate stems with bright, curly leaves.

Camellia

This glossy-leafed branch blossoms in winter and spring only. It also comes in pink, blush, and white.

Gerbera Daisy

This flirty, youthful flower is for a playful bride on a budget. It comes in fun colors (including pastels) and gives off no scent.

Ginger

This long-stemmed flower, which also comes in pink, is striking in tall arrangements.

Mini Cymbidium

These make great boutonnieres as they're not foofy, hold up well without water, and have no fragrance.

Croton Leaf

This leaf also comes in orange, yellow, and green. This exuberant foliage is available all year long.

Chocolate Cosmos

These also come in deep burgundy. They smell like—you guessed it—chocolate.

Sweet Pea

These small flowers come in magnificent colors, give off a very light fragrance, and add a lot of texture to a bouquet.

Lisianthus

This flower also comes in white, green, cream, mauve, lavender, purple, white with purple, and white with mauve. It's a ballroom-friendly filler.

Godetia

This farmer's market find adds a vibrant pop of neon pink. It also comes in soft pink, lavender, white, and salmon.

Peony

This popular wedding flower also comes in white, magenta, deep red, burgundy, and soft yellow. For the ultimate girly arrangement, splurge on an all-peony bouquet.

Cherry Blossom

This flowering branch also comes in white. It's available for springtime nuptials only.

Snapdragon

This field flower is great for a loose arrangement. It also comes in red, orange, white, yellow, pink, and lavender.

Icelandic Poppy

This graphic flower also comes in orange, peach, yellow, cream, and white. Artsy girls love its paper-thin petals and curvy stem.

Oriental Lily

This flower also comes in hot pink, white, and yellow. Ask your florist to remove its pollen or it may stain your dress.

Spray Rose

Use this sweet-looking bud as a ringbearer's boutonniere. Cluster a few in silver julep cups, or do single-stems in stemless Champagne flutes.

Whites

Agapanthus

This flower also comes in blue and holds up well in hot weather.

Daffodil

This flower also comes in yellow, orange, and peach. The white variety is an elegant, unexpected choice for a black-tie reception.

Chrysanthemum

In the hands of the right florist, mums can look quite lovely in centerpieces. This sturdy bloom also comes in white, lavender, yellow, and mauve. Bonus: It looks more expensive than it actually is and is available year-round.

Gardenia

Work this blossom into a chignon for a retro-glam touch. It's also available in yellow and pink.

Tuberose

Brides love this flower's feminine fragrance, making it a popular bouquet choice.

Calla Lily

Some mass-grown varieties of these flowers stay closed, so ask your florist for "big and open" stems. They're also available in pink, yellow, and deep purple.

Ranunculus

Ranunculi come in every color except blue. It's one of the most versatile wedding flowers, available in a vast array of sizes, shapes, and price points.

Spirea

If you love flowering branches but are planning summer nuptials when they aren't in season, spirea is a great alternative.

Chinch

This chic, playful blossom is tailor-made for a black-and-white-themed party.

Stephanotis

This elegant white bloom is often seen on the lapel of a tuxedo.

Fritillaria

This flower also comes in plum, green, light green, yellow-brown, and black. The dainty bloom is available only in spring.

Veronica

This stem also comes in blue and pink. Use it as filler if you want a hand-picked look.

Helleborus

This flower blooms in the snow, making it a fitting choice for a winter nosegay. It also comes in burgundy, chartreuse, white, soft yellow, and cream.

Queen Anne's Lace

This blossom also comes in white and green. It lends extra texture to a wildflower bouquet.

Oranges and Yellows

Freesia

This lightly perfumed bloom also comes in white, yellow, and lavender. It often appears in traditional bouquets.

Pincushion Protea

Offset the quirkiness of this flower, which also comes in yellow, by pairing it with roses.

Kumquat

Unlike other fruits, this tiny citrus won't weigh down your bouquet.

Mini Calla Lily

This petite flower also comes in white, cream, blush, pink, lavender, burgundy, and black. It's the perfect size for a boutonniere.

Mini Gerbera Daisy

This joyful bloom comes in every color except blue and purple. It appeals to minimalists and bohemians alike.

Ruffled Tulip

These come in wonderful colors, and look very modern. The ruffled tulip is definitely a flower with a big presence.

Heliconia

This flower also comes in red. Looking for something stark and sculptural? Voilà.

French Parrot Tulip

This is the largest and most artful member of the tulip family.

Carnation

These are cost-effective and come in beautiful colors. Don't mix them with other flowers, and they'll look even chicer.

Cymbidium

This silky bud also comes in green, cream, mauve, burgundy, and brown. This flower works equally well at a beach party or an urban soirée.

Dahlia

This popular flower comes in every color except blue. Dahlias can be tricky to find in spring and winter.

Florida Beauty

This tropical speckled leaf has graphic appeal.

Yarrow

It's pretty much wiltproof and looks great dried.

Oncidium Orchid

Getting married in the tropics? Weave these into garlands or floral arches.

Craspedia

Also known as billy balls, they look darling in bud vases or as bouquet accents.

Witch Hazel

This blooming branch, which also comes in orange, makes for deliciously scented centerpieces.

Sunflower

This iconic bloom also comes in yellow-and-black, burgundy, and cream. Cluster a few together for a sunny arrangement.

Mimosa

It's a good ingredient for an aromatic bouquet.

Greens

Snake Grass

This stalk also comes in dark green. Loop it around blooms for a modern bouquet.

Eucalyptus

This plant also comes in gray and pink-gray. It's a fragrant filler for classic arrangements.

Lotus Pod

This also comes in brown (dried). Use it to inject exotic flavor into any arrangement.

Brunia

This coral-like plant also comes in green. It adds whimsy to a boutonniere.

Jasmine

Shown here with a fiddlehead fern, jasmine also comes in white. Use just a few sprigs and your bouquet will smell divine.

Fiddlehead Fern

It's a go-to for woodland-wedding boutonnieres.

Anthurium Leaf

This forest-green leaf has destination wedding written all over it.

Bird's Nest Fern

It's perfect for a summery, super-colorful centerpiece.

Dusty Miller

This gray foliage is a chic choice if green clashes with your palette.

Succulent

Succulents are great for brides who don't like traditional greenery. The tiny ones make great boutonnieres.

Viburnum

Seen here in the green version, this also comes in white. For an English-countryside vibe, match this pom-pom with peonies or garden roses.