While we love nothing more than swooning over the exquisiteness of a perfect rose, we have to say, there’s something equally as alluring about the lightness and looseness of a wildflower wedding bouquet. With all things 70s-inspired en vogue, the vivid colours and free-form shape of these hand-tied beauties have serious flower power. Full of whimsy, a wildflower bouquet really suits boho, retro and rustic styles. Best of all, your florist can use what Mother Nature has given us right on our doorstep, which is very sustainable approach to choosing your bridal bouquet.
We’ve plucked some fresh floral wedding inspiration, bursting with everything from poppies and lavender, to sunflowers and daisies, nestled amongst other gorgeous blooms and greenery. So whether you want to include just a few wildflowers in your bunch or fully embrace your wild side, we have gorgeous wildflower wedding bouquet inspiration below.
Wildflower Wedding Bouquets
What is a Wildflower Bouquet?
A true wildflower bouquet is made up of flowers and foliage gathered where they grow naturally, such as hedgerows, fields, woodlands, rewilded gardens, riverbanks and sand dunes. To achieve an airy wildflower look, your bouquet should mix flowers with foliage likes grasses, leaves, ferns and even branches that you might see growing together in the wild. These work really well when arranged in a loose hand-tied or free-form style and lend themselves to bigger decor arrangements too.
Sarah of Flowers From The Secret Garden, says that when a bride wants a wildflower look, what she usually means is something that looks fresh, natural, and alive – not artificial and constrained. “I like flowers that dance above the bouquet. In spring, think snakeshead fritillary and butterfly ranunculus. For summer it would be ammi, cosmos and poppies. And of course, grasses are really good in this style of bouquet for adding texture and movement!”
Poppies
Poppies often bloom at the end of winter and the beginning of spring, and come in a range of hues, from blood red to violet, light yellow and peach, and in our opinion, make for the perfect a big bloom addition to a wildflower bouquet.
Allium Caesium
This wonderful rounded light blue flower grows in spring, and would you believe it is actually garlic. Allium Caesium is pretty sturdy too so ideal for adding fun shapes to your bouquet.
Sunflowers
Have you ever met a happier flower? While sunflowers don’t tend to grow wild in Ireland, wild sunflowers are native to North America, and can also be found growing wild in drier regions of Europe. Even as a cheerful and bright garden flower, it works really well with the bright hues of wildflowers.
Daisies
These darling florals are highly adaptable flowers, blooming from spring to early October. And because of their lengthy season, adorable daisies make the ideal touch to wildflower bridal bouquets, whether smaller or large.
Berries and Branches
Small berries and branches really add a woody texture and bright pop of colour, enhancing the rustic vibe of a bouquet, as they can be snipped straight from your own hedgerow.
Delphinium
While many delphiniums are cultivated as ornamental plants, the beautiful Delphinium (commonly known as larkspur) includes species that are indeed wildflowers. Their tall flower spikes are packed with single or double flowers, in shades of blue, purple, dusky pink, red and white.
Clematis
The star-like clematis bloom in colours white, pink, red, blue or, most often purple. This climbing plant is perfect for a adding slightly cascading effect to your bridal bouquet with its flowing tendrils.
Dahlia
Although more commonly recognised as a garden flower, dahlias originated as wildflowers in the high mountain regions of Mexico and Guatemala. They are now a popular choice for wildflower wedding bouquets, especially in late summer and early fall, due to their vibrant colours and long blooming season.
Love-in-a-Mist
Also known as Nigella damascena, Love-in-a-Mist is a sweet, soft-blue bloom featuring pale blue flower petals surrounded by feathery leaves which encircle the flower like a feathery green collar, giving it the ‘mist’ part of the name.
Anemone
Anemones are lovely spring flowers that belong to the same family as the buttercup. With a dark centre that adds a moody touch, these come in white, pink, purple (as above), red and blue.
Scabiosa
Scabiosa, also known as pincushion flower, is a gorgeous textural wildflower, and many varieties are popular in wildflower mixes for their attractive blooms and appeal to pollinators. Scabiosa species and varieties differ in the colours of their flowers, but most are soft lavender, blue, purple, lilac, magenta, hot pink or creamy white.
Thistle
The flower is associated with positive traits among Celtic traditions, including pride, tenacity, perseverance, and strength. Eryngium thistle flower gives a hint of cool tones of blue or purple and works really well with eucalyptus.
Echinacea, Blackeyed Susan’s and Coneflowers
Similar in style and shape, coneflowers, echinacea and Blackeyed Susan’s all come from the same Asteraceae flower family. These summer blooms come in gorgeous shades of yellow, pink, orange, and red. Lavender, gaillardia (blanket flower), ornamental oregano and goldenrod are recommended as complementary plants for echinacea but we love them paired with large dahlias as above.
Lavender
Lavender adds a delightfully fragrant touch whether fresh or dried. It is also a sign of love and devotion, making it an especially lovely flower to feature in your wedding bouquet. It’s so easy to preserve this bloom as a keepsake after your wedding day.
Queen Anne’s Lace
The tiny, white dotted flower head bloom, Daucus carota, whose common names include wild carrot, European wild carrot, bird’s nest, bishop’s lace, and Queen Anne’s lace, in the language of flowers, represents sanctuary. It is an excellent choice for wildflower loving brides because it is affordable, beautiful, and easy to work with.
Greenery
Myrtle, ivy and fern are amongst the most popular wild foliage used in bouquets. Not only do they make for a great filler, but also add a rustic and undone look. Ivy is very popular when it comes to cascading bouquets.
What to Know When Choosing a Wildflower Wedding Bouquet:
- The season will influence flower choice, and wildflower wedding bouquets often work better for a spring or summer wedding.
- Use dried flowers if you’re going for a wildflower look in winter.
- Consider the style of your wedding – wildflower bouquets tend to have a relaxed, boho, rustic, or whimsical feel.
- A wildflower wedding bouquet doesn’t have to be colourful. You can stick to a neutral colour palette like all white.
Still need to book your florist? Check out Ireland’s Best Florists here and we’ve got a whole section dedicated to all things floral!
