Summer Floral Inspiration

Alright, friends. Memorial Day Weekend is officially upon us, and in the wedding world we all know what that means… time to buckle up for the incredible season ahead! And while us professional teams are in seriously detailing and finalization mode, we realize the same is true for most of you reading this!

SO, in case all of you summer brides are still struggling to find the summer floral inspiration images to bring to your florist for those final design briefings, we went ahead and rounded up some of our collective faves from previous wedding seasons – you can thank us later. 🙂

For the Fans of: Wedding Whites

Elevate Events Summer Wedding Floral Inspiration

Florist credits from left to right: Daffodil Parker / Blossom Bay Design / Ebb & Flow Flowers

As a bride, you truly can NEVER go wrong with a timeless, all-white bouquet. As you can see from the examples above, however, styles still can vary! Whether you prefer the more effortless look of a bouquet of Garden Roses and Olive Branch, a daintier profile of Lily of the Valley, Astilbe and Campanula, or a more modern aesthetic using White Orchids and Roses, remember that an all white bouquet can still make an incredible impact!

For the Fans of: Elegant Neutrals

Florist credits from left to right: Feisty Flowers / Briar Loft / Kelly Lenard

The clear front-runner in the design realm these days is to opt for a neutral-yet-non-white palette – one which still allows the focal tones of the day to sing, yet expertly blends the overall design aesthetic into cohesion via a “muddied monochromatic” look. This overall look can best be achieved by truly letting your florist take the key inspiration (what we call the “hero image”) and running with it! They will know best which flowers (and from where) to source – you focus on simply being fabulous with your “I Do Crew!”

For the Fans of: Pleasant Pastels

Florist credits from left to right: Briar Loft / Sunborn Gardens / Briar Loft / Jaimer’s Floral

For the brides who are ready for a bit more color to peep its way in – this section is for you!

Remember to let your florist know those KEY tones (i.e., bridesmaid dress colors, napkin selections, even tie or wax seal choices) and then… let them run with the rest! If you’re in the camp of “liking a little bit of color but not going for bright or vibrant,” then the key to this type of prompt is a) reminding your florist of this choice, b) providing the key tones of the day (outside of creamy whites and neutrals, of course) and then c) letting them run with it!

Quite honestly, the absolute BEST designs we’ve accomplished have been borne out of trust. solid vendor choices, and clear communication – once that is established, rest assured that your wedding flowers will be everything you have ever desired!

Florist credits from left to right: Ebb & Flow Flowers / Daffodil Parker / Pollen House / Daffodil Parker

For the Fans of: Vibrant Tones & Statement-Makers

Florist credits from left to right: Flora by Jamae / Impressions by Esther / Briar Loft

For the brides who crave color: BRAH-VO! Know a few things about this commitment: your wedding day will be FULL of personality, your guests will appreciate the overall vibrancy of the event, and your vendors will have FUN with the overall design!

Many of our brides struggle with the inclusion of vibrant tones – thinking that bringing in a saturated pink, orange, red or green suddenly makes the entire wedding design suffer. We are here to tell you that:

NOTHING. IS. FURTHER. FROM. THE. TRUTH.

HOWEVER – who are we as planners without a bit of a disclaimer: you can absolutely go bold – you simply need to allow the bold to blend with its best design friends: muddies and neutrals. As long as you are okay with allowing your florist to bring it where it truly matters (yet paring it back as needed throughout the rest of the design), that is how the true magic really comes together.

For the Fans of: Large Floral Displays & Installations

Florist credits from left to right: Briar Loft / Blossom Bay Design / Briar Loft

Okay, we’ll admit it: as wedding designers, we fully understand that our opinion is a strong one: a focal floral installation is key to a cohesive wedding design. Yep, we said it.

What we mean by this is, to put it simply: bouquets and centerpieces are clearly an integral piece of an overall wedding design, make no mistake. HOWEVER: once a full floral installation (be it a ceremony arbor, statement table, stair, fireplace or ceiling installation, escort card display, stage design, etc.)… once it becomes THE pièce de résistance of the overall design – friends, THAT is where a wedding or event goes from INCREDIBLE to UNFORGETTABLE.