The Seasonal Style Guide: Flowers For Autumn Weddings

Image by Emma raye photography: Bright autumnal bridal bouquet using seasonal British flowers

Autumn is often such a beautiful time of year in the UK, so it’s no wonder it remains popular as a favourite season to get married. As the country’s summer brights melt into russet and the late warm weather returns, I am always fizzing with excitement to create more stylish, bespoke flowers for autumn weddings. This is my seasonal style guide, to help you get giddy about the possibilities for your autumn wedding blooms.

Image by Emma Ryan Photographer: Autumn Bridal Bouquet

Types of Flowers for Autumn Weddings

Working with seasonal stems is my favourite way to get the best out of flowers for autumn weddings, and this time of year is a particularly lovely one for the varieties available. My absolute favourite autumn flowers are Dahlias, with their pretty petals that always look as though they’ve been piped out of sugar icing. They come in so many incredible colours and shapes, and are grown right here in the UK. If I am your wedding florist in September or October you’ll very likely have some of these in your design!

Rudbeckia is also a beautiful bloom, and reminds me of an autumnal daisy. The most common colourway for this type of flower is a buttery yellow, perfect for a bright autumn floral design like Megan and Chris’s shown below. Megan’s bouquet was made entirely of British flowers and foliage, with accents of vibrant fuschia, robust magenta and shades of yellow as well as warm whites and classic autumnal orange. 

If you’re a lover of grasses like pampas and miscanthus, autumn is the perfect time of year for you - this is the season it grows in, so it will be fresh and fluffy and give a much nicer effect than the dried varieties available year round. Jess and Ricky’s autumn wedding florals (shown below) used soft, supple pampas grass and seasonal foliage, and you’ll definitely be able to spot a dazzling little Dahlia in there too.

Image by Hamish Irvine: Autumn Boho inspired Bridal Bouquet

Floral Colour Palettes For Autumn Weddings

It’s easy to conjure up ideas about pumpkin orange and rusty red when we think of flowers for autumn weddings, but I like to play with other variants on warm colours to bring seasonal style that is a sidestep from the expected. Making swaps from icy blues and cool whites to toastier tones through the flowers and foliage really transitions a floral design from summery to autumnal. 

Adding cosy, romantic shades such as pretty peach, mellow nudes, rich toffee and homely coffee brings your floral artwork in harmony with the season, but we can also adopt an autumnal take on classic pastels. Sarah and Dan’s autumn pastel florals were originally designed for their summer wedding, which had to be rearranged several times. We kept the colour palette but warmed the whole thing up for their autumn celebrations, by swapping out some flower choices and adding seasonal foliage. 

For me, the colour of the foliage makes all the difference with flowers for autumn weddings - we can transform just about any colour palette and make it seasonally chic with strategic swaps and additions.

Image by Emma Raye Photography : Autumnal Bouquet with a focus on pastel colours

Flowers For Autumn Weddings: Planning Tips

Now you’re in tune with how I design the perfect flowers for autumn weddings, I also have a few tips for you to consider during the planning process. Leaning into the season and using it to your advantage can really elevate your wedding day, ensuring every detail feels considered and intentional - just like in your floral design. 

One of the biggest factors to consider and utilise at an autumn wedding is the light. We are heading towards shorter days and the natural daylight behaves differently, so plan your day around it. If you are looking forward to some golden hour photographs, for example, work out what time this will need to be and arrange your ceremony and reception accordingly. 

Embrace the shorter days and think about how you will light your venue, particularly in the evening. Using lots of candlelight can really enhance the colours of the season and bring a cosy vibe as the evening goes on. Think also about the spaces you will be using and where your guests will be spending most of their time. The British weather is so variable and, while September and October do tend to be quite sunny, we are not blessed with long, balmy evenings. Prioritise lighting and statement features through your florals to work with what you have.

A great example of this was Emily and James’ wedding at Thicket Priory last year. It was September, and the hottest wedding of the year for me! However, this was never guaranteed and so we created a large, asymmetrical arch over the main doorway in and out of the venue - this made for a fantastic photo opportunity for guests, and meant it would be seen and used even if the weather was hit-and-miss on the day. 

For more of my work at Thicket Priory, take a look at this highly immersive floral design I created there.

Image by Emma Ryan Photographer: Wedding ceremony inspiration at Newburgh Priory

I love creating flowers for autumn weddings and finding new colour palettes, design elements and ways to embrace the season. My seasonal style guide is yours to take inspiration from, and if you’re planning your own autumn wedding and want to explore your floral artwork options you can contact me here:

CONTACT BUTTON: https://dittanyentwined.com/contact

Pop back in a couple of months’ time for the winter edit of the season style guide!

“Autumn is the season that teaches us that change can be beautiful!”

— Unknown