10 Wedding Flowers that Thrive During the Winter

One of the most common words people use to describe foliage during the winter months is bare. We don’t usually think of winter as the time for beautiful blooming flowers.  When we do think of flowers that bloom during winter, however, most people tend to think of poinsettias first. If you’re anything like me, poinsettias aren't your typical wedding flower – they belong in Christmas decorations.  Listed below are flowers that are perfect for winter ceremonies, accent colors and decorations. Some of them may even surprise you!

1) Cyclamen - With their deep colors and frosted tips, cyclamens are so close to a perfect winter flower it’s scary. The blooms come in different shades of white, pink, and red and have heart-shaped leaves. These flowers look great by themselves or with small light-colored flowers as an accent.

2) Iceland Poppy - Iceland Poppy flowers come in a variety of colors and bloom on long slender stems. Shades of orange and pink, yellow, cream, and white coordinate nicely with clusters of small blooming flowers, such as ranunculus, garden spray roses, seeded eucalyptus, or baby's breath.

3) Calendula - These flowers tend to run from orange to yellow in color, including apricot and cream. The color scheme provided by these flowers looks great together, especially when trying to add a pop of color to bouquets.

4) Candytuft - Candytufts have long stems with small blooms and are pure white with evergreen leaves.  Candytuft has a soft, feminine quality and looks great with clusters of smaller flowers, such as Erica (heather).  They also create a statement when paired with larger blooms like roses, cosmos, or poppies.

5) Hellebores - These blooms are usually bell or cup-shaped and can be any color from white to green to purple, or even a combination of those colors.  Pair hellebores with seeded eucalyptus, roses, ranunculus, stock or simply use on its own for a statement bouquet.

6) Stock - This feminine flower is great as a filler or accent flower. It also works well in centerpieces because it grows wide rather than tall, which means your guests will be able to see each other over the decorations.

7) Winter Jasmine - With its vine-like appearance, winter jasmine will add whimsy to a winter bouquet.  Seen with bright yellow or white blooms, add this into your bouquet as an accent or filler flower. 

8) Kale - This unexpected vegetable will add a punch to any winter bouquet.  If choosing ornamental kale for its giant, frilly blooms, you can opt to use the flowers or decorative foliage itself. The flowers bloom in lavender, rose, and yellow. Use long-stemmed single-bloom white flowers to fill your bouquet.

9) Pinecones, Nuts, and Berries - So, these aren’t flowers, but they can still look stunning in a winter bouquet. Consider dipping the tips of pine cones in glitter to give your bouquet sparkle. Nuts and berries are a festive accent to any winter bouquet and should be considered as a must-have filler item for any of the flowers listed here.

10) Dusty Miller - While not necessarily a thriving winter bloom, dusty miller can easily be found all year round through any florist and it's striking silver color lends perfectly to the season.


Image Credits:  Winter berry bouquet, Cyclamen, Iceland Poppy, Calendula, Candytuft, Hellebores, Stock, Winter Jasmine, Kale, Pinecones, Dusty Miller

Elizabeth is an undergraduate at Ohio Northern University with a double major in professional writing and creative writing and a minor in psychology. Liz writes for My Wedding Reception Ideas as well as creates multi-modal writing projects for Re:Media, an Ohio Northern University online publication.