Despite the rumors associated with getting married in May, it remains one of the most popular months to get married. After all, it’s the month of love, success, and celebration! It’s also when springtime flowers bloom most luminous.
If you’re looking into what wedding flowers are in season in May, then you’re in the right place! To help you find the right bloom for your May wedding, I’ve compiled a list of in-season flowers that fit most wedding themes. I’ve also made sure to pick those that symbolize the wonderful aspects of marriage.
Ready to choose your bloom? Let’s dive right in!
1. Lilacs
Lilacs bloom from mid to late spring, just in time for May weddings!
Often seen in lush shades of purple, pink, and lavender, lilacs are best suited for romantic- and spring-themed weddings. They’re fragrant, elegant, and effortlessly beautiful.
Although they look good in a bouquet or flower arrangement by themselves, they truly shine when paired with other springtime blooms.
For vintage-inspired bouquets, lilacs, sweet peas, and roses are a classic combo. For soft, springtime bouquets combine them with hellebores, peonies, sweet peas, astilbe, and clematis.
Just don’t go too crazy with the color combo; two- or three-tone arrangements work best with lilacs!
As with most flowers, lilacs have their symbolism. White lilacs stand for purity and innocence, purple stand for spirituality and confidence, and blue lilacs symbolize tranquility and stability.
Carnations symbolize the important aspects of marriage: love, protection, fascination, healing, and strength. Light red carnations represent admiration, while the darker variety represents affection. It’s no wonder they’re a Mother’s Day favorite!
2. Carnations
Carnations are among the prettiest “filler” flowers you can get your hands on. Since they’re so affordable, you can use them en masse for hanging installations, floral walls, canopies, garlands, and more.
Plus, they’re one of the sturdiest, longest-lasting flowers on the market—isn’t that a treat?
Although they frequently take on a supporting role in wedding bouquets, don’t be fooled: carnations also look stunning in a full floral arrangement!
For best results, go for the light, dusty variety so they’d fit the color of your white wedding dress.
3. Sweet Peas
Sweet peas are a favorite among wedding planners, and it’s easy to see why! They’re delicate and fragrant, plus they add a lot of texture to a bouquet!
Sweet peas smell like honey, orange blossoms, and hyacinths, which adds to the sweetness of a romantic wedding. Furthermore, they’re available in hundreds of colors, including pastel lavenders, blushing pinks, navy blues, royal purples, and pure whites.
And that’s just scratching the surface; sweet peas actually offer the widest color selection in the plant kingdom!
In the language of flowers, sweet peas represent blissful pleasure, good wishes, kindness, and friendship.
4. Lily of the Valley
Delicate and dearly beloved, Lilies of the Valley—also known as May lilies—are the perfect choice for brides looking for a timeless but simple bouquet that doesn’t take the attention away from the wedding gown.
Although not as flashy as some of the other flowers on this list, Lilies of the Valley have a humble but luxurious air to them. They shine through their simplicity.
These flowers are almost always used as a focal point of a bouquet. They’re best used in traditional and minimalist wedding styles, combined with other blooms like ranunculus or stephanotis. If you want a voluminous, organic bouquet, you need lots of them to make a statement.
Lilies of the Valley symbolize youth, purity, sincerity, and, most importantly, happiness.
5. Tulips
With over 3,000 varieties to choose from, tulips lend themselves to almost every wedding theme imaginable, from classic to boho. They start blooming in early January and keep blooming until the end of spring, so you have more than enough time to use them in your May wedding!
Tulips are a wedding classic because they symbolize perfect love. They’re also naturally elegant, with their graceful stems and voluminous petals adding dimension, movement, and old-world charm to a bouquet of any kind.
These flowers look beautiful with a bit of greenery, but they pair effortlessly well with soft blooms, like garden roses and ranunculus, especially in light colors.
6. Orchids
Orchids used to only be popular in tropical-themed weddings, but they’re now trending in spring- and modern-style weddings thanks to their soft colors and graceful appearance.
Symbolizing refinement, fertility, beauty, love, and charm, orchids are the perfect bloom to celebrate life’s most important occasions—especially weddings!
Orchids can be used as a backdrop in an all-white arrangement, alongside white calla lilies, roses, and hydrangea in tall glass vases. They can also be added to cake decors or implemented as a wedding accessory.
7. Peonies
The ever-loved peony—what’s there to say that hasn’t already been said?
These flowers bloom between late spring and early summer and come in dozens of vibrant and pastel colors. They’re wonderful additions to bridal bouquets and extravagant wedding receptions.
Peonies work beautifully well with dahlias, anemones, and sprigs of lavender. Pastel roses add a touch of softness to an otherwise textured peony bouquet, befitting a spring wedding in May.
Peonies and weddings have the same symbolism, which is why they work so well together: love, happiness, romance, wealth, and beauty.
8. Muscaris
Blooming between April and May, muscaris, otherwise known as graceful grape hyacinths, mix well with ranunculus and tulips for dainty table arrangements, bridal bouquets, and wedding accessories.
They look stunning as a centerpiece, and could easily be the pop of color your wedding needs.
Muscaris are mostly available in shades of blue, but you’ll find them in pink and white, too.
These flowers represent softness, tenderness, and caring love, so they fit weddings nicely!
9. Freesias
While typically known for their summer color palette, freesias can perfectly capture the essence of May when mixed with springtime flowers.
And since they’re available in multiple colors, including white, cream, red, mauve, lavender, and more, you won’t be limited to just a single boring palette.
Aside from their eye-catching colors, freesias are known for their enchanting scent. Some describe them to have a sweet, strawberry scent, while others notice subtle notes of honey, citrus, and mint.
Unsurprisingly, freesias represent sweetness and charm. They also symbolize thoughtfulness, friendship, and trust.
10. Hydrangeas
If you’re planning an extravagant wedding with hundreds if not thousands of flowers as decor, add hydrangeas to your list.
These flowers are great for large-scale installations as they make an immediate and strong impact with little embellishment. Plus, they have large blooms! In fact, some barely fit the palm of a person’s hand.
These gorgeous blooms represent grace, beauty, and gratitude. Since they come in huge bundles, they also symbolize abundance.
Hydrangeas come in several dozen colors, ranging from blue to pink, including all shades of purple to lavender to white. So, regardless of what color theme your wedding is, hydrangeas won’t let you down!
Final Thoughts – What Wedding Flowers Are in Season in May?
We hope this article helped you find the perfect May bloom for your wedding!
In-season May flowers include carnations, sweet peas, orchids, freesias, and more. They mostly work well together, so let your creativity flow and mix-n-match to your heart’s content!
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