Flowers for weddings and anniversaries
From the bride’s bouquet to a bunch on the table for a fortieth anniversary, flowers mark every stage of a marriage. Here is how to choose by season, by milestone and by the couple themselves.
Romantic bouquets for anniversaries.
See bouquetsWedding flowers through the Irish year
Weddings here happen all year round, and seasonal flowers look best and travel best:
- Spring: tulips, ranunculus, narcissi and blossom.
- Early summer: peonies, sweet peas and garden roses, the most popular season for weddings.
- Late summer: hydrangeas, dahlias and wildflower styles.
- Winter: white roses, amaryllis, eucalyptus and evergreens, with velvet ribbon.
Strongly scented lilies look magnificent in a church but can be overpowering in a small hotel room, and their pollen stains dresses, so ask the florist to remove the anthers.
Anniversaries by the year
The traditional list gives a material for each anniversary, such as paper for the first and silver for the twenty-fifth. A newer list matches a flower to each year as well. It is a fun guide rather than a rule:
Anniversary flowers (modern list)
| Year | Flower |
|---|---|
| 1st | Carnations |
| 4th | Hydrangeas |
| 10th | Daffodils |
| 12th | Peonies |
| 15th | Roses |
| 25th (silver) | White and silver tones |
| 50th (golden) | Yellow roses and gold tones |
Silver and golden jubilees
The twenty-fifth and fiftieth are often marked with a family Mass and a meal. Many Catholic couples in Ireland also receive a Papal Blessing, a decorated scroll arranged through a parish or a religious shop. Flowers for the table at the celebration, or delivered to the couple’s home that morning, are a lovely addition from children, grandchildren or neighbours. White and cream with silver ribbon suit a silver jubilee; yellow and gold suit a golden one.
Send anniversary flowers anywhere in Ireland.
Choose a bouquetPersonal touches
- Recreate the wedding bouquet from photos; florists can usually match it closely.
- One stem per year works for early anniversaries; after ten, choose the flower instead.
- Their colours: a bouquet in the colours of the wedding day brings back memories.
- Keep a flower: press a bloom from the wedding bouquet between baking paper in a heavy book.
For romance at any time, read flowers for love; for meanings see flower language, and for timing, how to send flowers. When you are ready, send flowers.
