With over 400,000 species of flowering plants, and millions of different arrangement options, choosing wedding flowers can become a never-ending process of, “I don’t know – what do you think?”

Here’s five thoughtstarters to get you started.

Colour

Choosing a colour is the first and easiest step to filtering down your choices. Browse through this glossary of flowers by colour for ideas while thinking about your wedding’s theme. Will it be romantic? Rustic? Modern? Traditional? Pick a colour that suits your wedding’s style and then consider the broader colour options available.

For instance:

• White: rose, sweet pea, camellia, stephanotis, narcissus, gardenia, orchid, lily of the valley, jasmine and snowdrop.
• Pink: rose, ranunculus, peony, sweet pea, carnation, tulip, protea, boronia and lily.
• Lavender: lavender, lilac, anemone, statice, iris, delphinium and hydrangea.
• Yellow: daffodil, sunflower, tulip, gerbera, lily and freesia.
• Red: gerbera, rose, dahlia, poinsettia and amaryllis.

Venue

Think about the venue space and what flowers would work best in it. Indoor or outdoor? High or low ceilings? While a vintage bouquet of deep and heavy purples might suit an old world or outdoor setting, it might not work in a sunny cottage. Other factors like the venue’s layout, window positioning and even the colour of the carpet are also important to consider. Take photos of your ceremony and reception site to show your florist. This should help narrow down the choices.

Season

While it’s possible to ship in non-seasonal flowers, choosing in-season flowers will reduce the cost and be far less challenging.

Here is a general idea of in-season flowers:

• Winter: French tulip, amaryllis, hypericum, protea and quince.
• Spring: Hyacinth, tulip, daffodil, lilac, peony, sweet pea, lily of the valley and cherry blossom.
• Summer: Hydrangea, lisianthus, snapdragon, sunflower, tuberose, cornflower, zinnia and cosmos.
• Autumn: Calla lily, dahlia, bittersweet, celosia, mum, scabiosa, pomegranate and cranberry

Role

Depending on your budget and taste, you might want cascading flower centrepieces, a corsage for each member of the bridal party, a floral swing (yes, it’s a thing!) and a floral crown. Or you might be happy with a simple bouquet.

Think about which flowers would be best suited to each role. Also keep in mind the length of your wedding (you don’t want those flowers wilting if you can avoid it, right?) and number of your guests. The more information you give your florist, the easier it will be for them to create something beautiful.

Odds and ends you might forget about

As with any big decision, it can be easy to overlook minor details, so here are some last-minute questions you might want to consider before choosing your wedding flowers:

• Are any of my guests allergic to flowers?
• Do I want a freeze-dried bouquet or will I freeze-dry it later?
• Does my florist offer any other decorations, such as candles, and how might this affect the cost/style overall?
• Do I want petal confetti and can this be included in the package?