Summer has always been a beautiful time of year to get married, but summer weddings are starting to feel different.
Couples are moving away from anything that feels overly styled or predictable and instead creating celebrations that feel relaxed, personal and beautifully considered.
There's still elegance and luxury, it's just expressed in softer, more thoughtful ways.
We recently had the pleasure of creating flowers for a beautiful editorial shoot across Didsbury House Hotel and Eleven Didsbury Park, two of our favourite Manchester wedding venues – check out our latest blog to see why - and it gave us the perfect opportunity to explore some of the summer wedding trends we're most excited about right now.
Monochrome Doesn't Have to Mean Minimal
One of the looks we created at Didsbury House Hotel centred around a single colour; White. Not flat white, but layer upon layer of white.
Hydrangeas, roses and delicate tonal variations combined to create something that felt luxurious, sculptural and quietly dramatic.
To stop the palette feeling too formal, we introduced flower of the moment...chartreuse amaranthus. Its soft, trailing shape and fresh green tone brought movement and contrast while keeping the overall look beautifully restrained. It's a flower we're seeing more and more of this year, and for good reason.
Texture Is Becoming Just As Important As Flowers
Across the shoot we layered lace, linen and softly gathered chiffon to create depth without overpowering the flowers.
The delicate lace draped over the ceremony plinths felt wonderfully elegant alongside the clean, contemporary floral designs.
Meanwhile linen tablecloths, fabric seating plans and softly gathered napkins all added another layer of quiet luxury. Patterned tablecloths in particular are a major design trend with romantic English country florals, classic French-esque toile and bold, playful colour, all being favoured over plain white.
It's these thoughtful combinations of materials that help a wedding feel curated rather than simply decorated.
Ceremony Flowers That Keep Working
One trend we're particularly pleased to see continuing is designing flowers that don't stay in one place.
The floral plinths we created for the ceremony weren't designed for just one moment. After the vows, they can be moved to frame an entrance, sit beside the top table or create floral moments throughout the reception.
The same thinking applies to ground florals and top table footers. Rather than investing heavily in one installation that's seen for twenty minutes, couples are choosing flowers that can evolve with the day.
Garden Flowers Are Having Their Moment
Over at Eleven Didsbury Park, the atmosphere became something altogether softer. Rather than creating contrast with the gardens, we wanted the flowers to feel as though they belonged there.
Locally grown peonies, flowering mint, foxgloves and other seasonal blooms echoed the flowers already growing outside, creating arrangements that felt freshly gathered rather than tightly arranged.
Loose, organic and (seemingly!) effortless designs continue to be one of the biggest summer wedding trends we're seeing.
Mismatched Glass Never Goes Out of Style
One of our favourite ways to style summer weddings is with collections of glass vases and jam jar style vessels. They're wonderfully relaxed and suit intimate celebrations perfectly.
They're also incredibly versatile. Flowers used on the top table during the wedding breakfast can later appear dotted around the garden for evening drinks, helping every part of the venue feel considered without needing entirely new arrangements.
Summer Colour Is Becoming More Playful
Summer flowers naturally lend themselves to colour, but we're seeing palettes becoming more adventurous. For this shoot we paired rich cobalt blues and vibrant fuchsia pinks with softer lilacs and pale blush tones. The result feels joyful, contemporary and full of personality. Exactly like summer!
Candlelight Isn't Just for Winter
Even on the brightest summer days, tall hurricane lanterns and clusters of candlelight bring warmth and atmosphere as daylight begins to fade.
Outside, a new trend for wireless lamps helped create a relaxed cosiness throughout the gardens at Eleven Didsbury Park, making guests want to linger long after dinner.
Summer weddings aren't only about sunshine, they're about those magical evenings…
Cakes Are Becoming More Architectural
Traditional wedding cake proportions are making way for taller tiers with exaggerated heights, creating sculptural centrepieces that feel wonderfully contemporary. Over at Didsbury House Hotel the cake was decorated with delicate piped florals that echoed the surrounding flowers. It felt beautifully modern while remaining timeless.
Meanwhile, the al fresco set up at Eleven Didsbury Park featured a super trendy banquet-style sheet cake, again a break away from traditional cake shapes, finished with fresh summer fruit.
Local Wedding Suppliers
This beautiful editorial wouldn't have been possible without an incredibly talented team:
- Photography: Elle Howard Photography
- Stationery: Sophie Elizabeth Wedding Stationery
- Styling: Florence & Vera
- Linen & Glassware: Chateau Noire
- Cake: Pink Cocoa
- Venues: Didsbury House Hotel & Eleven Didsbury Park
Summer Weddings That Feel Effortless
Perhaps the biggest trend of all isn't a particular flower or colour palette. It's creating weddings that feel relaxed, thoughtful and considered.
Flowers that work with the venue rather than compete with it. Designs that evolve throughout the day. Seasonal flowers chosen for their texture as much as their colour. Details that create atmosphere without feeling over styled.
They're trends we can see continuing well beyond this summer, and we can't wait to explore them with future couples.