Sunflower Theme Weddings

Simply can’t imagine your wedding without those bright punches of color that sunflowers bring to the table? You’ve got plenty of company! This all-American flower … so eloquent in traits like optimism and resilience … beguiles brides across the country in settings that range from beaches to backyards, from alpine peaks to New England barns, and everywhere in between.

Sunflower Settings

You see sunflowers taking center stage in all kinds of weddings: Western shindigs, oceanside tents, or everywhere the couple wants to convey their carefree, sunny take on love and matrimony. This theme’s also a favorite of bridal shower planners everywhere!

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Complementary Colors

There’s hardly a color scheme that doesn’t suit the accommodating sunflower. For a softer look, we’ve seen it stun against pale yellow and champagne. But it also shines when combined with jewel tones like wine, navy blue or royal purple, which really brings out its gold tones.

Fresh orange and white stripes look fabulous with this bloom, as do stylish newcomers to the bridal palette, like chocolate brown, celadon or dark blue.

But for a modern and unforgettable take on sunflowers, pair them with shiny steel gray fabrics … or a big, graphic, op-art style black and white wedding. Nothing sets off a bouquet of mini-sunflowers with more explosive appeal than a bridemaid’s LBD (little black dress).

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Fetching Floral Pairs

Of course, sunflowers can really sparkle when combined with other fetching flowers. Some bride-tested favorites — for combining with mini-suns in particular — include chocolate cosmos, yellow chrysanthemums, gerber daisies and Black Baccara or Black Magic roses.

More Center-Stage Touches for Sunflowers

How else can the unsinkable ‘sun’ lend a grace note to your wedding?

Nothing else looks better than these substantial blooms when it comes to big, bright garlands. Drape over the front of the head table, or dress a birch or iron wedding arch to the nines.

Choose invitations with a cheery, letterpressed graphic interpretation (modern) … or printed on beautiful hand-pressed papers (rustic).

If you’re having a late-season backyard bash and a few months to plan, it’s easy to grow a towering sunflower aisle for guests to wander through and admire.

A plush, oversized sunflower head and a pinned-on satin ribbon makes a one-of-a-kind ring pillow for your little bearer.

MORE: Find Nautical Themed Favors | 5 of the Best Fall Floral Bouquets | Sunflower Wedding Theme

‘Sun’-suous Tables

The sporty sunflower fits right into almost any floral scheme, looking equally at home paired with exotic orchids or roses. But if you want to show off their beauty more directly, here are a few gorgeous settings for these rustic jewels.

A simple hand-tied arrangement of full-size and mini suns looks stunning in buckets, vases or watering cans of galvanized metal. They’re equally lovely in white painted pails or small stoneware milk jugs.

Unexpected accents that set off this bloom’s beauty: twisted copper wire, heather or wheat, or green hypericum berries.

For a sweet Tuscan look, place a single large bloom in a beautiful olive-green wine bottle.

Or combine these blooms with sassy citrus fruit in containers: lemons or oranges, whole or cut, make the perfect pairing. Romanticize your suns by surrounding with yellow and cream-colored rose petals on a sumptuous fabric base.

Finally, don’t forget the water treatment! Single heads float beautifully in water features (bowls, fountains, pools). And for a casual, chic beach wedding, fill mason jars with blue-tinted water, topped with a small bouquet of these beauties.

Bright and Flirty Favors

Sunflower brides like to celebrate cheerful colors and new life with their wedding favors, too. So popular choices include glowing golden honey jars, and Find Nautical Themed Favors. Dark chocolate truffles in a brightly-colored box echoes this bloom’s rich, appealing center, while chocolate-covered sunflower seeds transform a down-home snack into a sleek, sweet treat.