As June unfolds across the Finger Lakes region, the landscape bursts into bloom, offering couples an abundance of seasonal flowers for their wedding celebrations. From peonies to foxgloves, the region’s flora in early summer provides not only aesthetic richness but also botanical character grounded in place.
Peonies, among the most prized blooms in June, are celebrated for their full, romantic petals and their long-standing association with prosperity and marital happiness. Their seasonal appearance often becomes a focal point in garden-style arrangements, pairing naturally with roses, which continue to dominate early summer wedding palettes.
Florists across the region embrace the moment. At Michaleen’s Florist & Greenhouse, a longstanding staple in the Ithaca area, June marks the beginning of a particularly expressive period in floral design. “We look forward to June every year because it’s the beginning of a design season defined by softness, movement, and natural light,” said Cary Coryell, lead designer at Michaleen’s.
Peonies in the garden, Michaleen’s Florist & Greenhouse, Ithaca NY
Among the most versatile supporting players in June floral work are delphiniums and foxgloves, both of which offer vertical interest and cooler hues; features that complement the lushness of peonies and garden roses. Delphiniums in particular bring sky-toned depth to altar arrangements or reception backdrops, while foxglove’s bell-shaped blooms lend an element of quiet wildness to bouquets.
Florists increasingly look to local farms for seasonal material. Growers in Tompkins, Seneca, and Cayuga counties begin cutting heavily in early June, offering fresh spirea, larkspur, baptisia, and flowering branches. The resulting arrangements feel both grounded and ephemeral, echoing the fleeting nature of the season.
“It’s the best time of year to showcase what’s grown right here,” said Coryell, noting that couples are increasingly drawn to flowers with provenance. “There’s something meaningful about knowing that the peonies in your bouquet came from a field just ten miles from your ceremony site.”
Design-wise, early summer encourages a departure from formality. Wedding florals this time of year tend toward the naturalistic: asymmetrical bouquets, centrepieces that breathe with space, and palettes built from soft pastels punctuated by fresh greens and pale corals. This aesthetic, simultaneously refined and relaxed, is well suited to outdoor ceremonies and historic venues across the Finger Lakes.
Michaleen’s Florist & Greenhouse, which sources seasonally from both its own greenhouses and nearby growers, often tailors June arrangements to highlight not only what’s available but what’s resonant. Their design philosophy leans toward authenticity and balance; a way of reflecting the couple’s personality as much as the season itself.
In the Finger Lakes, where the calendar of bloom is closely tied to the landscape’s rhythms, choosing seasonal flowers is more than a stylistic preference, it is a decision that situates the celebration within a specific time and place. For couples marrying in June, the result is often floral work that feels immediate, honest, and timeless.