The first thing that comes to mind is mums, followed by perennial asters and China asters (annual--callistephus chinensis.) Dahlias, too, bloom into the fall. Last year, in zone 4, I also had then ageratum 'Blue Horizon', zinnias, gomphrena, statice, larkspur, marigolds, Bells of Ireland, wheat-type celosia, a few late/2nd bloom delphiniums, sedum, and glads. (My first planting of glads last year, made in cool April, took about 75 days. In your zone 5, and planted now, you may get blooms in fewer days. Try planting a few each week for a few weeks, in case they bloom earlier.) Possibly there were still a few rudbeckia, too. And, you might possibly have snaps returning after cooler weather returns. If you have crabapple trees, you may have some small crabapples to add a full look, or get grapes at the grocery store. Good luck to you and best wishes to the young couple!

The first part of September? Or, the latter part of September? That would be my first question. We have tons of flowers around Labor Day. We can also get frost here September 15. I don't know when you have frost in your area. We do overhead irrigate the field when frost is expected, and have saved many a flower. However, sometimes the plants/flowers are just plain tuckered out from pumping out all those blooms during the hot August; and, we really should have just let them go when nature wanted to take them. We seem to be getting our August weather right at this moment in time. We keep planting those plugs and seeds in the field well into August hoping for a late frost.

So, anyway, knowing the exact date in September is important. There have been some beautiful September/October weddings.

if you dont have a hard frost until late september dahlias would make stunning floral arrangments

If you're growing any warm season ornamental grasses, you should have some of their blooms available.

Perennial asters mixed with dahlias are stunning. If you don't hav them possibly you can buy some in pots now and get them established. I would go for the white monte casino and a nice blue with small flowers in masss. I Also second the dahlias...ours go until first frost still blooming madly even into November. RUbrum lilies are stil going in early Sept. IN late spet look for oakleaf hybragea foliage which turns a lovely deep red and orange . We would probably have losts of roses doing their last bloom cycle. HAve daughter choose her colors and head out to the nursery. THen if they put off the wedding you will still have beautiful garden, nothing lost! And by next year they will be well establshed.

Monte Casino and Spring Asters are available so cheaply from the wholesale supply house, I don't think I would bother trying to grow them in such a short time frame. Do you have dahlias, Phyl? Another thing you could possibly do is start some lilies in pots -- some with an 8 to 10 week bloom time. Lots and lots of dahlias and lilies. That just happens to be what we are doing in our bouquets this weekend. Lilies, dahlias, snapdragons, ageratum, ammi, dark blue larkspur, sweet william. Every weekend I think the lily that is blooming is the most beautiful. Then, we move on and I fall in love with the next. This weekend it's Red Planet. I just love this lily. It has a touch of orange to it. With all the shades of pink dahlias, it is smashing.

My most favorite wedding flower: Lisianthus.

Anyway, good luck with the wedding flower plans.

Thanks so much Patricia, Donn, Jan, Liza & Dapper Dahlia (sorry, don't know everyone's names yet!) Donn, I noticed you're in Long Island. That's where my daughter and her fiance live now (Centereach).
I do have a few dahlias coming up for the first time....and I just remembered the sunflowers I have succession-planted...will plant a few more now to make sure there are blooms in Sept. Thanks again everyone. Who knows, maybe they'll wait til next summer. Daughter is taking tests for police departments in San Fransisco and Sacramento, CA. So far away!! :0( Phyl

Can you find any Angelonia plants (saw some at a Wal*Mart just last week)? I would cut most everything back about late July to let them send up new shoots. That would likely bring back a flush of bloom in Sep.

Planted here twenty three containers of mostly Angelonia for a Sep wedding in PA. That's the plan to get them to be full of nice spikes at that time.

With a little more notice, a planting of the fall-blooming asters would have been interesting.

PVeggie,
Wow, had never heard of Angelonia....looked it up and it was called Summer Snapdragons? I'll have to look into it...sure was pretty! Thanks. Phyl

I second LizaLily on the first step being to get your daughter to choose her colors. You'll also want to discuss her preference in flowers. She may adore the idea of fall color scheme in mums, but then again she may not. (Judging by my experience with my daughters, she will feel her life is not complete unless she has the pink rose that only blooms between June 6 and June 12 of even-numbered years.)

Don't ignore the possibility of dried flowers. She may feel that the more delicate, muted colors of some dried flowers makes for a more romantic feel.

I would also suggest that you consider all the other things that will be happening in preparation for the wedding and not make this onerous for yourself. It's a happy day and you'll want to enjoy it.

Ray

Wow, Ray, I could not have said it better. But, then I am delirious (I think I have the brain fever from staring at all the bright flower colors). Been making bouquets for market for the past 12 hours. I could not imagine doing this and hosting a wedding. Too much stress!! BTW, Ray, I've missed your well though out posts the last several weeks.

10 children + 1 summer vacation divided into 1 internet connection = fewer GW posts

Another thought--you might go the route to rely heavily on sturdy greenery, such as ivy, that survive those early frosts and gives you a fresh, crisp, clean feel. That way you have a solid base and can use the flowers for effect. It gives you a little more operating space if you have fewer flowers or more flowers or in different combinations of colors, or different quantities of the various colors than you had anticipated.

Ray

Ray and Patricia,
Have been away all weekend. Thanks so much for your advice...talked with Chelsea and she isn't picky about colors, wants many colors (for table bouquets only)...also wants sunflowers we have growing, and so hopefully my Procuts and Double Quick will do well...will sow some more seeds of suns and zinnias today....says they are thinking of wedding around Sept. 1 if all goes well with their career plans in California. BTW, she (and others) were WOWED :0) by the vases of flowers we took to Ohio with us for her grandma's 75th birthday party/family reunion....so that was nice. We gave one bouquet to the owners of the bed 'n breakfast we stayed at....they loved them. :0) Phyl

You might try to plant some calla bulbs, you can probably get them cheap now and you will get blooms into Sept.
susan

Susan,
Thanks for the idea...I have never grown callas....have a nursery nearby that may have some still. Thanks! Phyl

Phyl, I think you are to be congratulated on having a daughter who isn't fussy about colors! My favorite kind of bride is the girl who wants any colors I have at the moment.

My September flowers are asters, annual and perennial, dahlias, and sunflowers, but that's been well covered by everybody else already. Grow all the white flowers you possibly can. They are great for weddings and go with absolutely everything. And they're guaranteed not to clash with whatever else is in your garden.

Jeanne

Thanks Jeanne. I should have enough flowers in many colors-she may move the date to Sept. 16. I know the weird weather here has not been helpful, so not a lot has bloomed yet. Japanese beetles have ruined most of our roses so far...oh, I hate them. Trying to use IPM as much as possible, not using pesticides usually, but did resort to Sevin the other day for the first time. Usually I knock them off into water I nuked 1st. My first dahlias are only about a foot high so far....wonder if they'll ever grow taller. All foliage, no stems. Thanks again everyone. Phyl