Over the past couple of months, I had the pleasure of working with a blissfully chill bride on her wedding decor. In the midst of show season, it was a challenge to balance both wedding prep and show prep, but it was also a real joy. (totally overwhelmed with work = fun for me)...

We met at a spring Clover show, and began working together shortly after. The concept came together as an eclectic, vintage inspired table-scape with gorgeous flowers and greens highlighting the glass bottles and vases I would collect from all over. Fortunately, this is one of my favorite designs, and one I employ in my own home almost every day ;).

Having done floral design for events in the past, I was mostly prepared for what was to come. However, a wedding poses all kinds of challenges that need to be carefully timed and brought to fruition. A good wholesaler is key, one who knows your deadlines and treats your order as if it was their own. I ran into major problems when I picked up my flowers the day before the wedding and realized that they had not been cared for. Dahlias in particular can be tricky, and they don't like to be neglected. My team rallied around me and jumped on the phones, calling everyone in the area who we thought might have dahlias in stock.

"6 stems in Wayne!"

"20 stems of white in Conshohocken!"

"4 stems of white, 3 of blush in Chestnut Hill!"

(To give some perspective.....we needed upwards of 70.)

Finally we found another wholesaler across the bridge who was fully stocked and able to accommodate us. It turned out not only did we need fresh dahlias, but also fresh white stock, fresh delphiniums....the first order was a real debacle. We were able to replace these less than 24 hours before the wedding and start anew. (And gained some new friends across the bridge!)

Fortunately for me, I started dying my hair blonde, so the grey hair from those 24 hours shouldn't show too much :).

Thanks to my sweet team, who endured all kinds of abuse (from the she-devil that took over my body) during this time, I was able to pull it off...including hanging upwards of 200 strands of origami swans over the dance floor.

It's so fulfilling to look around the room, make last minute adjustments, then quietly clean up and creep out the side door while the bridal party is just getting there holding their bouquets and wearing their boutonnières (still fresh, still bright, hooray!) .

Here are some photos from the days leading up to the wedding as well as the day of.

Terra cotta pots filled with asters created the mantle decoration for the reception hall. Strung with twinkle lights, they added a little sparkle and color to a dark stone fireplace. They bloomed over the course of 2 weeks before we brought them to the venue.

Catching some rays before heading to the wedding!

Tillandsia xerographicas being prepped for the head table decorations

Trusty snips, vital to any flower work.

Jars filled with delicate ferns

Harvesting in the early morning ensures that they are in their prime, before the sun and warm temperatures drains the water out of their leaves.

One of my favorite plants! Seriously. I could look at them all day.

Blue thistle added a pop of delicate color to the bouquets and decorations.

Prepping lots, and lots, and lots, and lots of tiny bottles for the table decorations.

Testing boutonniere arrangements.

Boutonnieres are one of the last things to be assembled, as they will not have access to water once they're made. Lisianthus, while incredibly delicate looking, are actually a great choice for a long lasting boutonniere.

Select, snip, wrap, tie, repeat.

The best kind of assembly line.

It always looks nice to have continuity throughout the groomsmen's boutonnieres, while making the groom's similar yet more special. Tying it into the bride's bouquet, we added a small dahlia and white waxflower (LOVE).

This trinket box made for the perfect delivery tray!

I used Italian Ruscus for the greenery, it is super hardy, while being shiny and vibrant. The perfect shade of green.

This was my first time working with Oasis Floracages. They provided a beautiful blank canvas for these Ming Ferns, Seeded Eucalyptus, and Dahlias. With the addition of some larger branches, they could be made more grandiose, but we stuck with simple and elegant.

The arch was built using landscaping beams, then stained to match the wood on location. We sunk the uprights into concrete (poured into decorative pots) since the ceremony was on a wooden deck and we had no other way of anchoring the arch into the ground.

Dahlias, ferns and tillandsias on the head table. We set out vases for all the bridal bouquets so that they could get a drink of fresh water while everyone was dancing the night away.

I used upwards of 8 different bottle shapes to create a eclectic yet cohesive centerpiece. We wanted people to be able to see each other over the flowers, as all the tables were round.

One of my favorite parts of the decor....giant caladium leaves. These were grown from bulbs starting in early July with the wedding in mind. Thanks to warm temperatures extending into September, we were able to harvest them at their peak. These are one of my favorite plants, as well as being extremely hardy for cutting.

Bridesmaids bouquets were smaller versions of the brides.

It's always hard to stop adding flowers into a bouquet, but with the bride being petite I wanted a nicely proportioned grouping. Again, Italian Ruscus shines as the dark green, with some Seeded Eucalyptus to lighten it up. I wish there were more reasons in life to carry beautiful bouquets around!!

To all my fellow budding floral designers.....remember, early to bed, early to rise, and LOTS of takeout meals. It also helps to have a team member in charge of snacks, who will feed them to you if necessary while your hands are full of flowers. Power to the plants!!! :)

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