Hopping Over the Pond for a Wedding at the Belvedere Mansion

Emma was the first international bride I have worked with.  Being from England, Emma was very fond of English country flowers, or cottage flowers as some may call them.  How could I not love working with this bride!?  She also expressed a love of deep purple Gladiolas.  Initially Emma wanted to work with more authentic “English Country” flowers such as Cantebury Bells, Larkspur, Delphinium, Garden Roses, and Hydrangea.  However as we continued to discuss her wedding details, she opted for a little more of a streamlined look, incorporating mainly Hydrangea and Gladiolas.

It was important to also incorporate glamorous accents in this wedding, so Emma was a perfect match for our new rental Candelabras.  These candelabras can be configured in so many different ways, but in this case we went all out, adding every crystal accent we had.  Dutch Green Hydrangea and Gladiolas were the main flowers used in these along with some purple Double Stock Flower and Lisianthus.

As if these large arrangements were not glamorous enough, I also brought in mercury glass inspired silvery compote dishes that we filled with Mini Green Hydrangea and Gladiola Florets.  I used a taller vase from the same collection to anchor the larger candelabras, and filled this with Hydrangea, Glads, and Green Cymbidium Orchids.  Each place setting also included a Cymbidium Orchid tucked into the napkin and menu card, which I always LOVE the look of!  Silvery votive candles, rose petals, crystal place card holders, and small white boxes wrapped in purple ribbon with crystal accents rounded out the entire look.

As my wonderful assistant Erica and I were about to leave, we scattered any remaining rose petals we had around the ceremony area.  The pond nearby had a very appreciative frog that you will see in the last picture.  Truly a fairytale ending to a fairytale wedding!   Best wishes and congratulations Lee and Emma!!!

Ahhhh the Belvedere.  Does it really get much better than this?  Beauty around every corner, furnishings, textures and colors so rich you could eat them!

Erica is the most talented assistant ever!  I am over 8 months pregnant in these pictures, and she managed to hide the bump in these pics!  Want to look a few pounds thinner in your wedding pics?  Have I got the girl for you!!!

Emma’s bouquet.  This is what I like to call a semi-cascade.  So many people freak out when they hear the mention of a cascade.  Visions of the 1980’s monstrosities that were carried by brides wearing  full length lace sleeved dresses covered in beads and shimmer come to mind, but it doesn’t have to be this way.  Smaller, more tasteful versions are continuing to make a comeback.  While certainly more expensive than basic hand-tied varieties (in most cases), they really are so beautiful and unique.  It is always an unexpected treat when one of my bride’s orders one.

White Dahlias, Blue Delphinium, Mini Green Hydrangea, Star of Bethlehem, Spray roses, and Gladiolas were the main flowers used in this bouquet.