As a wedding florist, when your little sister gets married, it might be the most significant event of your floral career. That’s how I felt, and still feel to this day, when my little sister, Lucia, married the love of her life, Nick. It was an incredible honor to create their Hawaiian-inspired floral arrangements. Lucia was hands down the most beautiful bride that I had ever seen. And I’ve been a part of several weddings.

MEANINGFUL TIES TO HAWAII

Lucia and Nick met six years before they got married. They were both living on the island of Kauai and were co-workers at the Garden Island Newspaper. Lucia was an Account Executive and Nick was a Sports Reporter. For the first six months they worked together, Lucia and Nick did not converse. But after a company event one evening as he walked her to her car, Nick decided to get Lucia’s number. Overcome with nervousness, Lucia sped away before it was apparent that they could be more than co-workers. Fortunately, Nick tried again to get Lucia’s number and this time he was successful. They went out later that week.

Before they moved off the island in the summer of 2019, Lucia and Nick got engaged. Nick’s family was visiting and he wanted to include them in the proposal to make it extra special. A night out to Smith’s Family Garden Luau was where Lucia and Nick committed to a life together.

A CLEAN COLOR PALETTE WITH TRADITIONAL HAWAIIAN WEDDING FLOWERS

With so many significant moments in their relationship being tied to the Hawaiian islands, Nick and Lucia decided to incorporate traditional Hawaiian wedding flowers. Lucia wore a pikake lei made from white jasmine flowers. Loving the layered lei look, I also created a white dendrobium orchid lei, a white freesia lei, and a green mail leaf lei for Lucia to wear. For Nick I made a twisted ti leaf lei and a green maile leaf lei that contrasted beautifully with his light suit. For Lucia’s bridal bouquet, we used astilbe, Covent Garden baby’s breath, white sweet peas, maidenhair fern, mint, and explosion grass. It was one of the most delicate bouquets that I have ever created, and it paired beautifully with Lucia’s lacy, off the shoulder wedding gown.

 

A HAWAIIAN INSPIRED OUTDOOR CEREMONY

Lucia and Nick tied the knot on of the most beautiful days of summer at Seward Park in Seattle. Their intimate ceremony was right next to Lake Washington with a majestic view of Mount Rainier in the background. Char Beck Photography captured the ceremony perfectly. Lucia and Nick both radiated as bright as the sun that day. These images always fill me with so much joy and so much warmth.

Ceremony Location: Seward Park

Officiant: Reverend Ray Van Winkle

Photographer: Char Beck Photography

Hair Stylist: Elle Marie Hair Studio

 

Learn about HAWAIIAN WEDDING TRADITIONS from Rebecca Grant, a Seattle Wedding Planner who got her start in the wedding industry on the island of Oahu.

When one of the people I love most in the events industry, Eugene, of Gene Alexander Designs, approached me about a wedding for a friend and former co-worker of his, I knew it was going to be something spectacular. Eugene doesn’t create anything that’s less than great. He is one of the most brilliant designers I know and his imagination always moves me to re-think the bounds of creativity. I consider myself a very creative person. Eugene, however, is tremendously creative.

Karissa and Russell were married on Labor Day weekend at Canterwood Golf & Country Club in Gig Harbor. Their wedding was a grand, beautiful affair with copper and rust fall colors. To create a space that was visually full of flowers, Eugene worked his magic to come up with a setting that incorporated suspended florals, botanic backdrops, and an illuminated biophilic dance floor. All the details were thoughtfully considered, designed, and crafted to create one of the most impressive weddings I have been a part of.

Carley of Carley Jayne Photography captured Karissa and Russell’s wedding perfectly with her mood-evoking imagery.

 

COPPER TONES AND LOCALLY SOURCED DAHLIAS FOR A FALL WEDDING COLOR PALETTE

September is a fabulous month in the Pacific Northwest. The days are still relatively long in terms of sunlight, but there is a crisp coolness in the morning air as fall approaches. It is one of the most beautiful times to get married. In line with the season, Karissa and Russell chose a rich fall color palette for their wedding of copper, rust, navy, and white.

In the flower world, September is one of the best months for (my husband’s favorite flower) locally grown dahlias. Dahlias come in a wide variety of colors, so adding copper and rust tones was easily achievable. The three dahlia varieties that I targeted were the brown sugar dahlia, the cornel bronze dahlia, and the Crichton honey dahlia. The depth of the rich rusty red-orange color of the brown sugar dahlia is not something I have ever seen in any other flower. In the sunlight this dahlia almost seems to shimmer.

But the unassuming floral star of the wedding was the anemone, one of Karissa’s favorite flowers. The center of the panda anemone has a unique navy color, while the Japanese anemone has a lovely golden yellow.

A COPPERY DOUBLE HEXAGON ARCH FOR THE WEDDING CEREMONY

While I have flowered hexagon arches before, I had never seen a double hexagon arch. Eugene built this structure custom for Karissa and Russell. The main hexagon was painted white. Behind it at a slight angle another hexagon was positioned, painted in a light copper color. My team and I added a larger floral spray on the left-hand side and two smaller floral sprays on the right-hand side, one on top and one on the bottom.

 

COPPER AND RUST DETAILS AT THE RECEPTION

After the ceremony, Karissa and Russell’s reception was held in the adjacent tent. This structure was transformed into a warm, inviting, and beautiful space with flowers, lights, and copper and rust details.

For the rectangular tables, Eugene elevated the centerpieces by suspending copper pipes from the ceiling of the tent. My team and I wrapped the copper pipes in smilax and added in some colorful fall blooms. The result was totally original and spectacular!

For the round tables, I designed arrangements in hand-blown glass vases made by Karissa’s father. Here we kept the color palette more neutral and added in the panda anemones.

Karissa and Russell sat at a sweetheart table, which was placed in front of a honeycomb backdrop illuminated with candles and adorned with fall-colored flowers. In spectacular fashion, Mother Nature gave them a stunning sunset that perfectly matched the fall colors of their wedding.

 

 

Venue and Catering: Canterwood Golf Club

Event Designer: Gene Alexander Designs

Photographer: Carley Jayne Photography

DJ: B Two Times

Desserts: Bella Bella Bakery

Make-Up Artist: Lauren Dahl

Officiant: Daniel Dillard

Lighting: Lightsmiths Seattle

 

To see another gorgeous wedding with fall colors using locally sourced dahlias, check out AN AUTUMN WEDDING AT NOVELTY HILL JANUIK

We all know the saying, “The more the merrier.” And for Megan and Matthew, that phrase rang true for their grand 300-person wedding at the end of summer at Block 41 in downtown Seattle. Sleek, elegant, and modern, their wedding aesthetic embraced the unique, architectural experience of Block 41. It focused on guest experience by being fun and approachable, and most importantly, meaningful.

From the beginning, Megan and Matthew’s vision was of an event where they could celebrate alongside their family and friends. Their wedding celebration was as much about the people in their lives, as it was about the act of getting married. Megan and Matthew wanted their guests to know and to feel this sentiment.

Having a big, fun party that ran smoothly was a top priority, so they enlisted the help and expertise of Sara at Perfectly Posh Events. Sara tied all the design elements together, coordinated the vendor team, and executed a seamless event. Emily of Emily Keeney Photography captured Megan and Matthew’s wedding beautifully with her eye for light-filled, organic photographs.

 

 

A NEUTRAL COLOR PALETTE AND TROPICAL FLOWERS FOR A MODERN WEDDING STYLE

Block 41 is an industrial chic venue in the heart of Belltown, a neighborhood known for its world-class art, vibrant night life, and legendary music scene. To compliment the neutral colors inside Block 41, Megan and Matthew chose a color palette of white, green, blue, and gold.

In addition to sourcing locally grown in-season flowers, such as dahlias, scabiosa, lisianthus, cosmos, globe thistle, and explosion grass, we decided to incorporate a few tropical blooms and foliage, including phalaenopsis orchids, dendrobium orchids, anthuriums, monstera leaves, xanadu leaves, ti leaves, and palm leaves, to add in those clean architectural lines. Only a few traditional wedding flowers were used, mostly for the structural element of floral design, however, we specifically targeted the combo rose for that warm golden color. No other flower compares to the color of the combo rose!

 

MEGAN’S MODERN WEDDING BOUQUET

One of my favorite photos of Megan and Matthew’s wedding is this image of Megan holding her bridal bouquet.

A guest at over 100 weddings, Megan really wanted to embrace different ways of doing things for her and Matthew’s celebration. She opted not to have a bridal party and did not include the tradition of cake-cutting. I love couples that dare to be different and go against the grain. I am a firm believer that your wedding day should be about what you and your significant other wants, not what society expects of you.

But when Megan mentioned she wasn’t sure if she wanted a bridal bouquet, I asked her to reconsider. A bridal bouquet gave me something to do with my hands during the ceremony (nerve-wracking!) and the lengthy process of post ceremony picture-taking when I was a bride. I was thankful to have something to hold onto all day.

Megan wore a stylish Vera Wang modern wedding dress and we ended up designing a bouquet that perfectly complimented it. Megan, it feels obvious to say, but you were absolutely stunning as a bride!

 

MEGAN AND MATTHEW’S MODERN WEDDING ARCH DESIGN AND CEREMONY

One of the things I love about Block 41 is that they have a circle arch that couples can use for their wedding ceremony. The style of the circle arch aligns with the industrial look and feel of the venue. Plus, since I have flowered that arch for other weddings, knowing the arch structure will be stable and sturdy is always a relief!

To bring in an architectural feel for the ceremony space, I leaned into asymmetry for the circle arch, and sketched out this design:

 

With a large number of guests in attendance, Megan and Matthew’s ceremony was held in the lower level, The Ewing Theater, at Block 41. To create an illuminated ambiance, my team and I lined the aisle with candles, while the DJ incorporated up lighting behind the arch. The flowers on the circle arched turned out just as the design we had envisioned. Megan and Matthew glowed with joy as they committed to sharing the rest of their lives together. look at those beautiful smiles!

 

Megan and Matthew, thank you for giving me the opportunity to be a part of your unique wedding. I hope you continue to do things differently and have fun celebrating life with all the amazing people you love!

 

Kudos to the amazing Vendor Team:

Photographer: Emily Keeney Photography

Planner: Perfectly Posh Events

Venue: Block 41 Seattle

Make-Up: KLS Makeup Artistry

Hair: Jasmine Ochoa Hair

Cake: Macrina Bakery

Caterer: Ravishing Radish

DJ: Injoy Entertainment

Valet: Butler Valet

Limo: British Motor Coach

Videographer: Fireland Filmworks

 

To see another wedding at Block 41 check out SENTIMENTAL FLORALS AT BLOCK 41 SEATTLE

I chose the above photo of Audrey and Chris’ wedding for the main image of their blog post, because I absolutely love how genuinely happy they look. This is one of the most joyful photos that I have ever received in my career as a wedding florist. Cameron Zegers did a lovely job of capturing the feeling of this moment. Chris’ expression automatically makes me smile alongside him and I can feel the tingle of Audrey’s excitement. I wasn’t at their wedding for this part of the day, but the emotion in this image transports me to the dock at Ray’s Boathouse, experiencing the elation of their first steps together as wife and husband.

Rebecca of New Creations Weddings helped Audrey and Chris create a clean and elegant look with vibrant pops of jewel-toned colors, including cyan blue, pink, peach, and purple. For their wedding flowers we targeted some of their favorite varieties, including stargazer lilies, hydrangeas, and roses. While I always give special attention to the bridal bouquet and the ceremony decor, which both turned out beautifully (I mean look at that fabulous bouquet Audrey is holding!), the star floral arrangement was inside the northwest room above the fireplace – the mantle floral installation. What makes this piece even more phenomenal is that there is no physical mantle above the fireplace at Ray’s Boathouse. So I had to build one. As a Floral Architect, though, challenge accepted!

Colorful Mantle Florals at Ray’s Boathouse and the Mechanics Behind the Mantle

The fireplace at Ray’s Boathouse has beautiful stone face with an indented niche on either side. Above the fireplace the wall is essentially vertically flat, meaning there is nothing to attach any flowers to. To create a floral statement piece over the fireplace, I had to build structural platform. Using a jigsaw, I cut two pieces of particle board 16 inches wide and 14 inches deep. I nailed these to either end of an 8 foot 2×4 piece of wood. Using a drill, I then made a series of holes along the 2×4. Chicken wire pillows were fastened to the 2×4 using zip ties. I like to double layer my chicken wire pillows (a pillow inside a pillow), so that the stems of the flowers have more than one contact point to hold in place. Chicken wire in floristry has been around for decades. With collective movement towards sustainability, many more florists are using checking wire in their mechanics, rather than floral foam.

My mantle piece was placed above the fireplace, with the plywood ends resting on the light indentations. With front facing floral arrangements, you have to always consider the force of gravity, which wants to pull down your designs. To counter the earth’s gravitational force, I placed a stack of bricks on top of either plywood end. This mantle structure was rock solid. Even with the incredible amount of flowers that were added the mantle stayed securely in place. Success!

Getting Ready at Hotel Ballard for a Colorful Summer Wedding at Ray’s Boathouse

Hotel Ballard was the venue chosen for getting ready, as well as the location for the first look, and the Ballard area of Seattle for many of  the pre-ceremony photos. This boutique vintage hotel was a lovely location for the start of the day. And the charm of Ballard was the perfect urban backdrop for a photoshoot.

Colorful Summer Wedding at Ray’s Boathouse Ceremony

Audrey and Chris tied the knot with a heart-felt ceremony on the boardwalk south of Ray’s Boathouse, overlooking the Puget Sound. They chose a simple backdrop of a rectangular wooden arch with flowers along the top. To add the pop of cyan blue, I wove a satin ribbon through the flowers. Candles in cylindrical vases lines the aisle. It was one of those majestic sunny Seattle day’s – not a cloud in sight, with the sunlight glittering on the water’s surface.

Colorful Summer Wedding at Ray’s Boathouse Reception

In addition to the mantle statement piece in the reception room at Ray’s Boathouse which was the star of the show (after Audrey and Chris, of course), pops of color could be seen in the lush footed compote centerpieces on the dinner tables. Guest drank water from blue crystal glasses. The wedding cake was also adorned with colorful summer florals.

The colorful mantle floral installation was the perfect backdrop for Audrey and Chris’ spicy dance they performed for their guests!

 

Vendors:

Planning: New Creations Weddings

Wedding Venue: Ray’s Boathouse

Photographer: Cameron Zegers Photography

Cake: Seatown Sweets

DJ/Emcee: Bugsie Productions

Rentals: CORT Party Rental

Hair and Make-up: Salon Maison

Getting Ready Venue: Ballard Hotel

 

If you want to see beautiful florals from another colorful summer wedding planned by New Creations Weddings, check out Heather and David’s wedding:

AN ENCHANTED WEDDING AT CHATEAU LILL

 

To say I LOVE backyard weddings is an understatement. I attribute this to the fact that for the longest time, whenever I envisioned my own wedding, it was a backyard wedding. Early in high school I threw summer parties at the house I grew up in. The nostalgia of those celebrations combined with magical feeling of summer fueled the vision for my someday wedding. In my head, it was an even grander, more vibrant version of those end of school year parties – including a live band, bistro AND globe lights, and dancing into the wee, wee hours of the morning. When I finally did get married 20 years post high school, while my husband and I didn’t have a backyard wedding at our house, we did, however, tie the knot in the yard of a house we rented on VRBO. While technically it was a “front yard” wedding, our venue had warm and hospitable vibes that can only come from the intimacy of a backyard setting. It was absolutely amazing.

So when Amanda and Anthony reached out about flowers for the backyard wedding they were planning on Joy Lake in Carnation, WA, I knew it was going to be magical. And it was. The day of their wedding was slightly overcast and the wind was incredibly still, so the lake reflected the sky like a mirror. A circle arch stood on a wooden platform next to the lake, which my team and I adorned with a lush, asymmetric covering of muted pink flowers, white flowers, and PNW greens. After the ceremony, guests were transported by shuttle to a secondary private residence just a few blocks down the road for the reception. The enchanted forest feeling was created with beautiful cloche centerpieces filled with moss, ferns, flowers and fairy lights and glass globe terrariums with fairy lights hanging from the trees. It truly was the perfect setting for a Pacific Northwest backyard wedding. I told my husband that if we were to ever have a second wedding, it would be the wedding that Amanda and Anthony had. Pure magic.

Amanda and Anthony, you are the kind of clients that remind me why I love being a wedding florist. Thank you for being wonderful to work with. I wish you both the very best! And thank you to my two flower friends who helped me set up, Cathy of Lamb & Twig and Sandy of Verbena Floral. And thank you to Gaby, the on-site wedding coordinator, who made me feel seen and heard, and provided immeasurable support while we problem-solved the stability of the arch. Your kindness was felt and will always be remembered.

Venue: Private Residence in Carnation, WA

Coordinator: Gaby, a family friend

Photographer: Sound Originals

Caterer: Gusto Pizza Truck

 

 

 

Caroline and Peter were married at Parsons Garden in the Queen Anne neighborhood in Seattle, followed by an intimate dinner reception in the penthouse at one of Seattle’s oldest fine-dining restaurants, Canlis. It was one of those pre-rain autumn days in Washington. The leaves had started to turn yellow and the sky was slightly overcast with the threat of rain, but the Seattle drizzle had not yet descended for the winter and sun was trying to make herself known, creating a gorgeous day for Caroline and Peter to get married.

Focusing on a color palette of white, peach, burgundy, and green, we incorporated dahlias, ranunculus, garden roses, and ferns into Caroline and Peter’s floral arrangements. And I got the opportunity to incorporate one of my favorite dahlia varieties, the Hollyhill Black Beauty. Its large, spiky petals lend a unique texture and the color of this variety is a deep red, burgundy; it’s so rich that it almost looks like velvet.

Victoria, their fabulous wedding planner of Soon to Be Events, created jazz-inspired table numbers for Caroline and Peter, bringing in their obsession for that genre of music. David Cho Photography captured the warmth and beauty of their day and all the love shown by Caroline, Peter, and their friends and family in attendance.

Planner: Soon to Be Events

Venues: Parsons Garden & Canlis

Photographer: David Cho Photography

Cake: The Sweetside

Hair: ZO and CO

Make-Up: I.M Artistry

The best thing about being a wedding florist in Seattle is all the wonderful people I get to work with. I make this statement meaning both the folks in the wedding industry and, especially, the couples I design for. Both architects and designers, I connected with Aireen and Greg on a shared understanding and appreciation of the process of design and how to communicate design. There is so much thought that goes into wedding flowers. As a designer you have to consider the colors, the textures, and the shapes of the flowers and foliage, and then decide which varieties of flowers will take precedent in a floral arrangement and which ones sit a step behind. You have to think about the shape of each piece, the movement, the positive and negative space, and non-floral accents, like ribbons, vessels, and pins. Finally, you have to think about how the floral arrangement will fit in with all the other decor. And then you have to translate all of that to the client. It’s a big job!

I also loved working with Aireen and Greg because they are just two incredibly down-to-earth, kind and engaging people, who enjoy riding bicycles (Greg did a US cross country bicycle trip in 2015), riding their motor cycles on the weekends, and hiking in the mountains. I don’t think two people can be any cooler.

Aireen and Greg decided to have their wedding at the beautiful Woodinville winery, JM Cellars. They fell in love with JM Cellars for the architecture and because of the canopy of trees with a hundred type of species. For their flowers Aireen and Greg wanted to include local greens with pops of rusty red, peachy pink, and coral colors using peonies, ranunculus, ferns, and pine cones. As a tribute to their late Uncle Gene, a family heirloom vintage cherry red Camaro automobile was featured at JM and it was the car that Aireen and Greg left the reception in formally as husband and wife.

 

Planner: Pink Blossom Events

Photographer: Emilia Shevchenko Photography

Caterer: Kaspar’s Catering and Events

Venue: JM Cellars