An Elegant Garden Styled Wedding

Garden Elegance Styled Wedding Shoot

Step inside this stunning styled wedding featured in Volume 6 of Wine & Country Weddings. For the truly romantic at heart, nothing can compare with the timeless charm of a lush garden setting for your nuptials. Here in Virginia, we are blessed with an abundance of venues that are filled with a variety of carefully curated plantings waiting to become the backdrop for your big day.

Flowers were incorporated into every part of the day. The ceremony space, staged on the croquet lawn at The Clifton in Charlottesville, was bordered with an abundant array of garden specimen. To amplify the garden fantasy effect, Floral & Bloom created an overflowing blooming arbor (shown above)—a design trend that continues to be at the top of many couples’ wish lists—as a focal point. The arbor served dual purposes: the ceremony focal point and a backdrop for formal portraits. Even the bride’s simple chignon bun was elevated with the addition of a rose gold floral spray hair clip. For a more natural, equally fantastical scene, look for a venue that has walls of climbing wisteria or roses to complement your big day.

Part of the joy of flowers is that they can transport you with their scent, touch and beauty, evoking emotions and creating memories for all in attendance. In this styled-shoot celebration, collaboratively imagined by KD Events + Design, this inspirational setting stirs the feeling of stepping into one of Monet’s gardens.

Every detail is presented as if touched by the artist’s brush, dripping with watercolor-esque shades of mauve and cream, and accented with splashes of lime and blue. The combination of colors created compelling and unabashedly sentimental scenes at every turn. Even the papers in the invitation suite had a deckled edge reminiscent of a piece of art paper torn from an artist’s journal.

The bride’s beautiful sleeveless A-line gown features buttons running along the back and beading all-over the bodice to form an intricate pattern of flowers and vines, a perfect nod to the theme. Her veil, similarly trimmed is a sentimental accent. 

The groom’s single-breasted suit with a shawl collar in a soft shade of plum adds a gorgeous dash of color and style to the day. 

A welcoming lounge area with a mix of seating becomes a welcomed oasis for guests during cocktail hour as well as for after-dinner conversations. A chess board, where guests can drop in and out of a game throughout the night, adds a sophisticated touch of whimsy to the setting.  

Keys hung on an over-sized chicken wire frame and became a dramatic display that adds dimension and texture to the space, helping define the lounge area from the rest of the tent. 

Upon stepping into the tented reception, guests are left breathless by the cascading blooms flowing like endless waterfalls down the tent poles and over the tables. There is an exuberance in the celebration of flowers that exudes a grandiose feeling without being overwhelming.

The planners kept most of the space neutral in color, and then added in lots of texture like the embroidered linens and used dabs of gold or a bold lime accent like on the head table. This merging of complementary elements helped the space feel opulent yet restful, creating the perfect setting for a garden-inspired wedding feast.

A sophisticated drink station was fitted with a beautiful display of colored glassware, recipe inspirations and a luscious mix of infused simple syrups with flavors, such as hibiscus, cucumber and lime, rose water, rosemary, mint and lavender. 

The nod to Monet’s garden was brought in on the base layer of the exquisite cake. All the colors were beautifully painted on, and a gilded edge completed the base layer while varied heights of ivory tiers added further visual interest and were an elegant foundation for the delicate floral spray. 

Sweetheart cocktails with edible flower garnishes and petit four-style cakes designed to match the main cake made a sweet and intimate moment for the bride and groom to share. It was the perfect end to a perfect day!  ~

This styled shoot was featured in Volume 6 of Wine & Country Weddings.