WEDDING FLOWERS: leucadendron pisa
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Showing posts with label leucadendron pisa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label leucadendron pisa. Show all posts

Late Summer Wedding at Avalon Coastal Retreat


In late February, I provided flowers for a wedding at Avalon Coastal Retreat at Swansea on Tasmania's east coast.  Its a stunning  location with views of some of Tassie's most picturesque coastline.  The bride loved flowering gum and wattle, and February delivered on both counts.  


I created a bouquet for the bride using three different shades of Corymbia Ficifolia, a popular flowering gum that blooms in late summer here in Tasmania.  A rich, hot pink, candy pink and baby pink formed the bulk of the bouquet.  Acacia Retinodes is a wattle native to the southern states of Australia that flowers periodically throughout the year.  Some long arching branches from a local tree provided the wattle blooms.  Acacia Retinodes keeps its form quite well when picked, unlike some species of wattle which last only a short time.  I also love the foliage of the Acacia Retinodes, which falls happily.


The pastel tones of the bouquet included a Protea Pink Cream, an orange Pincushion Cordifolium, and a touch of blue with a Nigella flower from the garden.  The olive-green berries are a pittosporum berry. I also used Leucadendron Pisa which at the end of summer has large silvery white cones surrounded by yellow and lime green bracts.  


Other bouquet ingredients include Brunia Albiflora, Leucadendron Silver Tree, Bronze Fennel flowers, Eucalyptus Cordata foliage, and Irish Juniper foliage.


For the groom's boutonniere, I used Corymbia Ficifolia in hot pink, with a large Corymbia leaf at the back.  A sprig of eucalyptus, some Acacia Retinodes, Leucadendron Pisa and a Nigella bud where the other flowers used.  


The bride wanted a floral crown to match her bouquet.  Local coastal tea-tree foliage dotted with Brunia balls made the circlet.  


Flowering gum, wattle, L. Pisa cones, eucalyptus and Nigella were added as a focal point.


The design of the other boutonnieres was a simpler version of the groom's, showcasing the just the wattle.  


I loved using the Acacia Retinodes.  


The bride ordered wholesale flowers for some DIY fun, to make up the bridesmaid's bouquets.  What she saved on costs, she used to order wrist corsages.


They were a lot of fun to make, using tea tree foliage, eucalyptus, different shades of flowering gum with a Leucadendron Pisa cone.  I also popped in some sprigs of wattle, and some of the olive green pittosporum berries.  


I think they were a great alternative to the traditional pin-on corsage.  This was a great wedding to be involved in.  I really loved the colours the I got to play with and was really happy with the results, particularly the brides bouquet.  

Soft Pinks and Greens for a January Wedding


January Wedding Bouquet
Soft pinks and mint greens were the colours for this January wedding.  The bride loved eucalyptus and gum nuts and wanted something soft to compliment the bridesmaid's dresses in mint.  January was challenging this year with warmer than average temperatures and much lower rainfall than usual.  It meant that there was some unusual timing with some of the blooms, but we managed to come up with some pretty colours and textures to suit the theme.


White Ice Proteas flowering earlier than expected were happily snapped up to suit the theme.  Some rare January Pink Ice were also used.  Beautiful Brunia Albiflora was looking fabulous and is always a great addition to a bouquet no matter what the colour scheme.  


You can also see some Red Protea Compacta.  Smaller filler flowers used were Ozothamnus, a native that grows in the bush here.  If picked at just the right time it can be a beautiful filler flower, a relative of the Rice Flower.  I also used Elderberries for a rich purply-pink contrast.  


Used in the bouquets and more prominently in the boutonnieres are these silvery white cones with a purplish tinge.  They are the cones from the Leucadendron Pisa plant which are in season in the summer months.  I removed the outer bracts from these cones, which are lime green at this time of year.  The result was a pearly cone perfect for the focal point of the boutonnieres.


Vintage barely-pink lace was used as the binding for the bouquets and boutonnieres.  The brides dress had a tiny touch of pink to its colouring and this lace was perfect for the job.


Foliage used included the beautiful Leucadendron Silver Tree, ready earlier than usual thanks to the weather conditions.  Some Agonis Flexuosa with its whispy foliage and delicate white flowers made a great addition for the draping, cascading effect.  A mix of other eucalyptus foliages was also used.


In the boutonniere gum leaves also featured.  Some local native tea-tree and Leucadendron Jubilee Crown cones were used too.  I love the pink blush of the Jubilee Crown in summer.  A great little addition to bouquets and boutonnieres.


A close up revealed some very early Banksia Occidentalis.  These flower in late summer and early autumn and these were the first pick of the season.  Banksia Occidentalis is a bright red flower but needs to develop its colouring on the bush.  If picked early the flower is fully formed but the colour is not as intense and provided a dusky pink addition to the bouquets.  This picture also shows the purplish tinge that the L. Pisa cones get - such a pretty Leucadendron.



These arrangements were used on wine barrels for decorating the ceremony.  I used all the same ingredients as for the bouquets.

Chelsea Parsons Photography
The happy couple! 

Fresh Summer Natives for a December Wedding


A December wedding, held at Steeles Island Retreat in Southern Tasmania called for fresh summery natives.  The brides dress was a deep blue and the rough colour scheme of the wedding was blue and yellow.  In terms of colours for the flowers, the bride loved vibrant reds, yellows and deep greens, pincushions and gum nuts.     


Perfect colours for summer natives!  


The larger flowers I used for the bouquets were pincusions in red and orange teamed with orange Banksia Ericifolia.  The dark rich burgundy of summer Safari Sunset Leucadendrons provided contrasting tone.  The lime yellow leucadendrons with the silvery central cones are Leucadendron Pisa and I used gum nuts from Corymbia Ficifolia.


Bright sunshine yellow Kangaroo Paw really brightened up the bouquets.  I also used the last of the Berzelia Button Bush, in its fluffy white flowering stage and, just seen peeping out are some orangey-green cones of Leucadendron Goldstrike with the outer bracts removed.   For the foliage, I used Tasmanian myrtle beech - a gorgeous rich green.  Some flowering Agonis Flexuosa provided beautifully draping foliage as well as little white highlights.  And a lovely last minute find of some acacia in bud really added something special in the way of texture.  


All together, the bouquets made real statement of colour.  I love this fresh summery look.  


The profusion of foliage had a draping effect I really loved, but its difficult to capture in the pictures.  I think these colours would have really popped with the navy blue dress! 


For the boutonnieres I used more gum nuts, teamed with the yellow Kangaroo Paw, L. Safari Sunset and L. Pisa, all backed by some of the myrtle and acacia foliages.  The grooms boutonniere stood out with the addition of some Berzelia.


I love that little touch of texture that the acacia buds provide!  It's the little details that really make wedding flowers special.  


The fresh, vibrant, summery colours of seasonal natives really make an impact.  I hope the bride and groom had a wonderful, memorable day.





Thinking About Weddings - Boutonniere


 Boutonniere is a french word meaning 'button hole' and is the name for a flower or small bouquet worn on the lapel of a man's jacket.  Boutonniere have an interesting history, with some suggesting the practice started with flowers being worn by men going into battle.  The boutonniere was very popular in Victorian times. Suits were made with a special opening and loop on the lapel so as to accommodate a flower, usually a carnation.  More recently, the boutonniere has become something worn only on special occasions.  The button hole on the lapel has almost disappeared from modern suits and the boutonniere has evolved into a single flower or small bouquet that is wired, taped and pinned to the left jacket lapel.

Natives are brilliant flowers for weddings, and in the case of boutonniere they really shine.  If natives are well prepared,  they can last really well removing worry about wilting which can be a problem for boutonnieres.  With an increasing focus on locally and sustainably grown seasonal produce, native flowers are becoming much more popular as wedding flowers.

I've spent a lot of time on the internet, trawling through wedding blogs and sites and found there was a lack of inspiring native boutonniere collections, so I thought I'd make one!  Some of these are my own work, and some are ideas that I've found on my "travels".  I hope you find some inspiration here.


These buttonholes feature the intensely coloured Tasmanian Waratah.  A November wedding was perfect as these natives are at their best in late spring.  The bride themed her wedding colours around these beautiful Tassie blooms with ivory, red and grey.  The grooms buttonhole stands out using a larger specimen and adding a red leucadendron.  The foliage is Agonis Flexuosa and the white Berzelia or Button Bush adds the gorgeous ivory highlight to make these bouttoniere really special.   





Dryandra are an Australian native from the protea family.  They are wonderful long lasting flowers with leaves that have a lovely texture and growth habit.  This early spring boutonniere utilises the Dryandra Formosa flower and highlights the zig zag foliage.  The golden Dryandra is teamed with early season Berzelia or Button Bush, still fresh green before the white flowers emerge, and a glossy gum leaf.  


This groom's boutonniere was from a January wedding with an Australian Native theme.  A large gum nut foraged in spring and dried with the seeds removed is the main "flower".  It is teamed with a Leucadendron Pisa, picked late so its central cone glows silvery green.  Some Berzelia Button Bush adds creamy white.  The background foliage is the lovely Nothofagus Cunninghamii or Myrtle - glossy green dainty leaves bely the sturdiness of this fabulous foliage.  There is also a Leucadendron Christmas Cone giving a touch of red.


A summer boutonniere using an orange Grevillea flower and foliage, teamed with some cyprus foliage. The addition of dried summer grasses adds texture for a rustic, country wedding.  

This larger style boutonniere uses the ever popular Safari Sunset Leucadendron and teams it with some lovely textured foliage.  I love the colour of the leucadendron against the suit fabric.  The green really makes it pop.

These gorgeous boutonniere are fun and light.  They use Leucadendron Pisa, Flannel Flowers and Serruria or Blushing Bride, and team them with some light native foliage.  The two attendants buttonholes are smaller and utilise one main flower.  The grooms buttonhole is distinguished by being larger, and incorporating all of the blooms used.  This is a great way of getting variety and making sure the most important boutonniere stands out.

I love this buttonhole using eucalyptus buds with feathers.  I think they work really well with the fabric of the suit.  The colour of the twine used to wrap the stems really makes the buttonhole work too.

These boutonniere are a great example of how "mismatched" can really work!  They are all different, but the rustic, textured style ties them all together.  As long as the groom stands out in the crowd, theres no reason why all the buttonholes need to be the same.


These late summer boutonniere are "mismatched" again.  Working on a theme using pink and orange they use lots of different natives.  They are tied together by the common use of twine and the foliage - zig zag Banksia foliage and cyprus.  Some of the flowers used are Geraldton Wax, Grevillea, Kangaroo Paw, Boronia, Summer Grass, and dried Leucadendron Cones.  


This is the grooms boutonniere from the same wedding as the picture above.  It uses a selection of the other flowers but adds Brunia, tying it in with the brides bouquet.  It is also bigger overall, making sure the groom is the star of the show!

Hopefully, you've found some inspiration for a native flower wedding here.
For more boutonniere ideas, see my Swallows Nest Farm Pinterest board or the Martha Stewart Weddings list of Boutonniere

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