"Birds Nest" Bouquets for a Cradle Mountain Wedding in February

"Birds Nest" Bouquets for a Cradle Mountain Wedding in February

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In February I provided flowers for a wedding held at Lemonthyme Wilderness Retreat in the Cradle Mountain - Lake St Claire National Park.  

Cradle Mountain

The Cradle Moutain area is World Heritage listed with stunning scenery and pristine wilderness that draws tourists from all around the globe.  What a beautiful place for a wedding!

Lemonthyme WIlderness Retreat

 The bride had chosen a rich strong purple for the bridesmaid's dresses and had the idea of adding some yellow as a contrasting colour to really make the colours pop.  

Its called a complimentary colour scheme, using colours which are opposite each other on the colour wheel.  It works to accentuate colours and make them stand out.  The bride also wanted natives to go with that beautiful backdrop of the Tasmanian wilderness that the venue offered.

 

Banksias were the focal flowers in this wedding with each bouquet having a Banksia Baxterii as the main flower.  Baxterii are a beautiful late summer banksia here in Tassie, and are often called Birds-nest Banksia because of their unique shape and the way the styles open from the bottom upwards.

I continued the Bird's Nest theme using posy holders made from natural fibrous material in a great chocolate brown.  I love the textural quality they created and the addition of the deep brown which enhances the colours in the flowers.  I also loved the bird's nest feel they added, with the flowers nestled into the "nest" and the foliage spilling over the edges.  

Other flowers used were the beautiful rich red Banksia Occidentalis, Leucadendron Safari Sunset, a deep burgundy in late summer, and Brunia Albiflora.  Little pops of purple to tie in the bridesmaids dresses were added with Hebe.  

Vibrant yellow was added with Kangaroo Paw, Bronze Fennel flowers, and Leucadendron Pisa.  Foliages used include the gorgeous native coral fern called Gleichenia Dicarpa, Myrtle Beech,  a beautiful burgundy tea tree foliage, and some Smoke Bush leaves.   

The bride requested all the boutonnieres be different designs, all with the same theme.  Music to my ears!  Its such fun to play with the colours and textures and find different ways of putting them all together.  Banksia Baxterii leaves, deeply zig zagged and fabulous, form the backing for each Boutonniere.  

In front, different mixtures of the foliages including the burgundy tea tree and myrtle, and then more of the other flowers featured in the bouquets.  

The grooms boutonniere had some of the coral fern added.  I really love working with the coral fern.  It can be very difficult to store and work with as it tangles very easily, but the lovely angles that it sits at make it a wonderful, whimsical addition to a bouquet or boutonniere.  

The colours and textures of this wedding were wonderfully satisfying to work with.  I hope the bride and groom enjoyed the results!

Colourful Summer Wedding in Early December

Colourful Summer Wedding in Early December

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"I just love things that are colourful" said the bride.  Music to my ears!  Early summer gave me plenty of colour to play with for this December wedding.  

The bride also loved combinations of interesting shapes and textures - leafy and flowery.  So The main flowers I used were Protea Compacta in rich pink/red, Banksia Ericifolia in deep rich orange and Leucospermum Scarlet Ribbons in their red phase with orange styles.  

The secondary flowers I used were Leucadendron Safari Sunset in a rich burgundy for contrast, Leucadendron Safari Goldstrike in its post-flower phase having green bracts around a large orange tinged cone, and Leucadendron Discolour female in its creamy pink-tinged phase of late spring early summer.  The Boronia Heterophyla was great to use with its intense pink and beautiful fresh fragrance.

You can also see dried Leucadendron cones, some late flowering Berzelia, Risdon Peppermint Gum foliage and some foraged native fern.  Overall, the colours are fruity and warm, perfect summer natives.

The flower girl carried a basket of flowers.

I bet she looked extra gorgeous with the flower crown too.

It was made with a mixture of Walpole Wax flower and Berzelia.  My wax flower bushes have been almost unusable this year after a possum decided they were his favourite winter snack.  They've never been touched before so it took me by surprise.  I have had to use the wax flower sparingly!

The bride wore a floral comb, with touches of colour and texture, using Leucadendron Discolour, Berzelia, Dried Leucadendron Cone, Boronia, Peppermint Gum and Native fern.  

The grooms boutonniere matched, with Leucadenron Discolour, Boronia, Wax flower, Peppermint and Fern.  I also added some Banksia Speciosa leaves with a touch of orange on them.  Banksia leaves are brilliant shapes!

Simple table decorations in wooden boxes carried on the colourful summer theme.

I really enjoyed using the native fern.  I think it really made the whole theme come together.

Epsom House, Pontville

The wedding was held at Epsom House in Pontville, a beautifully restored historic building.  The reception was set up in the ball room - very grand!  Epsom House has many bedrooms, where the wedding guests stayed.  Brilliant for an intimate wedding with lots of guests from interstate.  

Epsom House, Pontville

I would recommend Epsom House for a venue - just beautiful!

I really enjoyed playing with the fruity summer colours and textures for this wedding.  I hope the bride and groom had a wonderful, memorable day.