January Wedding at Quamby Estate

January Wedding at Quamby Estate

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Photography by Doxa Visual

Australia Day long weekend was the date for a beautiful wedding at Quamby Estate.  Natives and proteas were the theme. With the bride being Australian and the groom being from South Africa, it was meant to be!

Quamby Estate

Quamby estate is a beautiful historical homestead near Launceston in the north of Tasmania.  

Quamby Estate

The beautiful rooms create an memorable atmosphere in which to prepare for the ceremony.  

The photographer's photos capture the moody interior light so beautifully.

Photography by Doxa Visual

The gorgeous pictures are by dynamic photography duo Doxa Visual.  They've captured the day sensationally - the bride and groom must be thrilled!

Photography by Doxa Visual

The ceremony was held on the grass under the shade of a huge old tree, with vases of natives sitting on logs at the end of each row of chairs.

Photography by Doxa Visual

The happy couple planned perfectly for the day, and it shows.

Photography by Doxa Visual

The bride wanted a mix of colours combining the South African flowers and Australian flowers.  Many South African flowers are called "natives" here in Australia.  Leucadendrons, Pincushions and Proteas are all South Aftican natives.  Banksias, Waratahs, Grevilleas and Bottlebrushes are all Australian native flowers, but both groups belong to the larger collection of Proteaceae plants.

The South African flowers used were Protea Pink Ice, Protea Repens,  Leucospermum Fountain - an orange Pincushion, and Brunia Albiflora.  The leucadendrons used were L. Argentium, the Silver Tree, Safari Sunset and Jubilee Crown.  

The Australian flowers used were Banksia Speciosa, Banksia Praemorsa, Banksia Marginata and of course, Wattle, our national floral emblem.  The Banksia Speciosa has wonderful long zig-zag leaves that I love to use in bouquets.  

Other ingredients were Leucadendron Jubilee Crown cones,  Echinops or Globe Thistles, and each bouquet had a Silver Tree cone as well as the beautiful silken foliage.  Foliages used were Risdon Peppermint, and Agonis Flexuosa in flower.  

Photography by Doxa Visual

The brides amazing dress is by Gwendolynne from Melbourne.  Check out the website if you want to feast your eyes on some stunning vintage style dresses and lots of real-wedding photos.

Photography by Doxa Visual

The bridesmaid's bouquets were smaller, without the larger Banksia flowers.  

For the groom, a Globe Thistle, Wattle, Agonis flowers and a L. Jubilee Crown cone.  I also used some of those gorgeous zig zag Banksia Speciosa leaves.  

Photography by Doxa Visual

I love that pocket kerchief!  

The grooms attendants had the same ingredients for their boutonnieres, without the Globe Thistle.  

Photography by Doxa Visual

For the reception,  there were fishbowl vases bursting with proteas and natives.  

Photography by Doxa Visual

Photography by Doxa Visual

Little scattered accent vases held sprigs of wattle and other feature flowers.

Photography by Doxa Visual

I think that smile says it all - it looks like a wonderful day full of the best memories.  And, as always, it was such a privilege to be involved in the celebration.

Photography by Doxa Visual

Engagement Photoshoot in April

Engagement Photoshoot in April

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Tasmania has a reputation as a tourism destination, and I find that often couples like to combine a special event in their lives with a trip to our fair shores.  This April, a gorgeous couple decided to celebrate their engagement with a holiday and photoshoot.  What a fun thing to do! 

An eclectic mix of natives with lots of colour and texture was the idea for the bouquet.

The flowers needed to travel well as the photos were taken in various places over the course of a few days.  

Protea Repens in both light pink and rich pink, both flowering and non-flowering Brunia, Protea White Mink, Banksia Burdettii and Banksia Brownii were the larger flowers that I used.  Leucadendron Galpinii (Purple Haze), Safari Sunset, and Leucadendron Discolour were the secondary flowers.  

A range of foliage including Tasmanian Myrtle Beech, Risdon Peppermint, and Banksia Brownii added fullness.  I also added some dried leucadedonron cones which are a rich autumny brown.

Beautiful!

By the looks of the gorgeous pictures, they had a wonderful trip!

And the photos will make great memories too.

For the boutonniere, I used a dried leucadendron cone so that there were no wilting issues along the trail.  The Banksia Burdettii leaves are so gorgeous with their zig-zag edges, and they were teamed with Myrtle Beech, Risdon Peppermint among other bits and pieces.  

The iconic view of Cradle Mountain from Dove Lake - definitely a memorable destination for a special occasion!

What a fun job!  I wonder where they'll go for the wedding?

Waratah Wedding Bouquets

Waratah Wedding Bouquets

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Waratah season is short and sweet.  They are very much a spring flower.

Swallows Nest Farm Waratah Bouquet

  This year has been unusually warm and the waratah season seemed to fly by more quickly than usual.  Here at Swallows Nest Farm, you can see the first pickable blooms in mid to late September, with October being the high season. Some late flowering varieties keep going until mid December, but due to the warmth, it been a shorter season.  It's made me a bit sad, and so to console myself, I've compiled a little collection of waratah wedding bouquets. 

Flowergirl's bouquet Swallows Nest Farm

Some are my own, and some are ones I've found on my internet travels.  All of them feature the wonderful waratah in different ways and different styles. 

These first two bouquets are from an early October wedding.  The waratah's are just coming into their peak season and are vibrant and fresh.  The colour in these "Shady Lady" variety is really rich.  Teamed with the lipstick boronia it makes for a really colourful statement.

This one is an early spring bouquet from mid September.  The waratah in this bouquet is not fully open and the colour is not as vibrant, but the pink makes for a more subtle look and I love the petals still arching up around the flower.  Pretty and fresh.  

Good Grace and Humour

What a great image!  I love the red and white!  In this wedding the white waratah makes an appearance.  I think it really works!

Good Grace and Humour

Red waratah for the bride and white for the bridesmaids.  Fabulous!

October Waratah Wedding Swallows Nest Farm

From mid October, this bouquet celebrates the waratah in its peak season here in Tasmania.  The first early Tasmanian waratah makes an appearance towards the back left.  The Tasmanian waratah starts in October and peaks in November, usually, with some lingering into December. 

October Waratah Wedding Swallows Nest Farm

 I love this combination of fresh colours celebrating spring.  Simple style to highlight the flowers at their best. 

Spring Native Wedding Swallows Nest Farm

This trio of bouquets is from early October.  Lots of cream and white, with touches of gold from the Dryandra/Banksia Formosa make a great background for the waratahs.

November Native Wedding Swallows Nest Farm

Novermber and the first of the Pincushion proteas have emerged but the waratahs are still going.  I have found that our white waratahs flower a little later than the red, and this means that they can be available for weddings as the weather warms up.  The texture the waratah gives is an important ingredient of the success of this bouquet.  I love playing with colour blends using the white waratahs too.   

White Waratah Spring bouquet, Swallows Nest Farm

This bride's bouquet features a white waratah too, but with a different style and colour scheme.  The theme was "rustic vintage style" in classic pink and soft tones.

White Waratah Spring Wedding Swallows Nest Farm

I love the texture in the bouquet.  A more subtle colour scheme lets you really play with texture.

Tasmanian Waratah bouquet Swallows Nest Farm

November is Tasmanian Waratah month here at Swallows Nest Farm, and a gorgeous bride who loves her Tassie Waratahs chose November for her wedding so she could have one of her favourite flowers as the centrepiece of her bouquet.  Simple, beautiful fresh flowers.

Swallows Nest Farm 

A wedding featuring the Tasmanian waratah couldn't have been held in a more perfect setting.  This classic Tasmanian beach scene with the gorgeous blue of the sea and the characteristic orange lichen on the rocks.  Beautiful!

Waratah and Kangaroo Paw by Good Grace and Humour

I love this dramatic combination of Kargaroo Paw and Waratah.  What a great bouquet!  A truly Australian native wedding bouquet with the waratah as the star.

Field and Coppice Floral Design

I love this joyful bouquet by Field and Coppice Floral Design in the Canberra area.  The rich red waratahs in the centre of the bouquet are just beautiful.  

Field and Coppice Floral Design

This bouquet of waratahs is also by Field and Coppice, but it has a completely different feel.  Its simple, understated and old-world, and just gorgeous!

Waratahs are a stunning spring favourite for weddings. Keep an eye out for them!