His and Hers Wedding Flowers in Autumn

His and Hers Wedding Flowers in Autumn

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Photo by Jon Jarvela

Sometimes, I am asked to provide the simplest of wedding flower orders - a bride's bouquet and a groom's boutonniere.  I find that these weddings are really memorable, because so much effort goes into making the one bouquet and buttonhole just right.  In Autumn 2016, I was asked to do a simple bouquet and boutonniere for a couple who were getting married in the Huon Valley.  

The bride provided some pictures of the styles and colours she loved.  The inspiration came when I saw what the groom had picked out to wear.  

I loved the sage green in the tie, and the golden yellow and apricot too.  I decided to go for a bouquet with plenty of creamy white and green, with touches of apricot and bronzy gold. 

For the bridal bouquet I used a Protea White Ice, two types of banksia - Banksia Baxterii, the Birdsnest Banksia, and Banksia Marginata, a local native.  Brunia Albiflora in full flower was used along with flowering Eucalyptus Cordata, usually used as a cut foliage.  The apricot came with the use of Fountain Pincushion and Leucadendron Safari Goldstrike whose new growth is tinged with a pinkish bronze.  

The foliage I used includes Grevillea, again with a bronze new growth tips, flowering lemon-scented Leptospermum and the shimmering Leucadedron Argenteum or Silver Tree.  You can also see, peeping out on the left of the above photo, some creamy Leucadendron Pisa cones with their outer bracts removed.  

Other foliage included Eucalyptus Cordata, and some Cootamundra wattle in bud. 

For the groom, I used a small Banksia Marginata in creamy yellow, Grevillea foliage with an orange bud, Cootamundra Wattle with its little buds, tea tree (Leptospermum) and Eucalyptus foliage. 

Photo by Jon Jarvela

Autumn weddings in Tasmania really are special!  

Dryandra Formosa

Dryandra Formosa

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Dryandra Formosa is a beautiful Australian Native Flower that I've begun to grow at Swallows Nest Farm.  It is an unusual flower that is from the Proteaceae family, as are many other well known Australian Native flowers.  As recently as 2007 it has been re-classified at a Banksia, so is now known as Banksia Formosa.  Its common name is Showy Dryandra, and it is!

The flowers are golden and at once furry and bristly - a strange combination which makes sense when you see them begin to open more.  The bristles are very firm, almost plastic-like.   A fibrous golden top, when all clumped together, forms the "furry" look.  It has the appearance of velvet and catches the sunlight in a similar way.   

The colour is difficult to describe too - golden orange, or old gold would be my best words to describe it. 

Another feature of this unusual flower is that the leaves almost become part of the flower.  The leaves grow immediately below the flower and are long and deeply zig-zagged.  They are beautiful to use as a cut foliage.

Like most proteaceae plants, what we call the "flowers" are actually many small individual flowers clumped together.  The diagram above shows that each bristle is an individual flower.

With so many flowers in each flower head, there are many opportunities for seeds.  When you look at the seed heads of the Dryandra Formosa you can see why they've been re-classified as Banksias.  The seed heads are very banksia-like, as are the seeds which are very dark and attached to a papery film, just like banksia seeds.  Showy Dryandra grow well from seed.  

Dryandra or Banksia Formosa are a great flower to use for weddings.  You can see how the leaves are put to good use in the boutonnieres above.  I love the way the leaves sit haphazardly.  

The young flowers really catch the light because of the velvety texture.  They look great in corsages too. Here, the young flowers are teamed with Pimelea Nivea or Bushman's Bootlace, Lipstick Boronia, Berzelia buttons and Grevillea.

The effect is different when the flower is more mature and the velvety texture is replaced with the tips of the bristles.  Still lovely, just different.  In this boutonniere, it is teamed with a Blusing Bride Serruria flower, Berzelia buttons, and flowering gum.  

I really love the colour of this flower!  It's not a "hit you in the eye" colour but it just provides so much depth.  There are times when the colour combinations just sing!  I think the wreath above would be a bit bland without the Showy Dryandra.

Again, in a brides bouquet, the Showy Dryandra really makes the colour palette.  There's nothing else that adds the colour and texture quite like these amazing Australian Native blooms.  

February Wedding at Stewarts Bay Lodge

February Wedding at Stewarts Bay Lodge

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Island 26 Photography

"I love all foliages"  said the bride.  Great for a wedding at Stewarts Bay Lodge, set in the bush right next to Stewarts Bay on the Tasman Peninsula, a gorgeous natural setting!

The lovely bride was after pinks and softer tones to compliment the "nude" colouring of the bridesmaids dresses.  Protea Compacta, Protea White Ice and Protea Pink Ice were the main flowers used.  Secondary flowers were Banksia Marginata, a local native in soft creamy lemon, Brunia Albiflora and some rich pink Corymbia Ficifolia or Flowering Gum.  More difficult to see is Leucadendron Pisa with its silvery cones, Poppy pods, and some soft pink wax flower.

Foliages used include Myrtle Beech, a native Tasmanian foliage, 2 different types of Eucalyptus, one in bud.  Native, locally growing coral fern is also used.  Beautiful Leucadendron Silver Tree foliage is also used, giving shiny highlights.  There is also some Eucalyptus Crenulata, a blue foliage with a slight purple tinge to the tips.  

Island 26 Photography

Big cascading bouquets full of foliage can be tricky to package for transport!  

Island 26 Photography

The colours worked well with the bridesmaids dresses.

Island 26 Photography

I love candid wedding shots! They really show the emotion of the day.  

For the boutonnieres I used the native coral fern, wax flowers, some deconstructed Brunia and for the groom, some of the pink flowering gum.  

Island 26 Photography

The boutonniere for the Father of the Bride was slightly different using a poppy pod, myrtle, gum and flowering gum.

The floral comb for the bride used similar ingredients - native coral fern, wax flower, flowering gum, deconstructed bruina, Eucalyptus Crenulata, and some eucalyptus buds.

Wax flower is such a popular filler flower and you can see why in this hair piece.  It is so delicate but it also lasts well.  

Island 26 Photography

I love making hair pieces and its always wonderful to be able to see how they're used.  

Island 26 Photography

This one sat so well into the hairstyle.  

Island 26 Photography

The combination of a great hair stylist  (Ben O'Brien) and a great photographer (Island 26 Photography) gives great results!  Its such a privilege to work with talented people.  The beautiful bride looked amazing!

Simple aisle decorations were the only ceremony flowers - a simple mix of foliages and leucadendrons.

Island 26 Photography

Table decorations included rustic log rounds with a trio of vases filled with proteas, foliage and flowering gum.

Island 26 Photography

Twisted willow gave the centrepieces a lift.  

Island 26 Photography

Its always a pleasure to be involved in a couple's big day, especially when there are so many other great providers to work alongside.  This beautiful shot of the lovely bride just goes to show the results that can be achieved when you have great people to work with.

Soft Pinks and Greens for a January Wedding

Soft Pinks and Greens for a January Wedding

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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!