Autumn-toned Native Wedding Flowers

Autumn-toned Native Wedding Flowers

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A small, elopement style wedding in April called for just a bouquet, boutonniere and a floral crown for the bride.  The ceremony was to take place in a bush setting on Mt Wellington.  Very "low key and boho" with just a couple of close family members as witnesses to the event.  

Inspired by the seasonal colours,  and I couldn't resist the autumny tones of magnolia foliage which tied in beautifully with the creamy White Ice Protea and the Birdsnest Banksia I used as the main flowers.  

A mix of great textures was important for the unstructured style of the bouquet.  I used flowering tea tree,  banksia foliage, and budded wattle foliage as some of the textural elements.

The leucadendrons I used were the fine, purple-tinged Galpinii, tall slender Discolour, and the rich dark tones of the Burgundy Sunset, almost black in autumn.

Other flowers used were the smaller Banksia Brownii, and a white Protea Repens.  The leafy, wild look was brought together by using a limited colour palette, and making the autumn tones really stand out.   I used dried leucadendron cones to repeat the brown colour of the magnolia leaves.  Such a satisfying combination of colours and textures.
  

The grooms simple boutonniere used a magnolia leaf, a zigzaggy banksia leaf, burgundy sunset leucos, budded wattle and a leucadendron cone.

The floral crown was more leafy than floral.  I used lots of budded wattle foliage, with its bluegreen colour and fabulous wayward sprigs.  I added the yellowy green banksia Brownii foliage, which is a very fine zigzagged leaf.  Sprinkled through was the flowering tea tree, which being lemon-scented is always a delight to work with.

The asymmetry of the crown is really flattering.  I used the dark burgundy leucos and the dried cones to weight the crown to the left.   

It was a real treat to be involved in this wedding, and I wish the lovely couple every happiness.  

"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!

February Wedding at Avalon Coastal Retreat

February Wedding at Avalon Coastal Retreat

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February is a busy month for weddings here in Tasmania.  The warm weather makes Tasmania's beautiful landscapes and beaches a perfect backdrop for a summer wedding.  This February I was privileged to provide flowers for a wedding held on the Tasmania's East Coast at a special award winning venue called Avalon Coastal Retreat.  

Avalon Coastal Retreat

Right on the edge of the ocean at Swansea, the venue has breathtaking views of the coastline and the Freycinet Peninsula.

Avalon Coastal Retreat

Avalon Coastal Retreat won a gold medal in the Australian Tourism Awards for the best self-contained accommodation.  Its not hard to see why, judging from the photo gallery on their website. 

The colour of the bridesmaid's dresses was a soft pink, with accents in the men's ties of rich pink and orange.  The colour scheme of the flowers came together well, complimenting those colours with lots of native texture.

Pink Ice Protea, Fountain Pincushions and Banksia Occidentalis are the 3 main flowers used.  

The pink, red and orange colours were held together with a burst of soft pink from a gorgeous Corymbia Ficifolia or Flowering Gum.  It really tied the colours together.  Other flowers used were some Leucadendron Silvan Red with its rich new season red, some Leucadenron Gandogeri, Kangaroo Paw in red, Leucadendron Jubilee Crown cones, and some green Corymbia Ficifolia nuts.

The bride's bouquet also featured a small red King Protea.

A bridal hair piece was made by attaching the flowers to a comb which sets well at the back of the head  (also useful above a bun).  I used more of the Corymbia Ficifolia in that gorgeous soft pink, and added some pink wax flower and some local native tea tree that grows in coastal areas here in Tasmania.  It's soft grey leaves and white flowers worked well on the hair piece.

Simple little floral picks were also made for the bridesmaid's hair.  

The floral comb worked beautifully as an alternative to the traditional veil.

The suits were a rich blue with a white shirt that had subtle accent colours through it.  

For boutonnieres I used more of the fabulous Corymbia Ficifolia teamed with Peppermint foliage, Leucadendron Silvan Red and a L. Jubilee Crown cone.  

All the bouquets and boutonnieres were bound with jute twine for a rustic, earthy feel.

The grooms boutonniere had added wax flower and a small green gum nut.  

Wholesale flowers for decorating the venue where Protea Pink Ice, Banksia Occidentalis, Leucospermum Fountain, Leucadendron Silvan Red and Risdon Peppermint foliage.  

It's always such a treat to see a photo of the bridal party, showing all the effort come to fruition.  It was a pleasure to provide flowers for this wedding.  I really enjoyed the colour combinations of the pinks, reds and touches of orange.