WV Design Team: Bring the beauty of a summertime wedding to your home

We were asked to do the florals for a great friend and longtime client who was married at Edgewood Country Club a few weeks ago. While Yeager Design & Interiors does not normally design for weddings and other special events, what an honor to work with this bride and groom, the newly wed Mr. and Mrs. Matt and Grace Duncan.

To start the design process, they shared the details of their upcoming wedding with us. Their guest list was small but precious, consisting of only their closest family and friends, and it was to be held at the country club’s terrace overlooking Charleston. Grace shared some inspirational photos of florals that she had admired, which led us to begin choosing her specified stems.

Due to the extremely hot weather we had been having, we knew that our flowers would either have to be hardy enough to withstand high temperatures or we would need to plan ahead for them to be kept in cool water throughout the evening.

Now, let me be clear: I am not a florist. This event was done out of love for my client and friend. However, I do understand design elements, and in my spare time I have a small obsession with putting together floral arrangements for friends and myself to enjoy. I just love the way flowers smell, how they can change the mood in a room and can be conversation starters at events such as weddings. And, so often, the final results of an arrangement for a friend begins with something I saw at a special event.

Grace, Matt and I decided their flowers would include simple and classic whites, leafy greens and touches of soft pink hues. Specifically, hydrangeas, peonies, roses, spray roses, green berries, hypericum, stock, various types of eucalyptus and blue thistle made our list to be included in the arrangements and bouquet.

Grace’s special request was that we incorporate succulents into the scheme as well. We thought this was an adorable touch and right on trend for the 2018 summer wedding season.

To make each of the five tables unique, we decided to incorporate lanterns in various sizes and styles. We removed the glass sides from each of the lanterns so our flowers could freely flow in and out, making them look wild and full of interest.

While each arrangement was unique in shape and size, they all consisted of the same assortment of the same florals, each in a unique form. To incorporate the bride’s special touch of succulents, we placed them in the bases of the lanterns in soft beds of eucalyptus that surrounded each arrangement. We also used the brides’ mercury tea lights around each centerpiece to add a warm glow, especially as evening approached.

Using a different style of lantern creates interest and makes the center pieces more custom.

At the end of the day, what did I learn from making these arrangements for this beautiful couple?

• You must have a small pot or urn that can be placed into a lantern like these. This provides you with your source of water and keeps all your stems gathered in one base point. The best tip I have would be to fill the pot or urn with floral foam so that your stems can stand at any height you want, and you can build your arrangements at various levels. It also helps keep each stem hydrated.
• Have fun. Since floral design is not my occupation, I had an absolute blast putting these together. I was surrounded by gorgeous flowers that made my dining room smell amazing. I took my time and did each arrangement separately and worked on each until it felt right to me. This is trial and error, and you can keep going until you feel that it’s the right look for you.
• Mix it up. Layered arrangements that incorporate different kinds of flowers, in my opinion, are a lot more interesting than a simple bouquet of roses or peonies by themselves.
• Think outside the vase. Don’t let yourself be constrained to your same old same old glass vase. Lanterns like these can be fun to place on a table or hang on a hook and instantly have a new purpose. Other items around your home may inspire you as well, such as an old watering tin, a teapot or even a galvanized bucket.

In the end, the bride and groom were very pleased with their floral design and told us how it made their wedding feel intimate and customized just for them. We hope you are inspired to create something beautiful as well!