Winter Wedding at Ratho Farm

I love winter weddings!  Its such a treat to be able to use the beautiful natives that are available in winter.  The colours are clear and bright, and they seem somehow fresher.  For this July wedding at Ratho Farm the bride wanted the colours to work with her beautiful deep blue-green velvet gown. 

Red as a contrast colour is fantastic in winter.  I teamed pinks, reds and whites with some Bluegreen foliages to create large bouquet for the bride.  

The main flowers were Protea White Ice, a creamy white protea with purple tips, and Red Compacta, a warm pink protea with a deep red centre.  I added in some dark red roses and Safari Sunset Leucadendrons.  

Other Leucos included were the purple and silver swirls of L. Galpinii, and green Leucadendron Discolour which have purple blush and silvery edges over winter.  Some Thryptomene, early Berzelia and Sea Holly were also added.  

For foliage, there were two types of Gum, both with a lovely trailing habit and a deep blue green colour.  Some variegated Pittosporum, silvery grey tea tree foliage and the luxurious Silver Tree can be seen too. 

For the little flower girl, in her silver sparkly dress, there was a special little basket to carry.  

Gorgeous Red Protea Compacta look so good in winter.  Everything in the brides bouquet was included except the Silver Tree.  

And for the groom there was Gum, Tea Tree, Sea Holly, Safari Sunset, rose and Berzelia.  

Photo by Love Jennifer Photography

Ratho Farm is full of Tasmanian character.  I wish the gorgeous couple all the very best and hope the memories of their Tassie wedding linger happily.  

Battery Point Wedding in March

This March wedding was held in Battery Point, an historic inner city suburb of Hobart.  The ceremony was held in the courtyard of the beautiful historic house, Narryna.  Battery Point community Hall was the reception venue.  

There was a bridal bouquet and a little flower girls bouquet in  pinks, reds, and creamy whites with blue green foliages.  Protea Compacta Red is a large velvet pink protea with a red centre that looks great in bouquets.  For the bride's bouquet, it was teamed with an early creamy white Repens protea, a black fringed white Neriifolia and some creamy flowering Brunia Albiflora.

For the reds, there were Banksia Occidentalis, new seasons Safari Sunset Leucos (burgundy) and Jester Leucos (striped burgundy and green).  I also used the first of the fine leafed Leucadendron Tall Red in rich maroon.  Masses of budded gum and Agonis Flexuosa foliage provided the structure. 

Other Leucadedrons added were the dusky red tinged Orientale, and the pure and sage Discolour with its silvery edges.  Some Leucadendron Pisa foliage, which is a soft silvery green, was also included.  Lastly, there were dark mahogany coloured dried Leucadendron cones.  I love the texture and depth of colour they add.  

Blue Sea Holly was sprinkled through the arrangements and the groom had a Sea Holly "thistle" in his boutonniere, surrounded by Brunia gum foliage, Pisa foliage, a Jester Leuco and some sprigs of Thryptomene.  

The little flower girl wore a crown of L. Pisa foliage, gum foliage and sprigs of thryptomene. 

I love using the soft green Pisa foliage.  Its soft and silky like the Silver Tree but much finer leafed.  

For the bride, a floral comb featuring a red Banksia and some Jester Leucos, Sea Holly, gum foliage, Pisa foliage, Agonis foliage and more Thryptomene.

There were a few late flowering gum buds and lastly, a dried Leucadendron cone.  

  

The ceremony took place in a sheltered courtyard in the garden of Narryna House.  Floral arch decorations were made with masses of foliage and flowers.  The standout were some huge flowering Brunia heads. 

The courtyard walls are full of character and the ground is paved with huge old flagstones.  It was a lovely, intimate spot for this small wedding.  

The gorgeous cake was made by Coal River Farm and was decorated with giant blackberries.  More matching flowers and foliage decorated each tier.

For the reception at Battery Point Community Hall, there were vases full of flowers and foliage to match the bouquets.  Flowering Brunia, Protea Pink Ice, Banksia Occidentalis, masses of gum, and Pisa foliage, and some Agonis, as well as a variety of Leucadendrons.  

The venue has beautiful light that streams in through the windows.  

  

The lovely bride and groom sent this picture, admiring the cake.  I love that you can see her bouquet and hair flowers and how everything ties together.  It was such a pleasure to help in the celebration of this couples' special day.  

Tasmanian Native Wedding in March

Tasmania is a place known for its pristine wilderness and many people come here to experience that. For this wedding, the bride was a tour guide for the new Three Capes Track wilderness walk that shows off some of the spectacular coastline of the Tasman Peninsula.  Being a tour guide she wanted plants that were native to the Tasmanian bush that she worked in.

In spring there are a multitude of wildflowers available in the local landscape, but in March not so many.  I was able to use some gorgeous native coral fern, and the beautiful Tasmanian Myrtle Beech foliage to create the structure of the bouquet.  I also used some lovely wattle that flowers throughout the year in our local area.  I love using wattle in bud, when its little flowers are still little green balls that sit at great angles along the stems.  

The other two local native ingredients were creamy pale yellow Banksia Marginata.  These grow all around the local area and will flower at different stages throughout the year, given the right conditions.  The real standout, colour-wise, was the Pink Mountain Berry which grows profusely in patches around the Tasman Peninsula.  

Pink Mountain Berry or Leptecophylla Juniperina is native to New Zealand, Tasmania and Victoria.  It is not often used as a cut flower because its very prickly!  But I was lured in by the amazing hot pink colour so I got out the rose de-thorner tool and handled it carefully.  

The remaining ingredients were some red Banksia Occidentalis, a Birdsnest Banksia or Banksia Baxterii, and two different coloured flowering gums.  The result was a bright, native bouquet designed to go with the brides dress which had red Nothofagus leaves embroidered over it.    

For the groom, some myrtle beech, coral fern, wattle, Pink Mountain Berry, flowering gum and a red Leucadendron.  

I enjoyed the challenge of coming up with something "local" and "native" for this special wedding.

  

Do yourself a favour and check out the Three Capes Track website for some truly amazing Tasmanian Peninsula Wilderness.  (I'm not biased at all!)