White and Green Early Spring Wedding at Willie Smiths

The colour palette for this early September wedding was pared back with the brief requiring lots of foliage and whites.   

We grow a couple of white proteas here at Swallows Nest Farm.  Donna is a gorgeous winter and spring flowering protea that has a fresh white colouring with soft pink centre.  I used this protea as the main flower for the bouquets.  

Adding to the white Protea Donna, there was plenty of Thryptomene, which as a bonus has a gorgeous fresh fragrance.  Foliage included Tasmanian Myrtle Beech, Risdon Peppermint and the silky Leucadendron Silver Tree.  

Berzelia is a gorgeous "flower" that has a long picking season.  Early in September, it has small lime green balls which add great texture.  It was a great addition to these leafy bouquets.  I also used some white Hebe.  

For the brides bouquet, masses of Risdon Peppermint foliage and Myrtle Beech as well as Thryptomene.  Protea Donna, some white spray roses, Hebe, white Hypericum Berries, and creamy Leucadendron Maui Sunset which are almost white at this time of the year, with a tinge of blush on the tips.

There is also some Berzelia in the mix, and some beautiful Serruria Blushing Bride. 

For the flower girls, some little baskets full of fresh greens, whites, and creams.

I love the Maui Sunset Leucadendrons in early spring.  They're such a clear, creamy white colour.  The colour change that the seasons bring for Leucadeondrons is definitely one of their appealing qualities. 

The flower girls wore simple floral circlets made from Thryptomene and Coastal Beardheath, a locally occurring native.

I love the details in these simple crowns.  The simplicity really seems to enhance the natural beauty of the flowers.  

For the bridesmaids, we made some half-crowns which were worn like Alice bands with the ribbon tied up under the hair.  

I used sprigs of Myrtle Beech, Thryptomene and Beardheath.  

For the bride's crown, I added some white Hypericum berries as a point of difference.  

I love the little tightly packed buds on the Coastal Beardheath which add texture as well as a blush of pink.

For the groom and his attendants, roses with the Maui Sunset leucadendrons, Thryptomene, Berzelia, Peppermint Gum and Myrtle Beech.

For decorating the venue, the bride had some oversized helium balloons which had 2 m foliage garlands to tie them down.  The myrtle foliage was great for these.  

These arrangements with a little more colour where for sitting on top of wine barrels.  

And for a fun photo booth prop, I made this large hanging foliage heart.  

This was such a fun job!  Around 85cm tall, it was made on a custom base of steel to which I attached masses of myrtle.  It would have dried well too, making it a nice memento.  

This was a fun wedding to be involved in.  I hope the bride and groom enjoyed their day and the memories are still fresh for years to come.  

Colourful October Wedding at Battery Point

October is Waratah month here at Swallows Nest Farm.  They're at their very best, and all the colours are clean and fresh.  So when my bride asked for "colourful please" I was so happy!  The focal flowers for this bride's bouquet are NSW Waratah, Telopea Speciosissima.  They're such an outstanding flower in rich red.  

To add to the waratah, I used a Banksia Coccinea, a rich red banksia that flowers throughout spring.  Next to the Coccinea, there's lime green Berzelia and bright yellow Paper Daisies. 

  Among the other larger flowers there are some Satin Mink Nerifolia Proteas and a Protea Pink Cream.  I used lots of different leucadendrons in this bouquet.  There are so many looking spectacular in spring!

More colour from the hot pink Boronia, which also adds an amazing fragrance, and the Rose Cone Flower or Isopogon Formosus, which is a small purple spiky looking native flower that is just gorgeous.  I also added some soft feathery Phylica which have a gorgeous texture and glowing chartreuse colour.

For the groom, more colour!  Bright yellow everlasting daisy, Berzelia and Phylica.  Then purple Misty and some more hot pink Boronia, all backed by some glossy green Tasmanian Myrtle Beech. 

The colour really popped on that blue suit.  

Autumn Wedding at Joseph Chromy Vineyard

Photography by Fiona Vail

It was such a treat to be involved in this stunning Autumn wedding at Joseph Chromy Wines just south of Launceston.  The bride wanted natives and something soft and pretty, with pinks, white and soft greens.
    

Protea Repens is an autumn flowering protea and this soft pink variety was the focal flower I used for all the bouquets.  There were quite a few, with 5 bridesmaids and 4 little flower girls.  

The attendants bouquets were made in a simple posy style with soft foliage. 

For the little flower girls, a single Repens Protea with some Jester Leucadendrons, which are a variegated variety that are at their most colourful in Autumn. 

Pink Mountain Berry is native to Tasmania and is a startling hot pink colour.  It is prickly but the colour more than makes up for it.  I use a rose de-thorner to remove the prickly leaves. It was great to be able to sprinkle these through these bouquets.  

Foliages used were flowering lemon-scented Tea Tree, variegated Pittosporum, and Agonis Flexuosa.

For the bride, a cascading style bouquet with lots of the tumbling lemon scented Tea Tree foliage with the focus on those autumn flowering Protea Repens.

I added some sweet apricot garden roses, pale peach hypericum berries, more of the Mountain Berry, and some flowering Brunia 'buttons' as well as some Hebe and Leucadendron Jester.

Photography by Fiona Vail

 Jester Leucadendrons in rich pink/red were sprinkled through all the arrangements.  They're such a gorgeous colour in autumn and are some of the first Leucadendrons of the season that are ready to pick.

For the groom, hypericum berries, a Jester Leuco, and a dainty apricot garden rose.  

Little splashes of Tea Tree foliage which had the added bonus of the fresh lemon scent, and pittosporum were the foliages used in the boutonnieres.  

Boutonnieres for other members of the family ... they're always so cute lined up for a photo!

For the reception venue, there were a couple of large wine barrel arrangements - always a good idea at a winery!

 

The Protea Repens are really the stars of the show here.  There were lots of little posies for the tables too, all with the same ingredients.  

Photography by Fiona Vail

This was a truly stunning wedding.  And the photography by Fiona Vail just captured it to perfection. 

Photography by Fiona Vail

This photo really captured the beautiful autumn light we get in Tasmania.  I'm not biased at all (!), but I do think that the quality of light in Tassie is sublime.  

Photography by Fiona Vail

All the beautiful details were captured from the ceremony to the reception.  I really think having a great photographer is worth splashing out on.  Capturing those images that will help remember all the details of the day is worth every cent.

Photography by Fiona Vail

I was honoured to be involved in this special wedding.