Colourful Native Spring Wedding at Cornelian Bay Boathouse

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!)

Colourful February Wedding at Bangor Vineyard Shed

I really enjoyed playing with colour for this fabulous wedding at Bangor Vineyard Shed last February.  The challenge was the bride's colourful dress, which was actually her mother's wedding dress,  embroidered all over with colourful flowers.  Not only did I love the idea, but the result was truly beautiful and unique.  

Photgraph by Nina Hamilton Photography

One of my favourite Tasmanian photographers captured the day.  I love Nina Hamilton's documentary style which expresses the natural beauty and joy of each event.  Her website is worth a look. 

The bride's and bridesmaid's bouquet were full of colour.    The colours on the wedding dress were bright but soft so I keep the colour palette to similar tones.   Lots of pinks, red, orange, blue, green, and yellow.  

The bridesmaid's dress was a mustard yellow with spots, so Billy Buttons were an obvious choice.Protea Compacta and Pink, along with Scarlet Ribbons Pincushions were the main flowers.  

There were blue echinops or globe thistles, light pink and deeper pink flowering gum and beautiful blue green Peppermint foliage.   

The soft pink grass heads were a foraged find - such a great colour and beautifully summery.  

I also used a summer flowering wattle that I love to use in bouquets.  It holds its blossoms well but looks great even in bud, with the little yellow balls sitting at great angles on the stem.  

For the groom and the groomsman, there were Billy Buttons, foraged grass heads, peppermint and flowering gum.  

For the dads, more flowering gum, grass, peppermint and some wattle.  

The mums wore wrist corsages with the same combination of pink, yellow and blue, with blue-green foliage.  

The ceremony was held at the bottom of the vineyard, overlooking the bay.  

The was a simple wine barrel overflowing with colour.  It was a beautiful day!

I really loved creating the wine-barrel arrangement with lots of different coloured flowering gum, wattle, plenty of peppermint. proteas and pincushions and plenty of other colourful blooms. 

Chairs were decorated with little posies of colour.  

For the reception, the long tables at Bangor were decorated with more colour in dark glass vases.  Protea Pink Ice, Pincushion, Flowering Gum, Wattle, Echinops, Silver Tree Leucadendron, Peppermint foliage, foraged grass and Billy Buttons. 

These were a pleasure to make.  I really do love colour!

One really large arrangement decorated the venue inside.  Profuse flowering gum, wattle and peppermint gum with some jaunty Billy Buttons.  So much Australian native love here.

That look pretty much says it all!  

For more information about booking Bangor as your wedding venue, and to see more pictures (by the talented Nina Hamilton Photography) of this gorgeous wedding, check out the Bangor online wedding brochure.

Colourful Native Wedding at the Palais Theatre, Franklin

For a February wedding, the brief was "colourful" and "native" with the bride's dress in a dark bottle green.  What fun!  

A beautiful White King Protea formed the centrepiece of the bride's bouquet, making sure there was a real contrast with the dark green of the dress.  The King Protea was surrounded by lots of colour and fabulous foliage.  

Long arching branches of wattle and some native Billy Buttons provided some yellow.  A Scarlet Ribbons pincushion and some stunning rich red flowering gum added red.  

Just look at that dazzling colour!  Corymbia Ficifolia is a summer gem.

There was a yellow and red Mardi Gras Ribbons Pincushion too.  

Blue was added with sea holly and globe thistles.  For foliage, there was some lush Risdon Peppermint with lovely arching branches, and some native Coral Fern.  

For the floral crown I used more Risdon Peppermint, wattle, and some flowering gum buds.  

The grooms boutonniere carried on with the primary colours of red flowering gum, blue sea holly and yellow billy balls, with the addition of Ridson Peppermint foliage and some Corymbia Ficifolia leaves.  

The reception was held at the Palais Theatre, Franklin which is a gorgeous old art deco stlye theatre.  The bride and groom were decorating the venue themselves and wanted to spread some rich colour around.  They had hired a collection of gorgeous vintage amber glass bottles and jars from Style-My-Day and I filled them with lot of colour and texture.  

For some larger vases, there were more pincushions, masses of flowering gum, wattle, Billy Balls and some more of that gorgeous Risdon Peppermint foliage. 

I really enjoyed playing with these amazing rich colours.  

It really was a pleasure to be involved in this unique celebration.  I wish the bride and groom as colourful and beautiful life together as their wedding day was!

January Wedding at Quamby Estate

Photography by Doxa Visual

Australia Day long weekend was the date for a beautiful wedding at Quamby Estate.  Natives and proteas were the theme. With the bride being Australian and the groom being from South Africa, it was meant to be!

Quamby Estate

Quamby estate is a beautiful historical homestead near Launceston in the north of Tasmania.  

Quamby Estate

The beautiful rooms create an memorable atmosphere in which to prepare for the ceremony.  

The photographer's photos capture the moody interior light so beautifully.

Photography by Doxa Visual

The gorgeous pictures are by dynamic photography duo Doxa Visual.  They've captured the day sensationally - the bride and groom must be thrilled!

Photography by Doxa Visual

The ceremony was held on the grass under the shade of a huge old tree, with vases of natives sitting on logs at the end of each row of chairs.

Photography by Doxa Visual

The happy couple planned perfectly for the day, and it shows.

Photography by Doxa Visual

The bride wanted a mix of colours combining the South African flowers and Australian flowers.  Many South African flowers are called "natives" here in Australia.  Leucadendrons, Pincushions and Proteas are all South Aftican natives.  Banksias, Waratahs, Grevilleas and Bottlebrushes are all Australian native flowers, but both groups belong to the larger collection of Proteaceae plants.

The South African flowers used were Protea Pink Ice, Protea Repens,  Leucospermum Fountain - an orange Pincushion, and Brunia Albiflora.  The leucadendrons used were L. Argentium, the Silver Tree, Safari Sunset and Jubilee Crown.  

The Australian flowers used were Banksia Speciosa, Banksia Praemorsa, Banksia Marginata and of course, Wattle, our national floral emblem.  The Banksia Speciosa has wonderful long zig-zag leaves that I love to use in bouquets.  

Other ingredients were Leucadendron Jubilee Crown cones,  Echinops or Globe Thistles, and each bouquet had a Silver Tree cone as well as the beautiful silken foliage.  Foliages used were Risdon Peppermint, and Agonis Flexuosa in flower.  

Photography by Doxa Visual

The brides amazing dress is by Gwendolynne from Melbourne.  Check out the website if you want to feast your eyes on some stunning vintage style dresses and lots of real-wedding photos.

Photography by Doxa Visual

The bridesmaid's bouquets were smaller, without the larger Banksia flowers.  

For the groom, a Globe Thistle, Wattle, Agonis flowers and a L. Jubilee Crown cone.  I also used some of those gorgeous zig zag Banksia Speciosa leaves.  

Photography by Doxa Visual

I love that pocket kerchief!  

The grooms attendants had the same ingredients for their boutonnieres, without the Globe Thistle.  

Photography by Doxa Visual

For the reception,  there were fishbowl vases bursting with proteas and natives.  

Photography by Doxa Visual

Photography by Doxa Visual

Little scattered accent vases held sprigs of wattle and other feature flowers.

Photography by Doxa Visual

I think that smile says it all - it looks like a wonderful day full of the best memories.  And, as always, it was such a privilege to be involved in the celebration.

Photography by Doxa Visual