A Modern, Colorful Greenhouse Wedding Editorial at Christianson's Nursery
Bold colors. Most couples (and even wedding designers) politely shy away from them, or even run in the other direction at the mention of incorporating bold, bright colors into their wedding design. And here’s the thing: bold colors aren’t for everyone. But for those couples who want to use color to help set the mood at their wedding, this editorial might provide some fun inspiration.
I really wanted to do something unexpected in the lush greenhouse at Christianson’s Nursery. In a space with so much green, I first considered a more neutral color palette that wouldn’t compete with the space. But the more I thought about it, I wanted the design to feel fresh and a bit modern, complementing the space but adding an additional layer of color and interest. Turns out, we added multiple layers of color! Starting with a bold blue velvet linen, we layered pink Anthropologie ceramic plates, custom menus with tassels, clean gold flatware, and sleek glassware. Down the middle of the table, we placed an assortment of colorful ceramic bud vases with single varietal blooms. This created a full and varied tablescape, and maximized the floral impact. The design also felt fresh and modern, and used both florals and vases to layer in color.
Since we were lucky enough to have two Liz Martinez gowns to work with, I decided to throw together a second bouquet as our bride changed into the second gown. For this bouquet, I primarily pulled stems out of the centerpiece bud vases, since that had already been photographed and packed up. I grabbed the more muted blooms to complement the second gown’s romantic shape. Using only peonies and garden roses, both full, round blooms, I broke one of my own bouquet rules. Normally, I use flowers with multiple head shapes and sizes to provide visual interest. Here, by selecting similarly shaped and sized blooms, the eye is drawn to the overall impact and effect of the bouquet first, and subsequently, to the subtle color and textural differences between the flowers. I created this bouquet in about five minutes, tied it quickly with ribbon, and handed it off to be photographed. For such a quick creation, The Ganey’s photos of this second bouquet became one of my most shared photos ever. It goes to show that sometimes trusting your instinct and not giving yourself the time to overthink a design can create work that really resonates.
Thank you to the wonderful vendors that contributed to this bold and beautiful shoot:
Photography: The Ganeys | Venue: Christianson’s Nursery | Bridal Boutique: En Blanc | Dress Designer: Liz Martinez | Hair & Makeup: Yessie Libby | Paper Goods:Elmo Paper Stories | Cake: Honey Crumb Cake Studio | Jewelry: Greenlake Jewelry Works | Shoes: Aquazzura | Linens: BBJ Linens | Tabletop Rentals: Anthropologie | Female Talent: Charlotte with Seattle Models Guild | Male Model: Caleb Simms // Ring Boxes: The Mrs Box | Earrings: Nordstrom | Groom’s Suit: TOPMAN | Groom’s Shoes: John Varvatos | Styling Mat: Simply Rooted Surfaces | Film Lab: Richard Photo Lab
You can find more of this shoot featured on Green Wedding Shoes here, Wedding Sparrow here, Hey Wedding Lady here, and on The Ganeys blog here. You can also find one of the images shared by the one and only Martha Stewart herself! #marthaapproved!
THE DESIGNER
Gather Design Company is a Seattle and destination floral design studio led by Amy Ly. Amy's designs are driven by a unique understanding of color and shape, and seek to balance the effortless feel of a garden with the refined nature of contemporary wedding design. She looks to the ever-changing seasons and sense of place to inform her designs, which are artful and unexpected. Gather Design Company travels for celebrations around the Pacific Northwest and worldwide. To learn more about working with Gather Design Company for your wedding, please get in touch here.