Not one to show favorites when it comes to a party theme, but if you have visions of wildflowers, well it’s simply too hard for me to resist designing with this concept. As nature lovers smitten with wild organic blooms that appear as if a meadow or flower garden have taken over, it really is one of our favorites styles to create with. It’s the innate beauty of its versatility, of using the loveliest of seasonal blooms that are not only flowers. From often forgotten wild flowers, grasses and delicate sprigs, to fragrant herbs and vegetable or fruit greens — there are endless options to design with.
With a wildflower theme one can incorporate elements that are a bit vintage and whimsical, or approach it with a more modern and contemporary perspective. For Alana’s 1st Birthday and Baptism celebration, the vision was to highlight as many natural and organic elements of a sweet wildflower garden, especially their love of daisies. See all the dainty details below…..
With limited venue space, we needed to make sure the larger pieces, lush with wild greens, became the focal point. The intention was always to make it as if nature had taken over in the most wild and elegant way. We wanted guests to forget they were inside a restaurant, but instead as if stumbling upon a darling party, set within a meadow or quaint forest corner.
It’s wonderful to take on a client’s vision with trust and simply go for it, like Jen’s idea for the welcome/seating chart display. We lovingly displayed the seating chart she created onto a rustic wood ladder, overgrown with whimsical greens like Queen Anne’s Lace, Orlaya Flower, Ivy, Italian Ruscus, Plumosa and Flat Ferns. Less is always more in our book, so we finished off this look with small wooden stools and tree slabs.
Dainty and joyous feverfew daisies have become a designer staple for achieving the wildflower look. They’re bountiful and long-lasting, that look lovely simply arranged on their own or amongst an array of colorful blooms. Here we highlighted them along with another of our favorites, Cosmos. For a modern classic look, each table was delicately draped with cream gauze fabric, and lined with an array of vases and bottles. Each table featured different shapes, textures and sizes of glasses to create an intriguing visual. Small individual bud vases are such a gorgeous look for a long table centerpiece, yet it doesn’t mean they are designed with any less intention.
In fact what may appear as effortless floral arrangements, are ones that often require the most thought and care. Once a flow has been created with each individual vase, they are then designed as if their own singular centerpiece — ultimately creating a cohesive tablescape. The colors, stem sizes, flower texture and volume of every vase must be taken in account. And no arrangement is like the other.
The beautiful stationery designed by Jen, Alana’s mom through Minted, were a minimalist dream. Each table number featured the name of a different wildflower, and all became the inspiration for our color palette. A neutral wildflower rainbow of greens, creams and pops of yellows along with earthy pinks. Focusing on using in-season blooms along with elements our garden was producing at the time :: Feverfew Daisies, Cosmos, Butterfly Ranunculus, Queen Anne’s Lace, Astilbe, Carnations, Clematis Pods, Veronic Flower, Tulips, Astrantia, Mums, and Larkspur, as well as flowering herbs like Lemon Thyme, Mint and Parsley.
Amongst the varying arrangements, different textured taper candles all within our color palette were fitted within a lovely mix of glass, clay and ceramic vessels. We love a design that mismatches pieces that blend beautifully together, but it’s these small details that can create a natural designed event, especially one focused on the organic beauty of nature.
The cake display, that would also become a backdrop for photos, is where were poured our creative heart. We were set on using an old secretary hutch desk and found a vintage beauty that was the perfect size. A gorgeous wood piece that beautifully displayed greens and bud vases that surrounded the adorable carrot cake Jen decorated with white wax flowers. It was the perfect match to the vintage chair she had found, and of which we completed transformed into a magical fairy-like piece. Overgrown with greens and woodland forest details…..it truly made an enchanting statement. Jen also created the adorable favors of wildflower seed packets, also matching them to the stationery.
As a way to cut costs yet still give guests the feel of a “flower bar”, we setup a small station alongside the cake table featuring a mixture of vases and bottles. Guests were able to fill them with all the flowers and greens decorated around the party. It was a sustainable way for us to give away containers we no longer needed, while reducing the waste of the flowers by having guests take them home in containers with water. This ensured an effortless way for everyone to go home with blooms and another sweet gift from Alana. It was functional design that created another element of sustainability.
I thouroughly enjoyed bringing these darling details to life. And hope it inspires you to think a bit more organically about the flowers and in-season blooms used for your next gathering.
Styling, Flowers + Rentals :: Dreamery Events || Venue :: Joia Restaurant || Stationery :: Minted || Cake :: Provided by Client || Favors :: Made by Client ||
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