Sarah & Andrew Greensmith's Quintessentially English Country Wedding

“The Goddess of the Garden”
My Thoughts…. Sarah, (spare your blushes) you are very beautiful and a beautiful person too, so how do I match flowers to such perfection? With no small amount of difficulty I can tell you.

So I wanted to create an ethereal, pure look mainly white and ivory with hints and blushes of gentle pastelcolour throughout, gentle and relaxing not startling. The flowers were to be an expression of emotion, of love, honest, honourable and with integrity, with this is in mind I wanted to use blooms and foliage with meaning and history, English varieties like “David Austin Roses”, herbs such as Rosemary for remembrance, Sweet Peas, Peonies, Almond Blossom, Hostas and Lily of the Valley to create a feeling of an English Garden.

Sarah and all the girls had The Penthouse Suite at Ribby Hall to get ready in, there was lots of space and it was perfect for a relaxed morning.

I introduced Sarah to her wedding bouquet.

We pinned the corsages on the bridesmaid's gowns

The entrance to St Nicholas is lovely, the Lytch Gate was to be dressed with gentle swags of fresh foliages and clustered tiny flowers, very natural almost as though it had grown there.

My favourite photograph of the day, "Rolling out the Red Carpet"

Sam, my favourite usher of the day, he was so "in charge" and thankfully knew who everyone was which was such a help with matching buttonholes to guests.

The Groom Andrew with his Best Man Stuart, we made very elegant white Rose Buttonholes, Andrew's had a little extra flourish of gorgeousness.

The guests started to arrive, and everyone looked magnificent.






The Groom's Mum Margaret, wore a lovely coffee & cream ensemble, we created a corsage to tone which included Singapore Orchids & Sandy Roses with a touch of sparkle.

The Bridesmaids arrived in Horse Drawn Carriage, they were all exceptionally stunning and carried their bouquets of Peonies, Rosalind, Juliet & Patience David Austin Roses, Sweet Peas & Lily of the Valley with grace and delicacy that these blooms deserve.

I imagined Sarah's bouquet to look as if she’d just picked each bloom and gathered them randomly and tied with simple ribbon, the morning dew still evident. Sarah's beautiful attendants Victoria, Dorothy & Fiona to wear the flowers like jewellery in their hair and on their gowns, Midsummer Nights Dream like.














Sarah has some very special friends who were all given lovely corsages that she had chosen to specifically enhance and co-ordinate with each ladies outfit, this is Fiona's lovely Mum wearing a corsage of Astilbe, Akito & Dendrobium Orchids.

Stuart entertaining the girls whilst we're waiting for the arrival of the Bride.

I love Flowers on a Lytch Gate this frames and softens the architecture and should the weather not be as glorious as this it makes for a fantastically sheltered yet decorated place for photography.

Sarah's stunning sister wore a corsage of Vendella Roses to compliment her outfit.

Sarah & her dad arrive in absolute style and majesty, she looks quite simply radiant, natural and utterly beautiful.

The photographer for the day was my all time favourite Steve Ashton and it was such a joy to work with someone who is not only passionate but creative, respectful, generous, sensitive but most important of all professional, he'd done his homework, he knew who everyone was, he knew the order of prority for the day, he wanted to enhance the atmosphere not spoil it by being intrusive, Sarah & Andrew wanted relaxed, documentary, reportage style photography and Ashton Photography certainly delivered.

Sarah's Bouquet, was a joy to make, a pleasure from beginning to end, I love handling flowers, I love the fragrance, Feel and touch, the coolness, the delicacy and the intimacy, I'd really got to know Sarah very well over the past few months, she'd been to our Supper Clubs and demonstrations, she's a very special Flower Design Client, so making her wedding bouquet was an honour and a privelidge.

THE BRIDAL BOUQUET
The bouquet I created for Sarah was so personal relaxed and casual yet elegant and ethereal with David Austin Roses; Patience, Rosalind & Juliet, Peonies; Sarah Bernhardt & Andrea Bocelli (In honour of Sarah & Andrew’s names), Sweet Peas, trails of fragrant Jasmine and Lily of the Valley. The bouquet was finished with a simple ribbon and one single diamante in one rose to remember her mum.

Sarah's gown is by Caroline Castigliano and was in white Duchess Satin with an organza skirt and corsage detailing on the waist, it really was delicious and absolutely perfect for her.

In Church the designs were to be strong and bold in keeping with the space but with a fragile spirituality captured in the heart of each design. Tall elegant designs (Bit like Sarah) created from delicious Blossom branches with clusters of “Love in the Mist” Nigella, Peonies and Roses with trails of soft foliages. Small vases of sweet peas on the Altar to be left in Church after the ceremony, and then two placements on either side of the of the marriage space, “Guardian Angels” one for each of them, the pews dressed with tied nosegays of fresh fragrant herbs so as the guests brush past gorgeous scents were released and a peaceful ambiance prevailed.

Steve Ashton always in the right place at the right time.

I love this picture with the bouquet captured by the veil.

A Corsage of Akito & Singapore Orchid

Blissful!

We brought the flowers with us to Sarah, Andrew, Sam & Victoria’s home after the nuptials where we had dressed the marquee with fabulous fresh English garden flowers arranged on tables and around the marquee in a variety of ways.

One of the pew ends on the fireplace at home.

The team headed up by Keith from Jack's Outside were fabulous the canapes were so colourful and perfect for such a sunkissed day.

The girls juggled with their bouquets, Champagne and canapes but never once chose to put their bouquets down.

I love this snap organised and prepared by the great Steve Ashton, I'm obviously in the wrong place to take it but the arrangement of people so captures the moment and atmosphere on the day, thanks Steve for letting me steal it, I know it won't be a patch on yours.

Fresh Rose petal Confetti, we used David Austin roses, the scent was heavenly.

Nothing in the world feels as blissful as fresh, cool, fragrant rose petals on your skin, everyone should know what that feels like...

We made Sarah a second wedding bouquet to throw, her actual bouquet was too precious, in this one I used mainly Sarah Bernhardt Peonies, Patience Roses & Lily of the Valley.

I really wanted the lady in white to catch it....

Nearly...

But Dorothy was too quick!

Karina was the wedding co-ordinator on the day, she did an amazing job and really let us do our Flower Design thing to the very best of our abilities, it was lovely to work with someone who was so exactly on the same page. Jenny, Stuart & Henry looking fabulous.

Who's walking who?

Keith from Jack's Outside was on hand all day and into the following day where he'd catered a magnificent Sunday brunch for everyone.

The flowers in the marquee were a little random some were tall and elegant towering over the tables, others were small posies or nosegays of garden flowers arranged in shades around the tables with a very earthy Verdi Gris aged candelabra in the centre, natural and easy on the eye, on others we arranged miniature gardens with lovely mossy details and delicate flowers a very natural feel added to the look as though the table & marquee designs were an extension of the garden itself.

The bouquet that Sarah threw, peonies and roses.

The Cake was a very simple three tiered stacked cake I decorated it with a garland of Rosalind Roses and pale pink Astilbe & Jasmine trails.

The Marquee was sensational, Ken from CK Marquees had managed to get it into a space that appeared impossible to the untrained eye, not only that he managed to make it look elegant and effortless.

The Church Urns looked magnificent and totally at home towering over the CK marquee.

Jason designed the table names they were a perfect colour choice, they were stylish, exactly right with the setting.

The cake stand was hired from Party Animal.

These adorable little nosegays that adorned each table were given to each of the lady guests.

A design inspired by the hanging gardens of Babylon flowers and foliages laid on the very edge of the full length of the table and trailing over the front in a waterfall style.

The seating plan: Keeping with the garden theme I thought it may be lovely to have tiny posies of flowers with meanings, the tables would be named after the flower and botanical labels attached listing the guests to be sat at the particular table, we displayed the whole plan on a Verdi Gris screen just by the entrance to the marquee, everyone loved it.

The Front of HouseTeam from Jack's were absolutely attentive and made everyone feel relaxed, whilst the Kitchen team prepared the most exquisite retro Prawn Cocktails.

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