With spring (hopefully) just a few days away, but grey still clouding the Midwest, it feels like a great time to share one of my favorite greenery inspired weddings from last August. First of all, my bride Sarah was a total dream. She wanted me to "bring the outdoors in". She knew what she wanted, but also let me get creative. She was so thoughtful throughout the entire process and even helped clean up at the end of the night! I got to work on this wedding with one of my fav friends and vendors, Stacy Able of Stacy Able Photography. This was my biggest wedding yet and it can get stressful when you are in a time crunch because the venue only allows x amount of time or its 100 degrees which means death of flowers - there are many factors that can create stress when you are a wedding vendor, but having a photographer like Stacy on your team is so helpful. She brings such a peaceful vibe to the day and it is always a treat to get to create with her so make sure to scroll through all of her pretty pictures below!
Sarah + Fred's ceremony was held at the Indianapolis Zoo in the Efroymson Wedding Garden which is located in the grounds that make up White River Gardens. It truly feels like you have found a secret garden in the English countryside. Cocktail hour allowed guests to wander the various gardens that overlook the Hilbert Conservatory, one of my favorite places in Indianapolis. The conservatory features 5,000 square feet of tropical greenery, plants, and butterflies! The 65-foot ceilings allow natural light to soar through the warm, aromatic indoor garden. There are blown glass windows along the entrance of the Conservatory that were created by glass artist Dave McLary. A must see! The reception was held inside the Hullman Riverhouse, a room provided guests with the most beautiful view of downtown Indianapolis!
Images courtesy of Stacy Able Photography
Stacy and I went to tour the zoo earlier in the summer and met with events coordinator Jackie Sabrosky. Jackie was so wonderful and accommodating. She showed us around the grounds and was in constant communication throughout the entire project. She was quick to reply with e-mails and a huge help the day of. I cannot recommend these grounds and Jackie enough! Definitely a standout for all you Indianapolis brides-to-be.
We, along with Sarah's dress designer Maggie Sottero, were thrilled to receive some exciting recognition from this event when mega online publication Style Me Pretty posted a few snippets of Sarah + her maids (and bouquets!) on their social media (1 million followers!) and blog. We were also really flattered when the Indianapolis Zoo chose one of Stacy's photos with my flowers as the cover of their event marketing material! It is just such an exciting thing for the bride and others to love what you create as much as you do!
I am so proud of myself and all that I accomplished in my first year of starting a business in a new city and this wedding in particular is one that brings me great pride! I hope you love the photos as much as I loved creating the flowers that are in them.
My first large install consisted of this (much larger in person!) staircase that I covered in fresh smilax that I had shipped in from Mississippi. Smilax grows wild across the South and is readily available to prune for yourself. The loose, green vine is a common decor piece that many often use on front porches as an element of seasonal decor. I always try to bring a piece of myself into each thing I create and it just so happens that smilax is also stunningly beautiful!
Sarah said over and over again how important scent was to her. Some people specifically request I use flowers that do not have a strong scent because they worry it will affect the feeling of dinner, but not Sarah. She wanted the room filled with a flowery scent and I am so glad she did because everyone gushed over the fragrant event. I made sure to select greens and blooms that would deliver and they did just that on my 20 foot garland that adorned the head table.
Sarah and Fred gave little olive trees as favors (sooo cute) and I (ok, well actually Mike) cut + stuck a sprig of rosemary in 200+ napkins!
I loved bringing the outdoors in with a mix of clean, traditional centerpieces and wild, woodsy ones, too.
I added fresh lavender + olive branch to Sarah's cake and it looked so sweet and pretty. I just love the simplicity of a simple cake with fresh florals.
All of the beautiful images above are courtesy of Stacy Able Photography and all of the blurry ones below are just some fun behind the scenes shots from my phone.I will always hold Sarah's wedding day as one of my most fulfilling!
