In Full Bloom: Three Decorating Tips For A Fabulously Floral Outdoor Wedding

Whether you’re planning an elegant garden celebration or an alfresco affair in the backyard, spring and summer are the perfect seasons to play up the natural beauty of an outdoor venue with captivating floral decor. Here, some of the area’s most talented florists weigh in on how best to use blooms to imbue your outdoor wedding with personality and style.

Frame the Moment
Placement is everything when it comes to outdoor floral installations, since even the most dramatic arrangement can shrink in scale when placed in front of a sweeping view. Smaller floral elements can almost disappear when forced to compete with a dreamy seascape or a wide-open field. For Cathy Lamb of Sammamish-based floral design company Lamb & Twig, it’s all about creating a bold and eye-catching frame for the ceremony. “It’s easy to get caught up in all the small details, when one big splash is the most memorable,” she says. She recalls one tented wedding at the Woodmark Hotel in Kirkland, where a standing arch would have blocked a beautiful view of Lake Washington. Instead, Lamb used suspended greenery to perfectly frame the ceremony and the water view beyond.

Best in Bloom
Couples who tie the knot in spring brave the risk of rain, but they’re rewarded with burgeoning bouquets of the year’s most stunning and fragrant flowers. “Spring flowers come in a rainbow of colors, but our favorites are the dusky colors that blend so nicely together,” says Amy Ly of Gather Design Company. “Imagine a watercolor painting in soft mauves, warm blushes, soft peaches, buttery yellows and warm whites,” she continues. Capture the beauty of Ly’s fresh, garden look with popular wedding flower choices such as peonies, ranunculus, anemones, sweet peas, Icelandic poppies, hellebores, and lots and lots of blooming branches.

Go Green
Play off natural elements and transform a plain outdoor space with lavish and lush greenery. “For brides who love the effortless look of vines growing up walls and ceilings, we’ve been greening up tent ceilings, tent legs, chandeliers, ceremony backdrops, walls and tables,” says Christine Zweifler of Flora Nova Design. “The look is natural and organic,” she adds. The floral designer loves large tents that offer a blank canvas. She explains that with the right decor, a client’s unique style can truly come to life.