Floral Inspirations: Ceremony Space

Ceremony spaces are often defined by the location or an ornate altar design.  But every now and then, I am challenged when the space has nothing to "define" it.

For this Sonoma wedding, instead of doing the typical floral sprays or canopies to mark the "ceremony" spot, the client helped me design something that was completely them.

Our lovely couple, Kari + James, had a particular style in mind for their summer wedding.  They wanted their day to be informal, cheerful and celebratory.  Inspired by the hand painted red poppy from their invitation design and their desire to incorporate their initials into their day, I knew we had to combine the idea.  So what does one do....

I looked in my library of books for some inspiration.

I remember that Martha Stewart had a beautiful image in one of her books and featured a pink banner so I thought, why not do a banner for Kari + James in their style?  With the help from Cherin of  Customized Wedding Creations who hand painted the banner, we were able to create this flower/banner design.   So, it's not the most formal of designs, but it truly set the tone for the day to come.

The great colors of poppy red, bursting oranges, and golden rod in contrast to the green lawn, white chairs, and bright lime ribbon was exactly the right blend of fun and whimsy.

Thanks to Michelle Walker, my fabulous photographer friend for letting me post this image.  And of course, we can't thank Julie Briggs Dunn enough for being the most awesome of wedding planners who really made the day smooth sailing for us.


Photography by Michelle Walker