Hi Cacti Brings Tropical Florals to Larmer Tree Gardens Wedding

Hi Cacti have had the privilege of helping add some greenery to a few beautiful weddings now, but we truly felt touched when our friends Ryan & Megan first approached us to assist with florals for their big day! 

Like many couples planning a wedding over the past couple of years, their excitement for their big day was quite emotional and up and down with the hit of the pandemic. They intended for their wedding to be last summer but due to the state of the world, how much their plans would be altered, and wanting to keep loved ones safe, they decided to post pone till now. But their day went down beautifully and we were honored to invited and also to add some tropical touches to this already stunning day and venue! 

Megan was a dream bride to work with... totally chill. When she told me she didn't have a wedding Pinterest board I was surprised, a way more laid back bride then I would be, but her ideas were elegant and simple which all turned out stunning on the day. We had a brief informal consultation over coffee and then popped into our Hi Cacti shop on the 7 dials in Brighton to look at a few bouquets and plants in person to get the colors and feel right for her vision. 

  

Due to the wedding being set in an already picturesque and natural setting we decided to continue the florals to be very natural and classic to sit well in this already lush and green scene. 

  

Our inspiration was grasses, palms, natural & soft aesthetic, lush greenery, earthy neutral tones with potential hints of latte and cinnamon. 

BOUQUETS ~

Megan asked for a bouquet purely of white peonies which we were lucky enough to catch just within season to hand pick and arrange for her with the stems wrapped securely in natural jute twine with white pearls to fasten. 

  

Bridesmaids were wearing long and lovely burnt cinnamon satin dresses so I made very natural white Gypsophila flower bouquets aka babies breath wrapped in natural twine with matching white pearls to fasten and of course an extra matching bouquet for Megan to throw to reveal a future lucky bride to be. 

  

BUTTONHOLES ~

For Ryan's bespoke buttonholes he asked that his and his father Nick have some lavender in it in memory of his grandmother who had passed. So to honor this lovely sentiment I included sprigs of dried lavender to both of their boutonnières.

For the groom, father of the groom, and the 6 groomsman's buttonholes I handmade a combination of dried and fresh grasses and flowers and hand-wrapped the stems in the matching natural twine used for the bridal party and paired them with brown pearl pins.

The gents wore earthy tones in tan linen suits with burnt cinnamon ties and Ryan a tan & brown check suit, so we decided to keep the boutonnières mainly green and leafy. So I made the buttonholes with a mixture of dried fern leaves, fresh and locally grown olive leaves sprigs with berries, rosemary, with a touches of white gypsophila to be a nod to the white bridal bouquets.

 

CEREMONY~

The ceremony itself was held outside the entrance to the Roman Temple, this setting is beyond words and was spectacular. Megan, Ryan and I agreed that not much should be done to this area as it was already stunning as it is, but we added a few antique and earth toned vases at the entrance way of the Temple and at the beginning of the aisle done elegantly and simply with white babies breath, drapings of dried white Amaranthus, & a few palms to sit well amongst this magnificent & classical backdrop surrounded by gardens.

             

I selected palms and foliage that was bleached or white to make sure it popped against the lush green lawn and natural surroundings otherwise green leaves would have been completely lost so I used a mix of types of palms in various colours and mixed fresh and dried palm leaves like Palmettos, Canes, Kentias, ferns, and white striped dracaenas popped beautifully from the pots of white babies breath. 

   

We added decorative touches of the same florals inside the temple where the signing of the marriage certificate was held to soften the stone interiors and table. 

DINING HALL ~

Memory Table

Weddings can also be a time to reflect on those we love that we have lost along the way, this especially can be difficult when a parent has passed on. So Megan had the lovely idea of creating a memory table to remember her father in the Reception hall where we were all going to dine. So we created a small table area for a framed photo of David surrounded by some little vases of a mixture of rosemary and babies breath for his presence to be with us on the day.

Dining Tables

For the 11 tables in the Reception hall, Megan & Ryan asked if I could figure out a way to add some big lush tropical leaves to the tables as centerpieces, but trying to figure out a way so that they wouldn't block people from seeing the guest on the other side of the table or obstruct anyones view.

 

Having a plant business for 6 years I knew instantly the varieties of tropical plant leaves I wanted to use to create this luscious impact, but figuring out how to arrange them together in very tall clear vases to look like they were floating... that took a bit of creative thinking. We made it happen and all the guests enjoyed dining on their plant based feasts under a 1.5 meter high lush canopy of tropical green leaves. 

The table centerpieces ended up feeling like an appropriate nod to the original  Victorian founder of the The Larmar Tree due to being filled with exotic leaves that you would find in infamous Victorian Greenhouses such as Kew Gardens as the tall vases were a mix of dramatic and lush Monstera, Strelitzia (Bird of Paradise), Cane Palm, & Kentia Palm leaves.

 

I filled the bottom of each of the tall vases with beautiful recycled crushed white sea shells by Shell on Earth which was an addition that was both fashion and function, as the couple have made their home by the sea in Brighton this was a subtle sign to that and this also was a beautifully decorative way to make sure the vases were stable enough not to get knocked over with being so top heavy & tall. 

Head Table

We kept the top table very simple with florals and kept them low so that everyone could clearly see the happy couple and see the speeches being presented too. 

So we placed a vase in between the bride and groom so that the bride could place her bouquet in it during the reception and just laid out 2 long and large Strelitzia leaves on either side of the couple. 

Final touch was a simple rosemary sprig to the napkin of each guests place setting in keeping with the same intentions of helping bring the outside natural settings in. I guess it's what to be expected when you ask a plant shop to be your florist, but 'hey' that's what the bride and groom were hoping for. 

 

 

A bit about Meg & Ryan's gorgeous wedding venue ~

The Larmer Tree Gardens are 11-acre of gardens set amongst the rolling natural beauty on the Wiltshire/ Dorset, England border, near the infamous Stonehenge of the Salisbury Plains. The Larmer Tree Gardens was created by archaeologist General Pitt Rivers in 1880 and is an amazing example and insight into the extravagance and vision of the Victorian era. 

   

The gardens showcase unique collections of ornate buildings that were transported to England from around the world, ranging from a full size spectacular Singing Theatre to an authentic ancient Roman Temple. The setting was pure magic and we and the other guests spend the sunny afternoon drinking Pimms on the lovely lawns and games. Some of us also wandered through to find hidden paths through the trees and woodland to find an array of statues and ponds.

Thank you so much to the gorgeous bride and groom for inviting me to help with your oh so special day. It was stunning and I'm so glad you guys were as pleased with the results as I was. Larmer Tree Gardens you and your staff were all so helpful and welcoming to us all. And a big thank you also to my partner in love and life Danny for being so hands on and helpful with helping me decorate on the day and for the margaritas to celebrate our wins. 

  

 

  

  

    

WANT THE HI CACTI VIBE AT YOUR WEDDING OR EVENT? If you or your loved ones are looking for some help to make your wedding more green, boho, or alternative with plant hires, eco-friendly floral alternatives, thoughtful cacti or succulent wedding favours, planty table centerpieces, or southwestern decor hire email us at here or at hi@hicacti.com

Venue: Larmer Tree Gardens https://www.larmertree.co.uk/

Photography: Jake Baggaley https://www.jakebaggaley.com/

Floristry & Floral Design: Hi Cacti