With the changing leaves and cooler temperatures, autumn always brings about a feeling of romance. Cashmere sweaters, golden foliage, that first hint of a nip in the air, you can’t help but feel warm and cozy. When Charina and Frank reached out to us about their fall wedding, we were so excited about the opportunity to take that feeling and translate it into beautiful arrangements and bouquets. There’s such an opportunity with fall to take advantage of the vibrant hues and seasonal stems and create something truly magical. Our limited edition fall arrangement “Gorgeous Gourd” is our favorite example of this, it comes arranged in a pumpkin!
The Inspiration
For their wedding, the couple chose a palette centered around merlot, sand, and plum, and wanted to incorporate seasonal fruits and herbs as well. Being able to play around with other living things such as fruits and vegetables is always especially fun for us. It adds so much interest, originality, and personality to an arrangement - especially when they come from the client’s (or their family’s) own garden. Using dahlias, lisianthus, and Sahara roses, along with figs, grapes, and pomegranates, we were able to create arrangements and centerpieces that perfectly captured the allure of fall.
The Ceremony - Flowers, and Meadows, and Waterfalls, Oh My!
cluster arrangements on the arch
The wedding took place in The Birchwood Room at Calamigos Ranch in Malibu. This venue is stunning, it’s filled with big, lush trees with hanging vines and lights, a natural stone waterfall, and a grass meadow. The couple wanted a rustic theme to compliment the venue, so it was up to us to find a way to marry (pun intended!) the soft floral color palette with the rawness of the birch and fruits that they desired. For the wedding arch we went with cluster arrangements set on a birch frame. The flowers we used were quicksand roses, spray roses, and dahlias with plenty of eucalyptus, queen anne’s lace, and thistle for added interest and to help create a “fall harvest” vibe. We love cluster arrangements because they allow us to create eye-catching pieces for the ceremony while simultaneously helping the couple stay within their budget, since it’s much more cost-effective than covering the entire arch. It also keeps the couple the focal point during the ceremony, they don’t get lost within the arrangements!
the bridal bouquet and groom’s boutonniere
For the personals we continued the fall harvest theme that we started with the arch. For the bridal bouquet we wanted it to look like a fall bounty that could have been picked right from the meadow that the ceremony took place on. We used the same quicksand roses as the arch, but added lisianthus, dahlias (deep pink instead of burgundy), thistle, and queen anne’s lace. We loved the texture that the leafy stems added to the bouquet, it screamed fall harvest to us. For the groom’s boutonniere we used a single spray rose with queen anne’s lace to balance classic and romantic. We offer both pin-on and magentic closures for our boutonnieres and it completely depends on the personal prefence of the wearer. For children and young adults, we usually recommend the magnetic closure as it can be faster, safer, and more secure. You don't have to worry about little hands accidentally getting poked or the boutonniere falling off as they're running about! For this wedding, the groom chose a pin-on with a black satin ribbon.
The Reception - Make It Pop!
reception table centerpiece
The couple wanted teal/green as one of their accent colors, which might not be what one initially thinks of for fall, but the color combination was absolutely breathtaking. The soft, delicate florals mixed with the pops of teal and gold made the perfect statement without being over the top. The hanging lights sparkled off it all, adding an extra layer of romance and charm. For the centerpieces we used white delphinium, thistle, hydrangeas, gunni eucalyptus, white dahlias, white cosmos, and sahara roses in birch and light wood containers. This was also our opportunity to incorporate the fruits and herbs that the clients wanted. We placed sprigs of rosemary at each place setting along with a cluster of grapes, blackberries, figs, and pomegranates at each table. We love how the dark, rich fruits contrasted with the ivory and blush centerpieces.
The Takeaway
We had so much fun creating these arrangements and loved the challenge of balancing traditional fall elements with pops of bright color and fresh fruits. Our favorite weddings are those where the personality of the couple can shine through (take a look at another wedding we did last year, full of bright colors!) and that’s exactly what we were able to do with Charina and Frank. We wish them all the best and are grateful to have been part of their special day! If you’d like to see more weddings and events that we’ve participated in, take a look at our events page.
For inquiries in our services for your special event, please drop us a line at hello@theenglishgarden.com
Venue: The Birchwood Room, Calamigos Ranch - Malibu
Photographer: Sarah Zimmerman
