Natalie and Alex’s Wedding at the Ferry House Inn was always going to be a very natural affair. She got in contact with me after reading my blog post about going green and reducing plastic use. Natalie asked if her wedding flowers could be very in-keeping with the scenery and the time of year, and most importantly be as eco-friendly as possible.
The Ferry House Inn on the Isle of Sheppey is a stunning remote venue right on the estuary, with the most incredible views. It is down a long track through nature reserves and farmland, with an abundance of animals and birds at every turn. Natalie wanted to reflect this, the grasses and the hedgerows and the seasonal flowers of late February. I can hear you thinking… what on earth is in flower in February? Well, let me tell you… we used an abundance of British flowers and Dutch grown from Anemone to Genista and Hellebore to Narcissi. All seasonal, definitely focussed on bringing the outside in, and in a wonderful green and white colour scheme, with a mix of vibrant and more muted blue and purple tones.
Natalie’s wedding bouquet was definitely a little piece of me – just-gathered, natural, wispy and full to bursting with spring blooms. The Hellebore ‘Winter Bells’ were just gorgeous and their arching stems looked perfect spilling to the side, as did the Fritillaria Meleagris with their stunning bobbing heads on twisty in-perfect stems. There was so much texture with Eryngium Thistle and Chasmanthium Grasses, alongside British Tulips and Muscari, finished and styled with natural soft brown twine. Alex chose to have masculine and very natural buttonholes, with a central dark blue thistle and buds of Waxflower, Grasses and Hellebore. Finished in the most natural way possible.
Natalie and Alex got married in the gorgeous Oak Barn, with its beamed ceiling full of hanging hops and fairy lights. My wonderful freelancer Kate and I created the most beautiful, natural deconstructed archway, designed to look just like a hedgerow coming into leaf with plentiful white blossom. At the base, we designed a little floral area with Tulips, Narcissi and Fritillaria bursting up through the floor, just like the daffodils blowing in the wind outside. The aisle was lined with meadow boxes of spring flowers, with twisted bending stems of Fritillaria, show-stopping Anemone and the beautiful textures of grasses. All of these designs were foam free, plastic free and built in sustainable, re-useable frames.
The aisle meadow boxes were repurposed into table centres after the ceremony. Natalie wanted to enjoy her flowers for longer and it is also a great way to extend your budget. The remaining tables had sweet little bud vases of matching spring flowers, to not only tie everything together, but to give a slightly different look. The Oak Barn looked simply sensational, styled in a very natural, just-picked way, with an abundance of spring flowers and colour.
One of the things I pride myself on is all the little details and the finishing touches, and fortunately Natalie wanted many. Her favours were the most incredible Succulents in ceramic pots, so each and every guest could take away a little something to grow and treasure. The cake was a 5-tiered delicious chocolate number, which we decorated with little bunches of spring flowers and Eucalyptus. Natalie’s table plan was a little different from the norm and I absolutely love it! She gave us wooden crates to style with bud vases of flowers, and frames of table numbers and name settings.
I truly loved being part of Natalie and Alex’s day, and creating their dream wedding florals, with some of my absolute favourite flowers. Gavin has captured it all so incredibly and each photo makes my heart so full.
Rebecca did the flowers for our wedding in February and I can’t recommend her enough! From start to finish she went above and beyond to make sure everything came together; from renting us everything we needed decoration wise, arranging our succulent plant favours and setting up our table plan. It was perfect and all of our guests commented on how amazing the flowers were. We changed our mind a couple of times on colours during the planning process and Rebecca was more than happy to accommodate and talk things through. Honestly, amazing.
Natalie and Alex – February 2020
The Creative Team
Photographer: Gavin Photography
Venue: The Ferry House Inn