Earlier this year, I collaborated with an all-star team for a project at Montage at Palmetto Bluff. My main objective for the floral concept was to create a soft and ethereal design look with minimal to no greenery. In recent years, I’ve been drawn to this tailored aesthetic, like a moth is drawn to a bright light. I can’t look away!

We created two completely different looks for this session. For Look #1, I wanted to design a tailored, slightly more structured style bouquet that reflected the architectural elements of the Victor&Rolf gown which fashionista Heather Payne paired with Oscar de la Renta statement earrings and green velvet shoes. We’ll release select images from Look #2 next week. There was just so much amazing content produced by this talented team and we can’t wait to share more with you!

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The flowers used throughout the project included Sweet Peas, Foxglove, Garden Roses, Astilbe, Ranunculus, Hellebore, Abelia, and Tulips. I selected mostly neutral shades of cream, caramel, pale peach, with touches of raisin. This specific palette was soft and further enhanced the ethereal aesthetic we were striving to create. When paired with richer tones, like the dark green silk we wrapped around the bouquet stems, this color palette can be versatile and work in many different seasons.

Speaking of Seasons and the elements, I always encourage my Clients to allow us to use seasonal and local flowers whenever possible. After years of buying and sourcing flowers, we know what will look exceptionally beautiful on the day of your event so we’re strategic in choosing the blooms that will most closely reflect your vision and hold up well in the elements. In the South, we’re accustomed to the intense heat and humidity that our Summers bring. It was 98 degrees here on Friday (October 4th) for crying out loud! We know heat!! We have an extensive process that we follow to properly condition and hydrate each and every flower that enters our studio. We also vary our mechanics (i.e. the way we design and keep arrangements together) based on the weather, and many other factors that come into play on an event day. Some of these consideration include: distance to the venue, access to a floral cooler to store prepped arrangements, types of flowers being used, amount of time available to create installations onsite, whether or not the event will be held inside or outside, under a tent or in the direct sunlight, time of year, temperature and level of humidity, etc. etc.. It pays to hire experienced and knowledgeable professionals especially when handling perishable products like flowers. We have exceptionally high standards and deliver only the best for our Clients.

For the Mechanics, I kept things simple. The bouquets were created in a hand-tied style and I used a base of sweet peas for my delicate infrastructure instead of an armature of heavy foliage. The centerpieces were designed using a pin-frog from Floral Genius and chicken wire. I made quite a variety of designs for this project including bouquets for two Bridal Sessions, Boutonnieres, arrangements for the Ceremony, and a full-scale King Table for the Reception on the Veranda.

The Backstory: Collaborating with planner Kelly Strong of Kelly Strong Events for the Montage at Palmetto Bluff Editorial was such an enjoyable experience! She and I met several years ago in Seattle while attending an educational workshop. Over the years, we’ve stayed in touch via social media and were able to reconnect this year to work on a special destination wedding in Charleston, South Carolina. This wedding was recently featured on Martha Stewart Weddings and can be seen here.

Creating a team of experienced professionals who respect one another and each individual’s strengths is essential to making an event both successful and rewarding for everyone involved. After selecting the perfect venue and establishing the style vision, Kelly and I agreed that Heather Payne was the perfect fit for this project - thankfully Heather agreed too!! :-) Heather’s work is emotional, authentic, and remarkably beautiful. Each time we work together, I learn something practical and walk away with a new perspective. Latia Curtis is the most talented make-up artist I know and she did an amazing job with our beautiful model. Her laugh is infectious and her supply kit puts Mary Poppins to shame! She styled and attended to the model all day long (not just during prep), and had a solution for everything (literally everything) beauty related.

Thank you, Kelly, Heather, and Latia for making this an unforgettable experience!!

I hope you are inspired by these images! Part II coming next week.