I'm not even sure where to begin when talking about this wedding because I just LOVE IT SO MUCH and want to do it some justice! I knew both Mitch and Chloe from school, going back around 10 years (!!), so when they approached me to be their florist I was thrilled. But when they told me they were getting married at Elmley Nature Reserve, the excitement-centre in my brain practically exploded. For as long as I had been a florist, Elmley had been number 1 on my list to work at - for obvious reasons.
As the design process went on, it just got better and better. I couldn't have asked for a cooler, more laid back couple and Mitch and Chloe put their complete faith in me.
Mitch didn't actually know that Chloe's UNREAL dress was going to be blue, so keeping the colour scheme from him was one of the main priorities. Other than that, they just asked me to create florals to represent them, the surroundings and in-keeping with my own design style - if that isn't the dream I dunno what is.
For her bouquet, I wanted to incorporate the blue but still keep it in the style of the gorgeous surroundings of the nature reserve, which is covered in grasses for most of the year. Chloe's bunch included powder blue delphinium, lilac scabious, campanula, cow parsley and limonium along with a mixture of foliages and grasses. I am thrilled with how it came out and felt it matched the couple and their day perfectly. Combined with the boys thistle and wheat buttonholes, have you ever seen a better looking bridal party??
Despite being in late July, the weather was not on our side and it was really quite overcast all day. And with it being on the nature reserve, Elmley is quite windy a lot of the time. But that was not going to stop these two getting married outside. For their ceremony, we created two large overgrown corners to frame their ceremony.
The barn itself at Elmley can be a little overwhelming on first entry, just due to its size and huuuge ceilings. But then, theres that window. The first time I walked into the barn, I audibly gasped at just how beautiful it is and the view from it. As the window is the feature, we felt the barn itself didn't need much in the way of decor, but still wanted to incorporate the theme somehow. Chloe and Mitch opted for bud vases and clear/brown glass bottles to line the middles of their wooden banquet tables which they hired from Hire Love.
They also had 2 peacock chairs (couples own) to sit on at their head table and their ceremony table, which we decorated with foliages.
Then, across that epic ceiling, we strung foliage-covered ropes (80 feet in total!!) to add some height to the decor and just add something extra to the space. Again I was absolutely thrilled with the way it looked.
When you add in a mariachi band, the brides mum wearing a blue Bowie suit, vegan Mexican food and a collection of some of the best wedding suppliers going, this one is always going to be hard to beat.
Chloe and Mitch's day has since been featured in Rock N Roll Bride.
All photos by Fern Edwards | Video by The Costa Sisters | Band The Mariachis
You can also see the full gallery HERE.