A Sustainable Boho Chic Wedding with a 20’ Ceiling Installation
I worked closely with Terry Kaye from Terry Kaye Events to design M and W’s dream wedding at Pope-Leighey House in Alexandria, VA. The house is a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed house on the grounds of the Woodlawn Plantation. Nested within the trees, the venue is not large but feels very exclusive, with a lot of wood elements, and so intimate - perfect for our couple who was hosting fifty of their closest friends and family to celebrate their wedding.
Our couple was very eco-conscious so we made a point of sourcing a maximum of local blooms from flower farmers in the area, and used sustainable techniques to design all the arrangements including the wedding arch and the ceiling installation.
All the elements below worked so well with Terry’s gorgeous design to create this chic boho fete!
The transformed Pope-Leighey House outdoor area for M&W’s wedding - Jillian Bob Photography
01. A touch of Bali : Tropical Ceiling Installation
Originally from Bali, our bride wanted a nod to her home country. When she asked if we could recreate a tropical jungle to decorate the ceiling of the tent, we got our floral mechanics brains on to start thinking about the installation. With a light metallic base structure that was covered in sturdy greens in studio, we worked with Sugar Plum Tent to rig it securely with lots of cables the day before the wedding. Not only did it need to be gorgeous, but it needed to be totally safe first and foremost!
A ceiling installation is always a bit of a nerve-wracking process for any floral designer: this one was 20’ long and we adorned it with lots of ferns, tropical leaves and other lush botanicals. After we were done working on it, the team raised it and added these cool rattan lanterns!
02. Using unique floral vessels and candlelight
To pair with the color palette of the space and the design, we pulled a lot of earthy tones in the vessels we used throughout: some vintage French terracotta vessels that I had sourced during my last trip to France, lots of amber-colored glass, wooden taper holders and terracotta bud vases. We played with color as well when it came to taper candles mixing rust and sandstone candles.
Rust, amber, wood, terracotta touches with bright floral color pops - all felt at home in the natural setting of the Pope-Leighey House in Alexandria, VA
03. Bold Floral Color Pops
The wedding took place in May so we had so much to choose from in terms of amazing flowers! We sourced mainly from local floral farmers for this wedding and mixed muted organic hues like butter yellow and toffee, with pops of coral and light pink. The palette carried throughout, from the ceremony illusion arch to the cocktail reception arrangements!
04. The sweetest couple!
M and W were truly the sweetest and so was their big day: the intimacy of the wedding created some magical moments in the dreamy surroundings, plenty of joy and love all around. We are so honored to have been a part of the celebration and thankful to have been trusted to get creative. Congratulations M & W!
Designing in an eco-friendly manner made this wedding even more meaningful, and we love a dramatic floral or botanical moment in any celebration, like this ceiling installation: flowers and decor have the power of transforming a space. Reach out if you would like to discuss how we can help creating your dream wedding!