Like many couples Alex and Emma’s wedding was postponed due to the pandemic so when it finally came around in August 2021 it was especially full of joy.
The bride and groom wanted beautiful rich jewel colours which really popped against the more earthy tones of The Rhynd barn. We used mainly Scottish grown seasonal flowers with a few imported roses to achieve a natural wild flower look. Some of the flowers we used were dahlias, scabious, ammi, clematis, agapanthus, delphinium and phlox and some rich dark foliage like physocarpus and pheasant berry.
NOT YOUR AVERAGE BUTTONHOLE
For Alex’s buttonholes we decided to make it extra special and created a “floral pocket square” that would sit on the top edge of his suit pocket, while his groomsmen had more traditional thistle buttonholes with a twine binding to suit the rustic barn venue.
RE-USE AND RECYCLE WEDDING VASES
Emma and her mum collected lots of quirky jugs, jam jars and vessels and the couple had their own beer bottles printed. We filled these will seasonal wild flowers and it really helped bring colour into the space and gave a personal touch. I always suggest couples reuse elements of their ceremony flowers for the reception since it is often quite short, so we moved the jars of aisle flowers to the tables after the ceremony for extra decoration.
The Rhynd is quite a large space so we dotted jars, bottles and jugs around the space, in the entrance where guests come in on ladders and wooden crates, in the bar area and throughout the main space. These little pops of colour help lift the space and carry the colour scheme throughout.
On the top table we added loose foliage runner as well as the bottles and jars of seasonal flowers.
FLORAL INSTALLATIONS IN BARN VENUES
The Rhynd has great potential for floral installations, with lots of lovely original features from when it was a working barn. We decorated the wooden feeders along the far edge of the barn with seasonal foliage like birch, and mixed in soft asparagus fern to give it an ethereal magical touch.
We also created an airy deconstructed floral arch around the door between the ceremony space and the bar. This was foam-free and avoided single-use-plastic so a much more sustainable option for creating the installation. The bride and groom took it down the following day and posted back the re-usable elements so we can continue to use them in other weddings, one of the great things about eco-floristry! We used a structure of willow and birch foliage and lots of seasonal Scottish grown cut flowers in jewel tones as well as some imported hydrangea, and to finish the design added twinkling fairy lights. This was the perfect way to frame the bride’s entrance as she walked down the aisle and then guests could use it as a photo backdrop for the rest of the day.
If you’ve been inspired by Alex and Emma’s colourful barn wedding and want to organise your own, get in touch or have a look at some of our other recent blog posts for ideas and inspiration. All images are Harper Scott Photo.