Now, I’m not exaggerating when I say that The Rhynd is a dream wedding venue for a florist. Of course it’s a dream wedding venue for many an engaged couple, but speaking as a florist it’s *chef’s kiss*

Just up the coast from St Andrews, The Rhynd (Gaelic for point / peninsular) is set on the sprawling 200 year old Leuchars Estate, It was originally a farm before the Foster family began diversifying into weddings, events, fitness and farm to fork dining.

spring wedding flowers for a Rustic Barn Venue

Eilidh and Matt held their wedding on a beautiful May day, one of the most popular months to get married. Some couples getting married at The Rhynd head into St Andrews for their wedding ceremony at one of the churches there, but this couple opted to have their whole day in one place, making it super easy for their guests.

Just as an aside, the Farmhouse at The Rhynd is the perfect morning prep location. It’s bright, airy and the most beautiful light streams in through the gorgeous windows. As an added bonus it’s just a wee stroll over to the barn itself for the wedding ceremony. Perfect.

The converted barn is a unique wedding space, with lots of original, fun features. The old stone barn, feeding troughs, exposed beams and red brick walls made for a perfect backdrop to the day and to Eilidh and Matt’s florals. The tones inside the rustic barn are lovely and warm, the joy of these blank canvas venues is that most colours will look amazing in them. You know me though, I do love a pop of bright colour and I love the choices Mat and Eilidh made. They went for ice cream colours or what I sometimes call “muted brights”, so beautiful pastels with lots of lovely spring flowers to complement the season.

Sustainable wedding flowers for a rustic, barn wedding

Eilidh and Matt’s guests first glimpse of the ceremony space came as they entered through the archway, decorated with a very popular type of greenery, eucalyptus, alongside other spring flowers and blossom. These initial impressions really set the tone for the day and the relaxed, boho vibes that the couple were going for.

The bare stone walls and wooden floorboards are lovely as they are, any flowers and greenery were there to simply complement the existing features. However, as the old wooden hay hacks form a backdrop to the couple during the ceremony I knew I wanted to get a bit more creative there. Again, we kept things very wild and rustic, sticking to greenery (this time zingy fresh larch branches) and similar flowers to what we’d used in the archway - poppies, tulips, wallflower etc. It looked fab and I particularly liked how it added just that wee pop of colour to the space, softening the lines behind the couple during their ceremony. Adding installations to a larger space is a great way to soften things up slightly in agricultural or industrial venues like barns and warehouses, and, in this case, it really brought the outside in, exactly the feel Eilidh and Matt were after.

All my floral work is done as sustainably as possible. I don’t use any floral foam or ‘biofoam’ in my arrangements and installations. Where possible, I use flowers and greenery I’ve grown myself or from other local Scottish growers. This ethos is such an important part of my business and I love it when couples are fully on board with it. You can have a look at my sustainability policy here or if you’d like to read about how to chose a sustainable wedding florist check out this blog post.

Speaking of sustainability, Eilidh’s grandad had made all the various barrels, ladders and wooden shelves that were used around the venue to display photos and flowers. What a talent! The couple decorated them with mismatched jars which I filled with delicate spring blooms, alongside candles, which helped soften the space and carry the colour theme through the venue. It can initially feel pretty intimidating when you’re faced with an empty barn to decorate, but having a few wooden crates dotted around along with a vintage ladder or some shelves is a great and easy way to start filling the space and adding a more personal touch.

Colourful spring wedding in St Andrews

Eilidh and Matt had been busy in the run up to their day. As well as all the usual wedding planning they’d also collected lots of jars, vintage vases and glassware which we filled with beautiful spring flowers. These sat upon wooden plinth crates on the tables, elevating the flowers and creating eye-catching centrepieces. Combined with some wee tea lights it made for a very twinkly table centre.

They’d really thought about the shape of their tables when planning their decor and flowers. Round tables, which they’d chosen for their guests, have a very different space to fill than long trestles. It’s also good to keep in mind what else is going to be on those tables, are the flowers going to be competing for space with large sharing platters for example?

Their long top table lined the back red brick wall. To create an interesting backdrop we hung hand woven vine hoops decorated with spring flowers and greenery along the wall centred on the space where the couple were seated. These natural, wild installations added some colour behind the couple and looked great in the speech photographs. When it comes to prioritising flower spend, I always suggest my couples think about the areas that are more likely to feature in photographs throughout the day. Generally speaking, the top of the aisle and behind the top table are two focal points and so are good places to focus your flower spend.

Wild, spring bouquets and traditional buttonholes

As well as dressing the venue I provided all the usual bouquets and buttonholes for the couple and their wedding party. With it being a May wedding we were able to use beautiful early summer flowers alongside spring blooms as this is a time of year where the seasons overlap. Trees were starting to come into leaf and there were so many pretty colours of flowers to choose from. We opted for hellebore and lilac along with geum, bluebells and wallflowers among other spring favourites. All finished off with some lovely fresh greens like larch, eucalyptus and pittosporum.

The colours looked beautiful against the deep green of the bridesmaid’s dresses. Now, I know wedding flowers aren’t the main reason people choose a colour for their bridesmaid dresses but it’s always worth considering how flowers will look against different colours. You can’t go wrong with green, it looks great with almost any colour but particularly good with muted brights. Eilidh and Matt’s eye for detail and colour was spot on!

Matt had gone the traditional route with thistle buttonholes - you can't get more Scottish! It worked really well with the wildflower, country meadow vibes of their day. I kept it nice and simple, binding the thistle in twine (which looked fab against their sage green tweed jackets) then adding some rosemary foliage. As well as giving off that beautiful scent, rosemary is a wedding herb, signifying love and ever-lasting memories. It’s been used in wedding flowers for over 2000 years! The buttonholes were finished off with sprigs of wheat, a nod to The Rhynd and its farming history.

Shout out to Claire Juliet Paton, Eilidh and Matt’s fab photographer. I really adore the look and feel of these photos, she is such a talent! I love where she’s captured a wee breeze wafting the trailing ribbon on the bridal bouquet. A silk ribbon is another great way to add a personal touch to a bouquet and bring in those wedding colours. You could even contrast it with your flowers, or bring in a colour that is more tricky to get into your florals, like a lovely blue.

If you’re looking for inspiration for your own rustic wedding day then feast your eyes on some of our other weddings at The Rhynd:

I always love chatting all things flowers so if you’re looking for a wedding florist and want to talk about your plans and ideas please get in touch.