A Vision of Sophisticated Romance
When Shannon first contacted me about her July wedding at Merrydale Manor, she described wanting florals that felt both modern and romantic—structured elegance with soft, garden-style movement. With a bridal party dressed in classic black and champagne gold, she envisioned arrangements that would feel refined yet naturally beautiful, perfectly suited to Merrydale's elegant country estate setting.
The Design Process
During our initial consultation, Shannon shared inspiration images that revealed her aesthetic perfectly - she loved textural, layered florals with depth and dimension, but nothing too wild or loose. She wanted contemporary sophistication with romantic softness woven throughout. As we discussed her vision, we gravitated toward blooms that could deliver both: delicate sweet pea and scabiosa for romance, structured delphinium and stock for modern elegance.
Together, we built a tonal colour palette of soft olive, muted sage, creamy neutrals, and crisp white - refined shades that would sit beautifully against her bridal party's black and champagne attire whilst creating the fresh, dimensional look Shannon was after.
Bridal Bouquet
The Floral Story
Shannon's bouquet became the heart of our design - a sophisticated blend of Playa Blanca roses, delphinium, lisianthus, and sweet pea, arranged with soft ruscus and textural elements. Each flower was carefully positioned to showcase the beautiful tonal palette, with scabiosa and stock adding delicate texture whilst carnations provided depth and dimension. The result was a structured yet romantic design with natural movement, finished with ribbon selected to complement her wedding dress perfectly.
Bridesmaid Bouquets
The Floral Story
For her bridesmaids, we created a complementary but distinct look - white calla lilies, wrapped in champagne ribbon to echo their dresses. Alice chose the short-length stems for structured design, which allowed the bridesmaids' florals to stand confidently on their own whilst maintaining visual harmony with her bridal bouquet. Simple, sculptural, and perfectly balanced.
Buttonholes
The Floral Story
Michael's pocket buttonhole was designed as an elevated statement piece, featuring roses, soft ruscus, and lisianthus embellishments—a sophisticated focal point for the groom. The standard buttonholes for the groomsmen combined a single statement bloom with soft ruscus for textured, refined finishing, all carefully selected from the main floral palette to maintain visual harmony.
Maximizing Impact
On 21 July 2025, Shannon walked down the aisle at Merrydale Manor carrying a bouquet that perfectly captured her vision - modern sophistication with soft, romantic textures that felt both refined and naturally beautiful. The florals complemented the venue's elegant country estate setting whilst standing as statement pieces in their own right. Every stem was chosen with intention, every texture considered, and the result was exactly what Shannon had dreamed of from our very first conversation.