How to Plan a Dreamy Garden Party Wedding: Ideas + Inspiration
My style has always had a bit of an English garden vibe to it, utilizing lush greens and herbs, delicate blooms, and embracing seasonal elegance—a little untamed and always divine. So I figured it would only make sense to put together a blog post focused around planning a romantic, enchanting, and oh-so-dreamy garden party wedding! In this guide, you’ll find my best tips for choosing florals for your wedding depending on the season, Seattle-area venue recommendations, and a list of creative ways you can infuse that garden party magic into every element of your celebration.✨
Best Florals for a Dreamy Garden Party Wedding
I always recommend opting for garden-style floral arrangements filled with seasonal blooms, grand branches, and a variety of textures. Soft colors, greenery, and foam-free designs will help you to create that effortlessly chic, European vibe no matter the season or weather!
Learn more about why it’s so important to work with a florist who avoids floral foam here.
Additionally, seasonal flowers bring a natural elegance that can’t be replicated—blooms at their peak, full of life and texture, elevating every table and every moment of your celebration. This is the magic of working with nature’s best, curated to make your wedding day unforgettable.
No matter what season your wedding takes place, the following types of floral + greenery installations are always a good idea for garden-inspired celebrations:
Crawling ivy
Sprawling vines hanging from the ceiling
Oversized floral dinner centerpieces
Baskets of wildflower arrangements
Floral hoops
Floral-covered wooden ceremony arches
Spring garden party florals
When I think spring florals, I think fluffy peonies, frothy textures, and delicate blooms that pay homage to the slow, gentle transition into summer. A mix of chic traditional florals such as peonies and roses will bring a sophisticated edge to your celebration, while adding in more charming and spirited blooms such as ranunculus, freesia, and daffodils add a touch of springtime vibrance + ease.
Below is a list of flowers that typically bloom during the spring months here in the Pacific Northwest:
Daffodils
Ranunculus
Fritillaria
Foxglove
Peony
Anemone
Tulips
Freesia
Poppy
Rose
Lilac
Blooming branches
Photo: Luna + Lion Photo Co
Need a little inspo to get your ideas blooming? Take a peek at this Spring Garden Wedding on Bainbridge Island, where the Manor House at Pleasant Beach made for the perfect setting for Luke + Avery’s special day.
Summer garden party florals
The moment a couple says “garden vibes for our summer wedding,” I’m sold. That is my time to shine. The soft colors, the dainty blooms, the vibrant greens… *swoon*
I’ll always love summer-inspired floral arrangements featuring lush greens, rich purples, vivid pinks, and bright pops of peach paired beautifully with the coastal or sky blues highlighted throughout the Pacific Northwest. If you’re tying the knot on the water, a combination of pale blue table adornments and eye-catching pops of color throughout your bouquets + centerpieces will always be a good idea!
Seasonal flowers that would be beautiful additions to your summer garden party wedding include:
Dahlia
Aster
Roses
Delphinium
Sweet Peas
Poppies
Hydrangea
Cosmos
Photo: The Wendell Stewarts
Fall garden party florals
Fall has everything I need for the perfect wedding: an abundance of texture, foliage that glows, and flowers in every color. Not to mention cooler temps to work in! I always adore the fall tones that come to life in the Pacific Northwest, such as burgundy, copper, golden browns, dusty pink, peaches, and deep reds—all of which work fabulously together to create enchanting, garden-inspired color palettes.
This season is the perfect time to include seasonal gems such as leafy branches, rich berries, lush moss, and dried bracken fern in your floral selection to add a bit of depth to your arrangements.
Here’s a list of what will likely be blooming in the PNW throughout the fall months:
Agastache
Aster
Beauty berry
Dahlia
Hydrangea
Lisianthus
Magnolia
Marigold
Rose
Scabiosa
Snapdragon
Strawflower
Photo: Alexandrae Photo
Most Beautiful Garden Party Wedding Venues in Seattle
Before I give you a list of my personal favorites, here are the best types of wedding venues for garden party weddings:
Conservatories: Nothing beats a botanical garden + a bright and airy conservatory or greenhouse for a whimsical garden party wedding. Fortunately, Seattle’s got a few!
Wineries: Winery weddings are always a big yes from me—I mean, who wouldn’t want to tie the knot in a gorgeous outdoor space surrounded by lush foliage, sprawling orchards, and an abundance of delightful local wines?
Manors/estates: Sprawling acreage filled with vibrant blooms, beautifully-manicured gardens, and some sort of romantic (+ probably historic) manor or estate. . . what more could you ask for as a setting for your garden party wedding?
Farms: Obviously! The PNW is full of locally-owned farms that offer expansive fields, delicate gardens, and luscious greenery galore, many of which make for an effortlessly beautiful atmosphere for a rustic-chic garden party soirée.
Your own backyard: If you or a family member has a backyard with enough space to host your group, why not have an intimate backyard celebration?
Now, I’d love to share a brief list of the most beautiful garden party wedding venues in Seattle for those of you tying the knot in the area. Each and every one of these venues has its own unique charm and magic; it’s simply up to you to figure out which one will set the scene for your dream garden party celebration🍃
Maroni Meadows, Snohomish
An idyllic garden wedding venue located just outside of Seattle, featuring breathtaking outdoor gardens, an abundance of native foliage, quaint ponds, and towering trees (both local and tropical).
Fox Hollow Farm, Issaquah
You’ll feel like you’re stepping into a romantic English garden rather than stepping foot on a farm just minutes away from Seattle. Fox Hollow Farm is the perfect venue for couples envisioning a European-countryside-esque garden party wedding, with pristine gardens, a vibrant greenhouse, and sprawling lawns just begging to host your loved ones for the most magical night of their lives.
Gray Bridge, Snohomish
Gray Bridge offers a setting that combines all the best parts of the Pacific Northwest into one stunning venue: gardens, forests, historic estates, and waterfront views. Home to 16 spacious acres (3 of which are dedicated to gardens alone), it’s an amazing option for couples searching for a countryside venue that can fit anywhere from 10-150 guests.
Washington Park Arboretum, Lake Washington
Boasting both indoor and outdoor settings of equal beauty, Washington Park Arboretum is a hidden escape from the big city, welcoming you into a gorgeous 230-acre wonderland. You’ll find everything from lush native foliage to bright seasonal blooms, beautiful terraces to quiet ponds, and multiple different venues to choose from (including Wisteria Hall and the Center for Urban Horticulture, which is a part of the UW Botanic Gardens!).
Kingston House, Kingston
If sustainability is the name of your wedding game, then the Kingston House will blow you away with its commitment to hosting eco-conscious events at every turn. Idk about you, but a venue that prioritizes sustainability and offers a sprawling lavender farm, a romantic outdoor courtyard, a gorgeous maple grove, and a pondside ceremony location among the trees sounds like the perfect garden party setting to me.
Bella Luna Farms, Snohomish
Lush forests, countryside charm, farm-to-table meals, and secluded garden vibes away from the city. . . who’s in? Bella Luna Farms is a dream come true for couples who value dining on meals made with homegrown ingredients, strolling through well-maintained gardens as the sun sets, and gathering in an intimate setting with their most loved people.
Rock Creek Gardens, Puyallup
If you haven’t quite found the perfect venue yet, allow me to mention that this next one boasts drool-worthy views of Mount Rainier. Feel like you’ve found the one yet? ;) Located in Puyallup, Rock Creek Gardens offers a private estate venue with spectacular mountain views, expansive lawns, cascading waterfalls, and an enchanting garden ceremony spot. You’ll fall in love with these English-inspired landscapes as soon as you step foot in the oasis that is Rock Creek Gardens!
If you’d like to learn more about what each of the above venues has to offer, might I suggest heading over to this blog post, where I dive deeper into each one?
Oh, and I’d be remiss not to include one other Seattle-area venue that I’ve come to adore, but didn’t feature in the post: the Lodge at St. Edward Park. This Kenmore venue is located right at the north end of Lake Washington, in a prime spot amidst old-growth forests, scenic lakeshores, and greenery galore. The elegant venue is perfect for an upscale, luxury-leaning garden party wedding with your loved ones, offering the ideal blend of historic charm, contemporary elegance, and natural beauty that just screams sophisticated-European-garden-party.
Garden Party Wedding Reception Ideas + Inspo
Your reception and dining experience is one of the most important parts of the day, and is a chance to leave your guests with memories they’ll take home with them + remember long after the last song plays on the dance floor. I’ve compiled a few of my favorite ways to infuse that ever-so-enchanting garden party vibe into your reception, from the centerpieces that make a statement on your dinner table all the way down to the smallest of rentals you may want to budget for. There’s no detail too small when it comes to curating the garden-inspired night of your dreams🥂
Al fresco dining
One immediate way to set the tone for an ethereal, garden party-style celebration is to embrace the magic of outdoor dining (or in a marquee if the rain found you!). Set up long tables with soft linens, taper candles, and family-style platters of farm-to-table dishes, and incorporate produce into the tablescape to take it to the next level. Picture your guests enjoying a leisurely meal under string lights or a canopy of trees—the dream😍 It’s giving Bridgerton, it’s giving European garden party, it’s giving enchanted fairytale straight out of a storybook. . .
Photo: Anchor & Lace
Rentals + decor
When I say rentals, I mean any of the decorations you may be including atop your dinner table or around your reception area, accent furniture your guests will lounge on, chairs, tables, and more. Here are a few simple ways you can add a bit of magic to your reception decor + rentals to embrace that garden party magic:
Use bud vases on your table—perfect for couples who want a clean, classy look but want to keep it simple. Bud vases add that pop of color and natural element without taking away from the venue or other decor. They just enhance the overall experience and add a delicate, effortless touch to what may be an otherwise busy tablescape!
Use timeless glassware, such as simple crystal glasses that will never go out of style, or maybe a set of pastel-colored antiques you found on Etsy.
Have your florist create a plant wall if you’re dining indoors, and want to bring nature inside—or hang vining greenery from the ceiling above you
Adorn your tablescape with elegant candelabras and intricate floral centerpieces (or brass candelabras for a more rustic vibe)
Strands of twinkle lights, or glistening chandeliers
Food + drinks
Provide your guests with custom, floral-themed cocktails and delightful appetizers/finger foods that use locally-grown ingredients. A few of my favorite botanical-inspired cocktail flavors + ingredients include lemon, elderflower, mint, strawberry, lavender, jasmine, rose, and edible flowers themselves!
Photo: Rove Coast Photography
Dessert
I’m convinced that cakes deserve to be surrounded by a floral meadow (and flowers deserve to be crowned with cakes 🍰)
Not all floral designs are created equal—some pieces make a big splash, while others may fade into the background. If you’re deciding where to focus your floral budget, consider investing in high-impact designs that will be front and center in your celebration and in your photos, just like the one below:
Photo: Vikki Chang
Stationery
Who doesn’t love a good suite of floral-print stationery, or invites covered in delicate illustrations of vibrant greenery?
P.S. Opting for biodegradable invitations are an amazing way to incorporate beautiful paper goods into your wedding, while also caring for the environment that inspired your garden party celebration :) Extra bonus points for seed paper favors for your guests that contribute to the growth of local, native foliage!
Photo: Kaylin Pinkett Stationery: Sincerely, Emily
Music + entertainment
Some of my favorite garden party weddings have been the ones where guests enjoy live music, rather than Spotify playlists all evening (though there’s nothing wrong with that!). Live music just lends itself to that quaint, charming atmosphere that you’re likely aiming for, no matter if you’re going for a rustic or contemporary celebration—or any blend of the two! Here are a few types of live music you might consider for your garden party wedding, especially if it’s fully outdoors:
Harpists
Guitarists
String quartets
Jazz ensembles
Folk bands
Ukuleles
Pianists
Life-size board games and classic lawn games can also be a fun addition to any outdoor wedding celebration!
If you have yet to find a florist to bring your dream garden party atmosphere to life through breathtaking and sustainable florals, hi—I’m Meghan! I’m a luxury florist in Seattle with an abundance of experience in weddings of all kinds, with a focus on seasonality and eco-conscious floral design. You can learn more about me and my approach to floral design here, and reach out here when you’re ready to connect!
Photo: Courtney Bowlden
For more wedding floral resources, education, and tips, browse my recent blog posts below:
