Warm Fall Wedding Florals at the Lodge at St. Edward Park
I’ve been absolutely loving this European-inspired styled shoot from the fall that was put on by such a fabulous team of vendors, and it’s well past time I share it. Getting to collaborate with fellow creatives on shoots is one of my favorite parts of being a wedding florist; I’ll say yes to any chance to work alongside talented humans, to fill my creative cup, and to design in a setting that’s brand new to me. This styled wedding at the Lodge at St. Edward Park was no different; it was the dream way to finish off a busy wedding season with an incredible couple, amazing vendors, and an abundance of thoughtfully-designed floral arrangements, of course! Huge shoutout to Émerveillé Events for planning this shoot, and to Alexandrae Photo for the gorgeous images.
Warm Fall Wedding Florals at the Lodge at St. Edward Park
The vision: English-European romance in the countryside
When talking about the goal for this shoot with the rest of the vendors, we decided we wanted it to have a very English-European vibe. Almost as if our couple was getting married at a historic building in the rolling hills of the French countryside, rather than just an hour outside of Seattle. And whew did it deliver! The Lodge at St. Edward Park was the dream venue for this shoot, effortlessly bringing our vision to life through its natural beauty, historic charm, and lush forest just a few moments away from Lake Washington. Dedicated to “preserving the past while reimagining the future,” as stated on their website, the Lodge at St. Edward Park has created the most magical setting for an unforgettable affair, offering a collection of inspired venues for couples to choose from.
We couldn’t have made this shoot happen without the help of our incredible couple, who showed up dressed to the nines and ready to model the hell out of this stunning venue for us. Our bride wore a breathtaking gown that embodied the luxurious, modern romance we were going for, looking straight out of a French bridal magazine if I do say so myself! The gown featured a collection of intricate, thoughtful details to pair with the simple yet elegant bodice & skirt: delicate buttons cascading down the entire backside of the dress, detachable tulle sleeves with intricate chevron patterns around the edges, and an eye-catching open-back design, which looked killer underneath her sleek low bun. She kept her makeup fairly natural with a hint of glam (loving the glittery eyeshadow), which was perfect for the romantic elegance we were trying to convey. A truly effortless beauty who knew exactly what she was doing in front of the camera!
Our groom looked just as fabulous, standing next to his bride in a deep blue (nearly green) suit complete with a jacket, vest, and trousers that seamlessly blended in with the rich autumn tones and vibrant greenery surrounding him, which of course matched his small boutonniere. He kept it clean and simple with a white undershirt and off-white tie, the two of them equally stealing the show and looking like such a power couple.
PSA: give the men the flowers! You can obviously pass the primary bouquet off to me during photos, but why not let your man prance around with them for a bit? The results are killer!
Lavish wedding florals with rich fall colors galore
I would be remiss if I didn’t include a section dedicated to the florals from this shoot. I am a florist, after all, and I’m obsessed with what I created for this one. Especially knowing that all the florals we used were seasonal, local, and foam-free—but more on that in a little bit!
Fall in the PNW is a truly magical thing, what with the wide variety of gorgeous flowers blooming up until the first frost of the season, the changing colors of the trees, and the crisp autumn air, especially in the mountains. Washington typically grows flowers all the way into early November, assuming temperatures are mild, so you may be able to source fresh fall flowers even into the later months of fall! A few of my favorite flowers that bloom in the fall in the PNW include dahlias, hydrangeas, cosmos, calla lilies, and roses. I mean, just look at that gorgeous, massive dahlia we featured in the bouquet for this shoot—unreal!
I like to call the color palette for this shoot “Autumnal Pears;” a palette that revolves around the pear. A simple, common fruit, yet one that is filled with so much flavor inside and beauty on the outside. I focused the florals for this shoot on whimsical fall colors such as greens, peaches, creams, and reds, as well as varying shades and textures of greenery to make it feel like a truly PNW experience. I used a collection of blooms from the surrounding area including dried bracken fern, magnolia, and hydrangea, as well as a few final blooms of the season including cafe au laite dahlias, cosmos, roses, celosia, mums, and berried branches. You may notice that the designs for this shoot involved an abundance of greenery and not quite as many flowers; I did this intentionally to showcase the fact that even at a time of year when flowers aren’t bountiful, you can still get creative with it and add smaller blooms, seasonal fruits, and greenery into your design!
If you’d like to learn more about flowers that bloom during the fall in the PNW, as well as my favorite fall wedding color palettes, I’d love for you to read this blog post.
I had a blast designing not only the bridal bouquet and the lavish freestanding floral arch, but also decorating the gorgeous tablescape with blooms! We paired our star flowers and plenty of greenery with an array of fresh, colorful fruits, including pears, of course, as well as green grapes to match the color palette. And perhaps my favorite part of the setup? Using pears as place cards to help guests find their seats. Such a fun and creative way to incorporate the theme into every aspect of the dinner atmosphere!
Why choose local and seasonal flowers?
Coming back to what I briefly mentioned earlier, it was important to myself and our team of vendors that we prioritize (and only use) local, in-season flowers. Planning a styled shoot allows you complete freedom to design however you’d like, to source whatever details/decor you’d like, and to take as much time as you need to plan—so it would only be right to use the best of the best florals. Why choose local and seasonal flowers, you ask? Well, fortunately, I have an entire blog post dedicated to answering that question! But if you don’t have time to read that whole thing, I’ll sum it up for you: using local and seasonal flowers is the best way to ensure that your efforts planning your wedding are as environmentally-conscious as possible. When you opt for local flowers over transported ones, you automatically reduce the carbon footprint caused by the extensive transportation required to move flowers—we love minimizing emissions and contributing to the local economy at the same time!
If you’d like to learn more about how choosing local and seasonal flowers for your wedding helps preserve biodiversity, minimize chemical usage, and embrace seasonal beauty, I highly encourage you to read the full blog post when you have the chance.
Vendors
Planning and Design: Émerveillé Events | @emerveilleevents
Venue: The Lodge at St. Edward Park | @lodgeatstedward
Photography: Alexandrae Photo | @alexandrae.photo
Floral Design: Twisted Bramble | @twisted_bramble
Rentals: CORT Party Rental | @cortpartyrental
HMUA: Michelle Wight | @michellewight.hmu
Paper Suite: Minted Weddings | @mintedweddings
Thank you again to the fabulous team of vendors who contributed their talent and effort to make this shoot happen—what an honor to be a part of it as a local Seattle wedding florist!
On the hunt for the ideal Seattle wedding venue for your big day? Take a look at my recent venue guides below, and hopefully you’ll find your perfect fit.
