Many wedding couples like to have a theme for their weddings, and one that appeals to brides (and grooms) with green thumbs or those who are eco-friendly is to have a garden theme wedding. While this theme might seem a bit too general, it’s really not just about having lots of flowers around. Gardening is about the hope of planting seeds, commitment to nurturing growing plants, and a harvest that nurtures the body and soul – all ideas that directly correlate with weddings and marriage!
Of course, an obvious venue for a garden theme wedding is the outdoors, whether it be your own lovely backyard (or the yard of a generous friend/relative), a local park (be sure to get any license needed from your city hall), or even a botanical garden. However, you could still have a garden themed wedding even in the cold, dead of winter, by having the ceremony in a large sunroom (for a small ceremony) or in a more traditional venue, surrounded by live potted blooming plants.
For more ideas on having live plants at your wedding, check out our blog post titled, Using Local Flowers for a Green Wedding, on that topic.
The wedding cake design will probably be a cinch since most cakes for weddings and showers have a floral theme. The trick will be to makes yours unique – to incorporate a little of your own personality, theme colors. Whether you’ll be doing a DIY Wedding Cake (making it yourself) or hiring a professional wedding cake designer, you should make a list of the colors and theme items you want to see in your cake. Do you want to use real, edible flowers?
Go ahead! Just heck with your local florist to see what’s available. I’ve even seen some edible flowers in my neighborhood grocery store. Get magazine photos or search popular wedding sites and blogs to print out pictures of wedding cakes you like. Combine those ideas for your perfect cake, which will also be the centerpiece of your garden wedding.
One important, but sometimes annoying, aspect of gardening is insects. But, since insects and wildlife can be cute too, bees, birds and butterflies make for appropriate decorative touches on invitations, place cards, and wedding favors. Also, packets of flower seeds would be good garden themed wedding favors (just make sure the seeds are of a flower or plant variety that grows well in your area!).
Live potted plants in small containers could also be used to decorate the reception venue and even given away to guests afterward as the reception winds down. (plants can be rented. Check with your local florist). Plain pots can be transformed into quite elegant decorations to match your theme with just a little coordinating ribbon, fabrics, a hot glue gun, imagination and a bit of spare time.
A garden theme wedding has endless possibilities! This blog post was just a taste to get your creative juices flowing. If you’re a bride, wedding planner or florist and you’ve hosted a garden theme wedding or you’re planning one right now, please share your plans and ideas.
