From blank canvas rooms to stunning natural vistas, how you ‘stage’ the setting where you are holding your ceremony will express your individuality and style as a couple.
Today 70% of ceremonies are held ‘outside’ a church setting, and how you choose to define the space could just as easily have you talking with a sculptor as a florist!
Sweeping floral arches and breathtaking arbours feature in many indoor and outdoor Yarra Valley weddings but if you’re looking for something different Youki from Sugar Bee Flowers suggests ‘wedding stands’ are a contemporary option.
Two pillars hold the space for the couple with floral arrangements given an architectural treatment. The perfect natural altar frames the couple while also showcasing the view. Floral chandeliers and simple suspended floral treatments are elegant options that create a halo effect for the happy couple. Clean textures are on trend and the everpopular rose, particularly in blush pinks and muted colours, will soften the outlook and ensure the couple is the centre of attention.
If sculptural elements feel more like you, then installations made of metal, timber and other found materials are popular choices. Embellished with flowers or stunning in their simplicity, sculptural altars provide a modern touch that adds a sense of drama.
Redefining the Yarra Valley wedding space can also be as simple as moving from the traditional ‘walk down a straight aisle with rows of seating’ to something round and embracing. Surround yourself with the people that are celebrating you with a floral circle on the ground. The couple and celebrant stand inside and guests gather around in a symbolic gesture that speaks to many people of the sense of community and support the newlyweds can enjoy. Weddings may even embrace the custom of the smoking ceremony, with local gum leaves or dried herbs part of the welcome. Different shapes such as hexagons, triangles, squares and freeform organic shapes (local found timbers can be stunning) provide a dramatic backdrop that frames the ceremony.
Creative and handy couples might even make their own bespoke installations as part of their wedding preparations. Some venues, including wineries, feature sculptural elements in their grounds and buildings (Levantine Hill, Oakridge Wines) that may provide a perfect pre-existing solution.
“Ultimately you should have what you want! That’s the trend I see most at the moment,” says Yuki from Sugar Bee Flowers.
Find this story in the autumn issue
