A styled shoot is a great way to try out new designs and get really creative. When my photographer friend, Rebekah Albaugh, asked me to collaborate with her and decorate a canoe with flowers, I jumped at the chance knowing I would get some lovely photos. We designed an intimate elopement theme. It took place at Allerton Mansion where we could launch the canoe in the lake. The patio was a wonderful area to set up a sweetheart table. And the large tree nearby was begging for a cascade of flowers.
The Bridal Bouquet
 |
 |
For the bridal bouquet we created a lush, cascading design filled with gorgeous fluffy garden roses. This variety of Keira is one of my absolute favorites because it is such a soft and romantic shade of blush and looks so romantic when paired with other soft lavender & blue spring flowers. It was simply a delight for me to walk around my flowers beds and choose the blue Canterbury Bells, white lacy Orlaya and lavender Veronica spikes.
The Wedding Canoe
 |
Rebekah’s friend Rory Schweighart was kind enough to let us borrow his “hand-made” canoe which was the centerpiece for our romantic styled elopement. Because peonies were in season along with mock orange blooming, it was an easy decision to decide what flowers to fill the canoe with. The pampas grass added stature & dried allium heads and orlaya added texture. Lovely scented stock made a great filler for our boat load of flowers. It took no small effort to get the canoe launched, but we did save our models from getting wet. Did we mention that the mosquitos were horrendous and we were scratching our bites for the next week, but oh…it was worth it!!!
The Intimate Sweetheart Table
 |
 |
The second part of the styled shoot took place on the patio of Allerton Mansion. Many friends allowed me to cut peony blooms from their bushes to create a beautiful flowing cascade of blooms down the tree trunk for a beautiful focal area to frame the sweetheart table. We designed a lush compote arrangement with garden roses and peonies to decorate the sweetheart table along with candles, and mini vases with a single bloom at each place setting.
 |
 |
We used Rebekah’s china given to her by her mother who had passed away the previous year. The vintage glassware was passed down from my husband’s side of the family. It was special to incorporate these sentimental pieces with the decor and this is a good way for couples to personalize their wedding by using family heirlooms.
 |