When my daughter asked me last winter to help with flowers at her wedding last weekend, I told her that the reason florists get the big bucks is that they can sit down with you in February and tell you exactly what they can deliver in August. Go with Dad, you take your chances.
Talking with friends and co-workers, some of whom have grown flowers professionally, I quickly realized that there was no way I could grow and transport cutflowers to the wedding venue three hours away — especially given that we’d need to be there on Wednesday to start setting up for the Saturday wedding. So I focused most of my efforts on growing containers to be used as a background for the ceremony.
I had a general idea of what it would look like, but it wasn’t until just a week before the wedding that I pulled all the containers scattered around the yard into one place. Here’s what the prototype looked liike:
Elly graciously offered to transport the containers in the Airstream she’s rebuilding. I was able to keep the pots dry enough that they didn’t leak. But there were more ants and other insects scurrying around than I’d anticipated.
Everything transported very well. Temps were only in the 70s that day. So even though I limited their water, the plants didn’t go into shock. I was able to get them unloaded and into the shade and watered, and set them up the next morning:
Dee at the CSA that our daughter and son-in-law belong to did a great job on the table arrangements, delivering them the day of the ceremony.
And she did a great job with the bouquets and boutonnieres:
There were lots of floral themes going on in the ties …
… and the dresses.
Hazy morning after the ceremony at the location …
What a beautiful backdrop… and what a lucky daughter! Congratulations to the kids on their wedding, and to the father on pulling off that horticultural magic. Great job! 🙂
Seeing that Airstream stuffed with plants made me smile.
that potted plant backdrop is the coolest thing ever!!!! you should think about making a business of it……
So glad I found that lovely picture on your website few years back that was the inspiration for large metal sculpture. It sits in my conservatory in the English Suffolk countryside next to my garden of red sunflowers, lavatera, pink roses and red continnus waving in the August wind. My daughter was married this year too. Your flowers loook wonderful. Do you and family ever come to UK? You are one of the few random connections from the internet that I would love to meet. Just about to start MA in sculptural Practise.
All the best and thank you for your colourful, floral internet communications
Iris
WOW! What a backdrop you grew and what a gift! I love the image of them being Airstreamed up the road 🙂 Congratulations, all!