A summer garden At the top of the Mountain

When I first spoke with Lisa, she described her vision. She wanted something colorful, something natural. She wanted it to look like flowers picked from a lush garden at the top of the mountain. She was to be wed at Onteora Mountain House, which is surrounded by the most magnificent views of the Catskill Mountains with rolling peaks and deep valleys, and hardly another building in site.

I was excited by Lisa’s request. She gave me some initial guidance but left the final interpretation up to me. This creates a challenge, of course, but it’s also a designer’s dream!

With the wedding set for mid-July, the mountains would be filled with shades of green and flowers would be in full bloom! With such a beautiful venue and natural environment, it was important to find color combinations that were harmonious; designs were full of color, yet complimented the natural materials used throughout the space. For the ceremony, we created a half-circle arrangement to create the effect that the bride and groom were standing in a garden, while leaving the mountain views unobstructed.

I decided to go for various shades of reds, using seasonal flowers for a romantic touch, while mixing in some orange for warmth, and a touch of purple and some light blues to provide a cool contrast. To reflect the mountain forests, I used various shades of greens, as well as some berries, which symbolize this relationship coming to fruition.

On the day of the wedding, as I finished setting up, an early guest described what she saw. The words she used when speaking about the ceremony flowers mirrored how the bride had described her vision to me so many months before. It was truly incredible for me to hear that my interpretation brought Lisa’s ideas to life!

Congrats Lisa and Theo!

Wedding date: 07/07/2018
Wedding Venue: Onteora Mountain House
Photographer: Lev Luperman
Floral: Athabold Flowers