Tropical Wedding Flowers for a Classic PNW Elopement
I am so excited to revisit these incredible images from this fashion-forward beach elopement using tropical wedding flowers! We don't normally think of tropical wedding flowers and palm trees when we think about Washington beaches. However, this combination provided truly stunning imagery for Keri & Michael's intimate beach elopement on the Olympic Peninsula. These two got married in April 2021, but didn't let COVID stop them from having a gorgeous, heartfelt celebration with their close family and friends. Every photo is more beautiful than the last, all beautifully captured by Elissa Deline. And designing for these two with 100% American-grown tropical wedding flowers was so much fun!
Floral Design as Unique as Your Love Story
The vast majority of our couples already have a unique vision for their wedding, aesthetic inspiration, or some kind of dream they want to come true. They have BIG IDEAS to make their day as special and perfect as it can be! But they need some expert help in making it happen. That's where we come in!
Keri and Michael came to me with one such creative, big idea: wedding florals that could be fresh for their elopement, but that could be preserved and dried afterwards. Additionally, they wanted a floral palette that used tropical flowers from Hawaii, which is where Keri's family is from. And of course, Keri asked for an amazing tropical flower crown. Challenge immediately accepted!! I loved all of these ideas, and was all in from our first meeting.
Getting Ready for the Big Day
Keri and Michael started their day just south of Seattle, but drove out to the Olympic Peninsula with their closest family and friends. They set up in a cute boutique hotel to prepare for their ceremony. The moms helped pin the tropical flower crown and boutonniere in a series of heartfelt moments. The whole crew then set out for the beach ceremony.
An Intimate Beach Ceremony
Keri and Michael gathered with their closest family and friends to celebrate their love together. Getting to the ceremony location required a bit of hiking and several assists to preserve the stunning wedding dress! We love how Keri added furs and pearls to complement the ethereal texture of her gown. Officiated by another close friend, Keri and Michael exchanged heartfelt vows at the water's edge. Their love shone through every bit of this ceremony.
After the ceremony, the group returned further inland to sign the marriage certificate. I love how guests could not resist touching the textural tropical wedding florals! Later, everyone shared a champagne toast, wedding macarons, and a socially-distanced meal.
Making Wedding Dreams Come True
I had to do some homework to make all of this magic happen. First, I chatted with growers in Hawaii to ask about tropical wedding flowers that dry well that I might not have considered. (Being a member of the Slow Flowers Society has a ton of perks, but one is that I now know wonderful flower farmers in every state in our nation!) I also conducted some experiments of my own with drying tropical flowers over the winter. It was mad science floristry, and so much fun!
Once I decided on what botanicals to use, I contacted the Seattle Wholesale Grower's Market, which is my go-to source for local and American-grown blooms. Together, we sourced all sorts of tropical flowers and hardy botanicals that would dry beautifully. Most of these products came from Hawaii and California - although we also snuck in some local dried strawflowers from our friend Sarah at SUOT farm. I also made sure to source some beautiful hand-dyed silk ribbon from local Seattle-based artisans Of the Earth.
Tropical Wedding Flowers + Bouquet Breakdown
I was 100% in love with the results, which were also 100% American-grown! Here is a breakdown of what we used in this amazing bouquet and wearable flowers:
- Protea
- Leucospermum (pincushion protea)
- Leucadendron
- Berzillia
- Grevillea
- Craspedia
- Pussy willow
- Strawflower
- Eucalyptus
- Palm fronds
- Dried palm fruits
And a bonus update: Keri tells me that the bouquet is preserving beautifully, months later.
Thank you to Keri and Michael for trusting us with you BIG IDEA and letting us be a part of your wedding day, as well as allowing us to share this beauty. We are so happy for you and so thrilled we could make your wedding the gorgeous, memorable day it should be!! If you are ready to chat about your dream, you can inquire below.
