An Elegant Summer Wedding on the shores of Lake Washington

There is something inherently personal about weddings that take place at private residences- they carry the history of the family through location alone. Even when formal in design, there is a certain laid-back elegance that comes through when a family is in the comfort of their own space. They are among my favorites to design, and Kristina and Derek's gorgeous summer wedding at Kristina's family home in Seattle was no exception.

Their wedding ceremony took place on a sunny August afternoon, on the front lawn of the house, under a lush and organic floral and greenery arch. The reception followed in the backyard, right on the shore of Lake Washington. This wedding had a 200 person guest list, so we decked out two tents with vines hanging from the tent poles, and alternated tables with two centerpiece concepts: lush garlands of blooms and greenery, and compote floral designs layered with garden roses, dahlias and scabiosa. Their head table stood alone between the two tents, and had it's own design- a dramatic and minimal garland of dark physocarpus foliage, with koko loko garden roses woven throughout. We designed their flowers to reflect summer abundance and elegance in the Pacific Northwest, in a palette of neutral white, cream and taupe, with darker accents of burgundy and a touch of brighter lilac. It was a beautiful and elegant wedding, expressing the true essence of summer in Seattle.

Thank you to a wonderful team of vendors:

Flowers: Botanique

Photography: Ryan Flynn

Planning: Alexis Marie Events

Venue: Private Residence

Rentals: CORT and Vintage Ambiance

About the Designer:

Botanique is a full-service floral and event design company based in Seattle, WA. Led by Creative Director Kelly Sullivan, we design wedding flowers and events with an organic, effortless, seasonal, elegant, and modern aesthetic for couples getting married in Washington state and beyond, including the greater Seattle area, Tacoma, Lakewood, Bellevue, Kirkland, the San Juan Islands, the Eastside, and Eastern Washington. In addition, we offer group floral classes and workshops in our Seattle studio focused on sustainable floral design techniques, as well as private, one-on-one floral design lessons. We also maintain a large cutting garden that acts as muse for our design work, and offer classes to teach you how to grow your own flowers and start your own cutting garden. To learn more about working with Botanique for your wedding or event, please inquire on our contact form. To sign up to be notified of upcoming workshops and learning opportunities, please sign up for our workshops mailing list.