Caroline & Matthew Gosling's "Wuthering Heights" Flower Design Wedding Day at Hoghton Tower

Firstly I think I'd like to share with you our original thoughts and inspiration behind this exquisitely beautiful, authentically autumnal wedding day...

Wuthering Heights:

Key words: Dreamy, Candle lit Romance, Earthy tones, Soft mosses, Nutmeg and Cinnamon, Romantic Heroine, Windswept, Natural, Simplicity in terms of structure.
Colours: Ochre, Champagne, Crème, Ivory, Nutmeg, Cinnamon, highlights in gold.
Flowers: Poppy and lotus seed heads, Brassica, Rose hips, Grasses, Lichen branches, Roses, Viburnum Tinnus, Oak leaves, Rosemary for remembrance, Ivy trails and berries, Mosses, Heather, English Orchids such as a ladies slipper orchid.
Sundries: Slate, Granite, Wood, Candles, Nutmeg and Cinnamon Sticks.
Shapes: Wild, Natural and Spontaneous
Designs: Simply tied no voiles, Natural uncomplicated designs
Senses heightened by: Fragrance, Colour, Taste and Texture.

Baring in mind your chosen venue along side the time of year your wedding takes place we get an overwhelming sense of rustic opulence. Hoghton Tower in all its grey grandeur stands proudly against a backdrop of country moors, a scene that ensures that we cannot help but think of the windswept, bucolic setting of Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights. A tale of passion, love swept along with natural imagery. We would begin to create this look using subtle autumnal tones; slate greys turned aubergine by autumnal showers, leaf browns and clotted creams interspersed with subtle hints of rusted berries, nuts and mossy greens. We will use a combination of substantial and beautiful materials not necessarily conventional flowers, moreover materials with lots of texture and objects such as nuts berries, granite, gnarled lichen engorged branches, slate and moss to create an overall picture of total unsuperficiality. The raw, natural materials will be set perfectly against the rustic, historic masculinity of Hoghton Tower. I intend to use fauna which will be representative of new beginnings, both nature and marriage symbolise renaissance. A balance between rustic and romance, in terms of colour and design is necessary and following this theme ensures this specifically with the bridesmaid’s gowns in mind. Highlighting the whole day with the romantic twinkle of clustered candle light will complete an extremely romantic look... those were my thoughts, my hopes and this is the realisation enjoy......

After delivering Caroline's Bridal Bouquets to the family home here in Lytham St Annes, we arrived at Holy Trinity Church, Hoghton nice and early to meet the Groom Matthew (I do hope you can see the romantic hero in him!) and his Groom's Men, the Boutonniere I designed for Matthew focused on the very wild "Ladies Slipper Orchid" (Paphiopedilum) together with a sprig of Lily of the Valley, Crocosmia & Hypericum Berries all which were used in his Bride's Bridal Bouquet.

We arranged huge hurricane lamps on stone pillars, with Gingers, Nerines, Hazel, Banksias and Golden Hornet surrounding the lamp.
The Groom's Men's Boutonniere'd were a collection of berries; Crocosmia, Albiflora, Hypericum and Rosemary & Ivy.

The very beautiful Bridsmaid's arrived wearing burnt Ochre, autumnal coloured gowns with a black wrap.

THE BRIDAL BOUQUET

The bouquet I created for Caroline was in a “Flower Design” hand tied style with Lily of the Valley, Schwartzwalder Calla Lilies, Ivory Nerines, Rose Amnesia & Sahara, Cardifolium Leucospernum, Grasses, Lichen branches, Roses, Viburnum Tinnus, Oak leaves, Rosemary for remembrance, Ivy trails and berries, Mosses, Heather, Ladies slipper & Oncidium orchids.

The Bridesmaids Bouquets

I used Schwartzwalder & Mango Callas, Oncidium & Paphiopedilum Orchids, Skimmea, Lily of the Valley, Oak Leaf (Quercus) and Roses Amnesia, Hypnose & Sahara.

I love the colours throughout this wedding I think they reflect the season beautifully.

On the end of each pew I tied a simple nosegay of Crocosmia (Monbretia), Callas, Roses &Hypericum tied with some rough raffia

So many congratulations to this fabulous couple

The Brides parents, Janet, Bride's Mum is wearing a simple corsage of Amnesia Rose & Rolled Petals with some sprigs of fragrant Lily of the Valley.

Then to the spectacular reception venue Hoghton Tower

The entertainment was provided by the adorable Mr Paul Dobie

In the parlour we'd dressed the windowsills with mosses and candles

In the most atmospheric Banqueting Hall in Lancashire we'd gone all out with these fabulous "Living Sculptures" each table was dressed with its own individual design surrounding a plethora of chapel candles. Chairs were covered by Dawn from Creative Cover Hire

The Top Table, which is incidentally steeped in history, it's the original table where the piece of beef was knighted to become "Sir Loin"

The cake

I dressed it with complimentary co-ordinating flowers including a top section and then a swag that trailed around the cake.

Rowley's were the wonderful caterers and our great friends, they are truly superb caterers specialising in creating something seriously individual and totally delicious

These final three images were taken by professional photographer Martyn Pearson, many thanks to him for providing them.

At the end of the evening Caroline lined up her friends and the wedding bouquet took flight!

This was the most elegant and beautiful wedding, a fabulous family who were an absolute joy to work with.