The Romance of Sleek and Antique

Tanya & Matt

Colonial Dames, Philadelphia

June 2011

Event Styling, Flowers, Decor and Paper Accessories by La Petite Fleur

Photography by Rui Barros Photography

Tanya and Matt’s regal affair at historic Colonial Dames in Philadelphia made design history!

Drawing from the couple’s affinity for art deco design and the venue’s inspired architecture, LPF designed a look for their wedding that married art deco and colonial elements to create a romantically sleek, yet antique, style.   As such, the floral designs for both the ceremony and the reception boasted blooms with strong lines in a bold— albeit vintage— white, rich green and peach palette.

Colonial Dames’ lush courtyard hosted the ceremony, which featured an impressive willow arbor adorned with romantic, garden-style blooms and foliage in shades of green, white and pale peach.  Tanya walked down a rose-petaled aisle past garden chairs adorned with swiss dotted tulle ribbon-hung couture paper cones brimming with white hydrangea and guinea feathers. 

With stems wrapped in satin and lace, Tanya’s bouquet was the epitome of romance.  It exuded a vintage feel with antique white roses; white orchids, hydrangea and ranunculus; guinea fowl feathers; and simple greens. The bridesmaids carried feminine bunches of white and cream blooms, including roses and ranunculus, Star of Bethlehem, as well as trachellium and petite peach roses.

Perpetuating the sleek antique look were the men’s boutonnières. Matt’s unique, coordinating design used green and white orchid blossoms and ranunculus, as well as touches of guinea fowl feathers. 

The affair’s unique style even appeared in the entryway of Colonial Dames with a stunning arrangement of white calla lilies and oversized, rich green palms in a tall silver trumpet vase.  To welcome well-wishers, white rosewood wreaths were hung on the venue’s handsome French doors with wide, dark green satin.

Romance filled the famed venue as amber up-lighting—creatively installed by our friends at Synergetic Sound and Lighting—filled the reception. The perimeter of the celebration featured sweeping potted palms. Centerpieces varied between two styles and alternated between a trio of stemmed glass candle holders— some filled with swirled grass, crystals and a floating candle, while others were filled with white hydrangea— atop organic monsterra leaf chargers; and a silver revere bowl filled with white and green hydrangea that were accented with peach blooms, delicate orchids and Queen Anne’s lace, looped grasses, a regal collar of folded leaves and white ostrich feathers.  The presentation on both sets of tables was finished with candles and a custom-designed, hand-assembled art deco number table cards matted against dark green stock.

A custom logo featuring the couple’s initials in art deco lettering and their vintage color palette adorned the escort cards, Mr. & Mrs. signs, and the famed favors: delicate, lace candy cones that were filled with candy. And not just any candy… the “Blumenthal mix,” which is comprised of candies Matt’s family originally created… Sno-caps, Goobers and Raisinets.