A Flora and Fauna Affair

Julie & Lionel

November 2012

John James Audubon House

Flowers, Decor, Lighting and Paper Accessories by La Petite Fleur

(detailed photographs by Lori Gail Photography for La Petite Fleur)

Catering by Jeffrey Miller

Photography by Swoonoverit

Passionate about animals (and one another!), Julie and Lionel exchanged vows at the John James Audubon Center in Audubon, Pennsylvania on a brisk, yet bright, November afternoon.  To create a celebration that reflected their love for nature and one another, they collaborated with wedding design firm La Petite Fleur.

With the lovebirds’ affinity for nature and animals in mind, LPF created an ethereal design with rustic, yet feminine, flora and fauna features for the couple’s autumnal alfresco affair.

The ceremony took place in the Audubon Center’s open pavilion— where LPF framed an aisle with white garden chairs and oversized nickel lanterns atop beds of oak leaves that led to the altar at the fireplace hearth. 

The mantle was adorned lanterns intertwined with a grapevine-style garland comprised of a variety of greens, including magnolia leaves, bittersweet, kale, copper beech and roses. On either side of the raised hearth, grand tall glass cylinders filled with lush arrangements of magnolia leaves, ornamental white kale, copper beach and rich orange oak leaves, as well as birch branches with hanging votives, were placed.

Julie’s vintage-style bouquet of deep and light hued blooms offered a variety of textures and featured purple dahlias, dusty rose astilbe, quicksand roses, peach berries, succulents and simple greens— loosely gathered with butter cream satin and lace. The maid-of-honor carried a soft-colored bouquet of lavender dahlias, petite purple flowers, peach berries, thistle and dusty miller— tied with honey satin.  The bridesmaids wore wine and dusty rose, and carried sweet gatherings of specialty persimmon orchids, petite Lemoncello roses, dusty rose and lavender blooms, berries and dusty miller— finished with a honey satin ribbon.  The flower girls carried charming grapevine pomanders of petite Lemoncello roses and eggplant asters with honey satin ribbon tails.

Lionel wore a handsome complementary-style boutonnière of thistle and berries, accented with dusty miller and finished with tan raffia.  His groomsmen wore boutonnières of persimmon blooms, accented with dusty miller and tan raffia-wrapped stems.

 

A vintage custom sign post was fashioned out of distressed fence boards, pointed guests in the direction of the nuptials and celebration (and also back to New Haven, where the couple calls home) .The walking path between the Audubon’s Pavilion and the Barn, where the reception was held, was highlighted with charming mason jar lanterns, which served to light the way as the November evening played on. 

Greeting guests at the barn was a series of weathered, white-washed shutters and reclaimed paned windows— featuring custom escort cards folded over burlap lace ribbon.  LPF custom-designed square cards using kraft stock that featured muted full-color images of Julie’s favorite Audubon animals, including owls and squirrels. The guests’ names appeared in classic black script.  

After plucking their cards from the display, guests entered the reception through the barn’s double doors, which were adorned with a pair of oversized grapevine wreaths with pheasant and quail feathers, lotus pods, red oak leaves and bows of lace and burlap.

 At the heart of the reception’s intimate atmosphere were long family-style dining tables, which framed the dance floor. The bridal party table sat at the “top” of the dance floor, in front of the original barn door and under a canopy of twinkling grapevine balls in varying sizes— as amber up-lighting warmed the perimeter of the barn’s exposed interior walls.  A highlight of the rooms décor was the oversized bistro menu board that LPF illustrated with the many seasonal libations and treats prepared by Jeffrey Miller Catering.

 

Guest Tables were dressed in ecru linens vintage lace runner, provided by LPF.  Two styles of centerpieces spanned the tables, topped with mismatched vintage china. They each featured a  central lush, garden arrangement of richly-colored, cascading blooms with varying textures, including succulents, kale, bupleurum, dusty rose astilbe and orchids. Accenting the focal arrangement were mismatched budvases (some in milk glass) which were filled with berries and other wildflowers. Finishing off the look were a variety of shapes and sizes of mercury glass votive holders and succulents in terracotta pots—all of which “runners” of décor down each dining table.  After dinner, guests danced to music under a café light-draped dance floor by our friends at Synergetic Sound and Lighting.

The happy occasion’s happy ending consisted of showcasing family wedding photos along burlap ribbons in an antique gold frame, which was sweetly situated next to a reclaimed plant-stand-turned-cupcake-stand accented with mason jars filled with Queen Anne’s lace, and purple and persimmon blooms.