Saturday dawned; cloudy, windy, cool and perfect. I woke to the usual Sophie chatter, and the arms of my husband to be. We had ignored tradition and stayed together the night before our wedding. We aren’t particularly traditional, and the whole wedding had a casual feel to it, so we couldn’t really fathom being apart on the eve of a stressful yet exciting occasion. The morning went by in a mad hurry of breakfast, icing cupcakes, cutting sandwiches and the men organising chairs and umbrellas.
One of my favourite parts of the whole entire event was to come just before I started getting ready, and just on the arrival of my dear, beautiful friend Bec, who was to be our photographer for the day and night. It had been my wish to arrange the floral centre pieces myself to create a very casual, simple array of flowers in pressed glass and antique vases, as well as old jugs. Without much nonsense, and with the need to just “get the job done” my aunt, two dear friends and I began undoing all the flowers we had ordered under our covered pergola, and started throwing them “artistically” into any of the waiting vases or jugs. The image and smell that this haphazard job created was simply breathtaking. My heart skips a beat remembering how amazing the roses and hydrangeas were all laid out on the tables, and slowly taking shape in their respective vessels. The smell was overwhelming, and everyone who passed through doing any particular job commented on how amazing it was.
As soon as we started arranging the stems, I had an instant calm, and at the same time excitement, come over me as I realised how they were going to look; my wedding flowers were taking shape with the help of my amazing helpers, who had understood my vision perfectly. The mix of roses and hydrangeas (my favourite flowers) was heady and wonderful. The hydrangeas were full, stunning blues ranging from a deep, purple blue to a light, ice blue. Although I love all colours of hydrangeas, blue is my utter favourite, and these were perfect. The roses were a colour mix of pinks, creams and my favourite – antique, and were simply stunning. Some were open, some just starting to open, some were tiny blooms and others beautiful, large blooms.
I was in heaven. I couldn’t contain how excited I was. I honestly think the perfume of the now transformed pergola had made me a little dizzy and I was racing around, chatting and giggling - the perfect place, mentally, to get ready... 
All photos by the stunning Bec Johnson at Bec Johnson Photography.
(Post to come about this terribly talented woman!)
