Garden-Style Wedding Flowers at The Barn of Chapel Hill
The Barn of Chapel Hill · Chapel Hill, NC
Some weddings hand you a color and you run with it. Sabrina and Brandon handed us purple, every shade of it, and asked us to make it feel like a garden. So we used the whole range, soft lilac through deep plum, with magenta where it wanted a jolt and moody burgundy orchids for depth. Against the green of the woods at The Barn of Chapel Hill, on a warm April afternoon, it came together exactly the way we hoped.
What garden style actually means
Garden style is the look of flowers as they grow, not flowers forced into a shape. Lots of movement, soft asymmetry, stems at different heights, a mix of big focal blooms and airy little bits that catch the light. It reads romantic and a little untamed, though "untamed" takes a fair amount of planning to pull off on purpose.
The arch
The arch was our favorite piece. We built it on a grapevine and curly willow frame bent into a loose crescent, then let the flowers climb up both sides and leave the top open, with green amaranthus spilling down through the middle. Lavender roses, white and green hydrangea, purple allium, burgundy cymbidium orchids, stock, and pops of magenta sweet william. We packed it heavier at the bottom corners and let it thin as it rose, the way a vine actually grows instead of a clipped, even shape.
Down the aisle
For the ceremony we kept things low and wild. Clusters of green hydrangea, allium, and sweet william gathered at the chairs like they had seeded themselves there, with single stems tied along the aisle seats. With the woods behind the arch and the white barn off to the side, the whole setup felt like it belonged exactly where it was.
The bouquets
Sabrina's bouquet broke the garden rule on purpose. No foliage at all, just flowers, gathered close in a loose modern shape so there was nothing to hide behind. When you take the greenery away, every bloom has to earn its place and the color carries the whole thing. Pink and lavender ranunculus, burgundy orchids, dark scabiosa, and stock, with Picasso calla lilies threaded through, a white and purple variegated variety that looks almost hand painted.
The bridesmaids carried something different, and it is one of our favorite touches. Rather than a smaller copy of the bridal bouquet, each girl held a single type of flower, one of the varieties already woven into the wedding design. Standing together they read as a set, but up close each one is its own thing, more of a gift to carry down the aisle than a matching prop.
How we design a wedding
Every wedding starts with a conversation and a mood board. Sabrina came to us with a color and a feeling, and we built the rest around what was at its best in April, with allium, stock, hydrangea, and ranunculus all hitting their stride at once.
Designing in season is less about rules and more about fit. The flowers thriving in North Carolina in a given month are the ones that sit right next to the trees, the light, and the green already surrounding the venue. So instead of working against the setting, the design becomes an extension of it. The Barn of Chapel Hill hands us so much to begin with, and our job is to make the flowers look like they grew up right alongside it.
It reads romantic and a little untamed, the way a real garden grows.
What couples say about their Barn of Chapel Hill flowers
"Christine and her team created the perfect floral setting for our wedding. During our initial meeting, we reviewed our vision and thoughts for the wedding, and she came back with the perfect mood board. From there, everything was executed flawlessly. Each installation was beautiful, from the flower arch to the meadow arrangements to the bouquets and table setting."
Andrea, bride
"Christine is incredible at what she does! The floral arrangements that she created for my wedding at the Barn of Chapel Hill were stunning to say the least. She was incredibly helpful throughout the process, helping me select a color scheme, walking me through which flowers would be in season, and helpful in understanding how different arrangements that fit within my budget could fit within our space. I highly recommend Christine and Wild Flora, she is a true artist."
Melissa, bride
Venue: The Barn of Chapel Hill
Photography: Sonya Le Photography
About Wild Flora
Wild Flora is the studio of Christine Crochet, owner and creative director, who has been designing weddings and events for more than a decade. Working out of Chapel Hill and across the Raleigh Triangle, she is known for garden-inspired, color-forward florals that have been featured in Vogue, Martha Stewart Weddings, Style Me Pretty, Southern Bride, Green Wedding Shoes, and The Knot. For Christine, flowers are a way to express something, color, movement, and above all a little joy.
Getting married at The Barn of Chapel Hill, or anywhere around Chapel Hill, and want flowers with this loose, garden feel? Tell us what you have in mind.
