Modern Wedding Dresses for the Fashion-forward Bride
DressesTips and Trends | April 26, 2025
Floral Wedding Dresses for Your Garden Party Wedding
DressesReal WeddingsWedding Inspo | March 29, 2025
What’s more bridal than fabulous florals? The romance, the femininity, the delicate whimsy they bring to a space. We can’t get enough of them… and neither can our brides! If you’re seeking inspo for your garden party wedding, you’ve come to the right place. We’re here with all the answers from our real bride, Channing! Plus, read to the end to see floral wedding dresses that pair perfectly with this effortless, summery aesthetic. Love content like this? Follow us on Instagram for more!
Why Plan a Garden Party Wedding?
Garden party weddings are so trendy for spring and summer celebrations! We’re seeing all our fav it-brides hopping on the trend and giving us all the inspo, including Channing, who we got the opportunity to interview for this piece. Her wedding florals are pin-board perfect and great inspiration for brides who are hoping to create the perfect garden party wedding. The flowers themselves aren’t the only way to incorporate this trend into your wedding day though, we also have floral wedding dresses that capture the aesthetic of a garden party wedding beautifully! Plus, we have even more blogs that will take you through the whole process of curating your celebration, like Planning Your Garden Party Wedding? Start Here!
Whether you’re going with a garden theme for stunning photos, to add a little color to your wedding day, for the effortlessly feminine and delicate vibe, to match your wedding season, or for one of the countless other reasons to have a garden party wedding, you’ve come to the right place!
Meet Our Real Bride, Channing!
Tell us about your love story!
We’ve actually known each other since high school, but with the age gap, we didn’t really know each other back then. Fast forward to 2020—he reached out to me after I had just gotten my real estate license! He works in the industry too and was curious about it, so we started chatting. Before I knew it, he asked me out on a date… and from there, the rest was history.
Early on, I knew how much I cared about him—and I could feel he felt the same way. We were inseparable, and it all just clicked. Now, almost five years later, I still feel the same way I did when we first reconnected: warm, happy, and so loved.
As for the proposal… we got engaged in Martha’s Vineyard, a place that’s always been special to us.
One evening, he took me to the lighthouse for a quiet moment before dinner—just the two of us. We had champagne, relaxed on the beach, and took it all in. Then, out of nowhere, he got down on one knee and proposed! Oh my gosh, it was the most surreal, emotional moment. I was crying, completely overwhelmed, and just so happy. It felt like a dream.
Give us a quick rundown of your wedding day details!
For the ceremony, we had a violinist playing as we walked down the aisle, and one of my favorite parts was that we did a toast during the ceremony to celebrate our marriage! We also had all of our guests sign a parchment, officially declaring themselves witnesses to our wedding, which was such a unique and meaningful touch.
Another great thing we did was renting a vintage fiat for photos (our family was obsessed with it!), and our guests got disposable cameras to capture the night from their own perspectives. We also had a Campari bar for everyone to enjoy during aperitifs, which was such a hit!
One of my unexpected favorite details? Our initials were monogrammed onto macarons! I hadn’t even thought of it, but when I saw them, I fell in love with the idea. It’s funny how little details end up meaning so much.
For dinner, we had a four-course meal of authentic Italian cuisine, but we wanted to make the experience extra special for our guests. So, during the antipasti course, my now husband got up and helped the chef make the pasta! Then, together, we made the Italian wedding cake. It was such a fun, interactive moment, and we loved creating those memories with the people who traveled so far to celebrate with us.
We ended the night with a champagne tower and live music from our jazz band—it was truly magical.
What Maggie Sottero wedding dress did you wear?
I had the opportunity to wear the Drew Marie wedding dress from Maggie Sottero.
What made you choose your wedding dress?
Okay, I know this might sound a little chaotic, but I actually wanted to go dress shopping alone. I just knew I would think more clearly if I made the decision based entirely on how I felt, without any outside opinions.
When I put this dress on, I just knew. I couldn’t stop smiling in the boutique, and in my gut, it felt so special to me. That was all the confirmation I needed!
What was your inspiration for your wedding aesthetic?
My wedding aesthetic was entirely inspired by the beauty of Italian summers. When my wedding planner sent me a questionnaire, I described the vision in five words: timeless, warm, European, vintage/antique, and maximalist.
I’m such a romantic at heart, so creating that feeling was so important to me. I didn’t want the day to feel overly curated—I just wanted it to feel full of life and beautifully effortless.
Can you explain your vision for your wedding florals?
Just like my overall wedding vision, I wanted the florals to feel romantic, whimsical, and maximal with touches of classic elegance. But when it came to specific flowers, I didn’t have a set list in mind—I wanted to give our florist the creative freedom to bring the vision to life.
She sent me a vision board, and honestly, it was exactly what I had been dreaming of. I also wanted the florals to reflect the natural beauty of Italian culture and landscape, so working with a local florist was important to me. She has such a creative mind, and I’m so grateful we got to collaborate with her!
Did you decide to go with fresh, wood, silk, or dried florals?
We used a mix of fresh and dried florals! Fresh flowers were the focal point of the day, but we also incorporated dried elements for added texture and a more organic, effortless feel. It was the perfect balance and gave everything a slightly romantic, lived-in look that I loved.
What were some of the pros and cons of that decision?
Using a mix of fresh and dried florals was honestly the best of both worlds! Fresh flowers brought in that magic—they made everything feel vibrant, romantic, and full of life. To me, they symbolize a new beginning, which made them even more meaningful on our wedding day. Plus, they perfectly complemented the overall aesthetic, keeping everything classic, chic, and effortlessly elegant.
On the other hand, dried florals added texture and a more organic, lived-in feel that I loved. They also held up really well throughout the day, which was great for pieces that needed to last a little longer like some of the main decor.
The biggest challenge? Keeping the fresh florals looking perfect all day, especially since we used them throughout the entire wedding! I can only imagine the effort our florist put in to make sure they stayed as beautiful as they did. Overall, our florals were such a huge part of the wedding’s beauty, and the mix of fresh and dried gave everything the dreamy feel I was hoping for.
How did you choose your floral colors and the types of flowers you incorporated into your wedding day?
We matched the floral colors to the palette we envisioned for the wedding—greens, oranges, purples, pinks, yellows, and cream—warm, playful hues that felt full of life. Our florist put together the most beautiful lookbook to showcase the floral selections, bringing our vision to life in a way that felt both whimsical and maximal. It was everything we had hoped for and more!
Did you try to pair the vibe of your florals to your bridal dress?
I didn’t intentionally match the florals to my wedding dress, but somehow, they ended up complementing each other perfectly. I even asked our florist if I could use some of the flowers in my hair, which made for such a beautiful touch!
Since I was so immersed in the aesthetic of our wedding, a lot of my selections just flowed naturally throughout the creative process. Everything felt instinctive, and I never found myself second-guessing any of the design choices—it all came together so effortlessly.
Did you preserve your wedding florals?
Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to preserve my florals since we got married overseas! I did try to keep the ones from my hair throughout the trip, but let’s just say… they didn’t travel well back to the U.S. lol! Still, they were so beautiful in the moment, and I’ll always have the photos and memories.
Looking back, is there anything you would do differently?
Make the day last longer! Haha, but otherwise, no—everything was perfect to me. I feel so incredibly blessed to have had this experience with my family, friends, and husband. It was truly the most magical day.
What advice would you give other brides planning their wedding florals?
Follow what makes your heart feel warm. Trust your gut and make it yours. Florals are such a big part of the overall vibe of your wedding, so find a florist you connect with—someone who really gets what you’re looking for. Have creative meetings, bounce ideas around, and let them help bring your vision to life.
You don’t have to know all the flower names or have every little detail planned—just think about how you want your wedding to feel. Florals can do so much more than just looking pretty in a bouquet. You can repurpose them from the ceremony to the reception, use ones that smell amazing to add to the atmosphere, or even work with a local florist to bring in flowers that naturally fit the setting.
And if something sentimental feels right—like wrapping your bouquet in a special fabric or including a meaningful flower—go for it. It’s all in the little details, and when it feels right, it will be magical.
Love hearing from our real brides? Check out our last featured bride in Why Wear A Reception Dress: An Inside Look At Erin’s Bridal Outfits!
Floral Wedding Dresses for Your Garden Party Wedding
Now that you’ve got your flowers down, let’s get into some floral wedding dresses! Here are some of our brides’ favorite gowns for garden party wedding aesthetics! (Psst! If you’re a spring bride who needs even more inspo, check out our blog, Floral Wedding Dresses for the Dreamy Spring Bride!)
Love these floral wedding dresses for your garden party wedding? Grab your besties and schedule your bridal appointment to try them on IRL at one of our Authorized Boutiques! Who knows, you might just find yourself falling in love all over again!
More Blogs Like This:
Floral Wedding Dresses for the Dreamy Spring Bride
Planning Your Garden Party Wedding? Start Here!
Why Wear A Reception Dress: An Inside Look At Erin’s Bridal Outfits
