Romantic English Garden Party | Editorial Shoot | MacArthur Place Sonoma
Better late, than never!! We are finally featuring the details of our whimsical and romantic English garden party shoot last summer at MacArthur Place in Sonoma, CA!
OUR INSPIRATION
We wanted to create a whimsical and romantic English garden party shoot with a fun and playful color palette. Kathleen of Petal & Olive was our champion and florist extraodinare. We worked together with Kathleen (and a small-but-mighty team of artists!) to set the stage for this photoshoot. Both Kathleen and Connie were inspired by our recent trips to England and wanted to create the same feeling of an English outdoor garden party. Unique details such as crystal table lamps, embroidered floral overlays, and a floral applique dress gave touches of whimsy to the shoot.
Connie worked her magic and scored a photoshoot at the MacArthur Place Hotel & Spa, a mid-century modern venue nestled in the heart of Sonoma, CA. MacArthur Place is a stunning estate venue with a clean and modern aesthetic, and lush and calming landscaping. We decided to host the shoot on their outdoor lawn and wanted a design that was different from what we’ve seen in this space. We played around with the different placement of where the ceremony could be and wanted to have the ceremony design highlighted by the cottages that surround the lawn area.
THE COLOR PALETTE
Our color palette was a fun nod to summer- neutral tones, buttercream, blush, light pinks, peach and pops of coral. Kathleen envisioned the ceremony space to look like you were stepping through a landscape inspired meadow of flowers. We intentionally placed the chairs in an off-centered pattern to give the guests the feeling as if they were immersed in a meadow. Flowers for the ceremony were local and seasonal blooms and included larkspur, Queen Anne’s Lace, echinacea, chamomile, foxglove, yarrow and garden roses.
DAY-OF, THE BEHIND-THE-SCENES
We fully embraced the "English garden party" theme by designing tablescapes full of local and in season flowers. Connie had a hard time deciding between two different tablescape designs, so we said "why not both?" and set up two full tablescapes!
Our first table design was classically romantic - we started with a botanical embroidered table linen and soft bisque colored linen napkins from BBJ La Tavola that would add color and dimension to the tablescape. The centerpieces were lush and romantic and featured Distant Drums garden roses, phlox, foxglove, scabiosa, dahlias, and oregano. The finishing touch were crystal table lamps that we placed in between the centerpieces with pleated votives. We chose sleek and minimal oak wishbone chairs from Theoni Collection because we liked the juxtaposition of the modern design with soft and romantic florals.
For our second table design, we wanted to go playful and whimsical! We found the perfect floral embroidered overlay for the tabletop and added in an assortment of adorable colorful bud vases. We went with crystal lamps, in lieu of traditional pillar or taper candles, for both table settings. The lamps were a special touch to the table settings - we loved that the lamps were both unique and practical for when the sun starts setting and guests could turn them on to extend the garden party longer through the night.
For both table designs, Connie also decided to try out different napkin folks - one wrapped around the charger for a classy gathered look and one draped over the sides for a playful chic look.
Our model wore a custom gown with a modern v neckline and chiffon floral appliqué skirt. The dress was important for us to portray the feeling of elegance as well as a playfulness that you would associate with a garden party. A chic updo with undone face framing pieces and a fresh peachy makeup look brought everything together.
Towards the end of the shoot, we were fighting Sonoma heat (nearly 110° at the hottest part of the day!). But, the florals and our team held strong and everything really came together so perfectly. We hope that you enjoy this shoot as much as we did in planning and design!
Florals & Design: Petal and Olive Floral Co
Venue: MacArthur Place
Photography: Stephanie Gan Photography
Planning and Design: Made by Connie Designs
Florals and Design: Petal and Olive Floral Co
Makeup & Hair: Bun Bun Bridal Lab
Gown: Selena Judy Bridal
Jewelry: Grace de Bloom