Samantha and Zi married in June 2025 in the Palm House at the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, with the reception next door at Botanic House. The brief was romantic, garden and colourful: pinks and reds first, then orange, purple and a little blue, and no white anywhere.
Samantha and Zi after the ceremony (photo: Paper Cranes Production)
The brief
Colour, and lots of it. Samantha's only rules were no white and no chrysanthemums, and otherwise whatever made it look the most colourful: hot pink and red at the centre, orange ranunculus and dahlias, purple phalaenopsis orchids, and blue delphinium for the one cool note. It is a palette that could tip into loud, so we kept the shapes soft and garden-like and let the colour do the work.
The bouquets, with purple orchids, orange ranunculus and delphinium (photos: Paper Cranes Production)
Buttonholes of orange ranunculus and red roses, and a bridesmaid's bouquet against pale pink (photos: Paper Cranes Production)
Ceremony in the Palm House
The Palm House is a heritage glasshouse with soft, even light and white chairs, which makes it the one spot in the Garden where a full floral arch earns its place. We built the arch on our frame in the studio the morning of the wedding, drove it in with the ranger escort, and finished it in place: roses, dahlias, ranunculus, orchids and delphinium in every colour from the brief. Ten aisle arrangements in the same mix ran down both sides, a posy sat on the welcome sign easel, and guests had petals to throw.
The arch inside the Palm House (photo: Paper Cranes Production)
The Palm House set for the ceremony, and the arch up close (photos: Paper Cranes Production)
Aisle arrangements beside the white chairs (photos: Paper Cranes Production)
The welcome sign posy, and the Palm House from outside (photos: Paper Cranes Production)
Reception at Botanic House
Botanic House is a short drive inside the Garden, so while the couple had portraits we cut the arch down into clusters and moved everything across. The ten aisle arrangements became the guest table centrepieces, the arch clusters dressed the room, the easel came too, and a fuller feature piece sat in front of the couple. Nothing was made twice.
Portraits in the Garden after the ceremony (photos: Paper Cranes Production)
Samantha before the ceremony (photo: Paper Cranes Production)
The details that made it work
- No white meant the brights read as one palette rather than a mix.
- A full arch suits the Palm House because the glass walls give it a plain backdrop; on the lawns we would keep it low.
- The ten aisle arrangements were sized to be the table centrepieces from the start.
- Two ranger escorts in one afternoon: one in for the ceremony, one across to Botanic House. We plan the timings around them.
Suppliers
Photography and video: Paper Cranes Production. Cake: Stacy Brewer Cakes. Hair and makeup: Hannah Duong. Celebrant: Robyn Pattison. Venues: Royal Botanic Garden Sydney and Botanic House. Flowers: Lime Tree Bower Florist.
Planning your own wedding flowers?
Our Royal Botanic Garden wedding flowers guide covers the Palm House and every lawn, and the Botanic House guide covers the reception. Tell us your date, venue and the moments you'd like flowers for and we'll send a tailored range estimate: See our work as a Sydney wedding florist or start your enquiry.
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