Loretta Stagen Floral Designs

South Farms in Morris, Connecticut is a special venue for weddings and no wonder. Its setting and its historic farm buildings are quintessential New England, situated in one of the prettiest regions on the planet. It was perfect, in other words, for the wedding and reception of an American bride and Finnish groom, both outdoorsy types who love to sail and hike. The couple selected a “woodlands theme” for their wedding; they wanted the celebration to reflect their passions. It seemed right to choose flowers that would trumpet their happiness, and moss to conjure the magic of the forest. And so I got to work-- festooning the arch that would serve as the backdrop for their outdoor ceremony with one hundred white and green hydrangea, and assembling centerpieces of hydrangea, ranunculus, double lisianthus, and local dahlias for centerpieces to station along moss runners. Lady’s mantle, galax leaves, seeded eucalyptus and needlepoint ivy for did yeoman work as embellishment. The glas...

A bride’s gown seemingly spun from gossamer thread.   Linen dresses dipped in natural dyes for the attendants in the subtle rainbow of colors one encounters in the forest. A homemade carrot wedding cake and cupcakes and a Ceremony at Lemonade Lake. Talk about a storybook wedding. Because the bride’s favorite flower is ranunculus, I took varieties of them as my starting point, adding lisianthus, eucalyptus, and spring green Western ferns for an understated, but glorious, mix. These were ingredients that could be playfully repeated in the bridal bouquet, the bridesmaids’ bouquets and in the boutonnieres. For the centerpieces, I included an abundance of grey-green eucalyptus and forest green Italian Ruscus.   Using these same materials, I also created a 30-foot garland for the bridge railing that led guests to the Ceremonial area at water’s edge. The couple was married under a rustic arbor that looked as if it had been gathered from the nearby ...

What do palm, banana and monsters leaves, pine tips and pine cones have in common? For me at least, they bespoke of the favorite haunts of the two nature lovers who were about to tie the knot. It was my happy task to work these elements into large and elegant wedding at Manursing Island Club in Rye, NY, drawing upon a palette of white and green. And because the bride’s family splits its year between Rye and Bermuda, I had the mother of the bride’s white coral collection to draw upon as well. For the ceremony at the Church of the Resurrection, I had decorated the pews and altar with a variety of white flowers, lady’s mantle, seeded eucalyptus, grevillea and galax leaves. As the bridal party proceeded down the aisle, the bridesmaids’ deep navy dresses served as brilliant backdrops for the floral confections of white and green I’d made as bouquets. Shortly thereafter, as 285 guests gathered under a glistening tent, centerpieces of roses, lisianthus, freesia, hydrangeas, hyp...

The stage set was a landscape worthy of a Connecticut Impressionist painting. The ceremony took place in the spectacular gardens of the groom’s grandparents overlooking acres of treetops. The focal point was a simple arch of birch limbs decorated with tendrils of gerber daisies cascading from the structure. During the ceremony the couple exchanged custom leis which matched the bride’s stunning sari. This was a wedding of two families celebrating love and culture and beauty, seemingly all at once. After vows were exchanged, the 150 guests moved inside a pristine tent, where colorful orange, hot pink and spring green centerpieces of roses, dahlias and ladies mantle were featured. The flowers were tucked into birch containers which complimented the beauty of the wooded hills beyond. Connecticut in summer is a sea of greens and on the very best of days, gently rustling breezes. I suspect this elegantly understated wedding was one guests and family will remember.

What makes a wedding special? Sometimes it’s as simple as using flowers from the mother of the bride’s cutting garden. I thought of this recently as I filled buckets with flowers for a bridal bouquet for a summer wedding at Great Hollow Preserve in New Fairfield. Photo by Anna Beeke As it turned out, zinnias of many varieties and colors, dahlias, phlox, daisies, Queen Anne’s lace and peegee hydrangeas – made for a sumptuous summer mélange that worked wonderfully in many combinations. I loved the way the Queen’s Anne Lace mirrored the lace in the bride’s lovely gown; and that simple birch branches, topped with a spray of delphinium, hydrangeas and snapdragons, was transformed into a ceremonial arch. Photo by Anna Beeke Photo by Anna Beeke Photo by Anna Beeke The bridesmaid bouquets, boutonnières, 108 centerpieces and large stand-alone arrangements drew similarly from this charming floral palette. Antiqued metal containers and long wooden farm tables completed...

It had the makings of a storybook wedding: childhood sweethearts, and spectacular views of the golf course at The Waramaug Country Club and of Lake Waramaug’s sparkling waters. Photo by Keane Eye Photography at Lake Waramaug Country Club With such ingredients already in place, I turned to glorious, old-fashioned lavender and white flowers to make this bride and groom’s celebration all the more special. The result -- as sweet as the young couple –could have served as inspiration for a succession of Victorian-era valentines. Centerpieces of scabiosa, calla lily, larkspur and white veronica complemented the bride’s bouquet of lavender and baby’s breath and groom’s matching boutonniere. (I repeated the floral mix in the aisle chair décor.) Votive candles brought these lovely wooden tables to life as the sun began to set. Meanwhile the couple supplied joy and exuberance. It was simply a stunning event.