1. A natural setting
If you’ve already chosen a venue for your garden reception, then you can skip this part. If you’re still ‘shopping around’, consider a venue with a rich natural setting to achieve your garden wedding vibe, be it a grand villa or palazzo with an equally historic garden that Malta has plenty of, a lawn surrounded by foliage and trees, a private home with a stunning garden, or a venue that hasn’t got a garden but is surrounded by fields, nature and greenery, all of which instantly set the scene.
2. Loose flower arrangements
The beauty of a green venue is that it doesn’t need too much help form the florist, but that’s not to say that you can ditch the flower arrangements altogether. Consider flower bouquets and centrepieces that are loose, organic and graceful so that they don’t look out of place in a garden, complemented with flowing greenery such as fern and seeded eucalyptus.
3. Raw materials
When it comes to wedding décor in raw materials, couples are truly spoilt for choice. Wood décor is an obvious choice that never falls out of favour – be it for signage, old oak barrels for bistro tables, and even for the rest of your garden furniture. Other than wood, make use of stone, marble accents, linen and jute fabrics, all of which will give your garden wedding a raw and natural feel.
4. Use florals as details
Just as you would with any other theme, your garden wedding theme doesn’t start and end with the venue. Carry the theme through other aspects of your wedding, without overwhelming the space – such as leaf motifs on your stationery, greenery on the cake and cake table, and also a small bunch of flowers in the bridal party’s hair.
5. Use fresh herbs to garnish drinks
Asking your caterers to use fresh herbs to garnish food could affect your menu in a not-so-positive way (after all, they’re the kitchen experts). But who says you can’t use said garnishes at the bar? Sprigs of rosemary, loose petals, nettles and mint leaves add a perfect finishing touch to a cocktail, neat drink or even added to water, and they make everything photogenic too.
6. Floral fashion
Adding floral accents to the bride or bridal party’s wedding attire is entirely optional and down to personal taste, but can be used to great effect. For the bridal party, keep it subtle with a flowy, leaf-print dress or floral jumpsuit, while the bride can look out for a gorgeous gown in a fabric with a flower-inspired design, such as lace, embroidered tulle and woven jacquard.
7. Add a metallic touch
Worried your wedding might look a little too… green? There’s no better way to add contrast to your natural setting than with a metallic touch. We’re suckers for gold and rose gold accents, used subtly to make everything pop. Use a striking metal for your tableware, invitations, table centrepieces and glassware, and watch a little contrast really do the trick.