If you are hoping to be inspired to create a botanical wilderness for your upcoming event, whether it is for a wedding or a garden party, then this is the perfect time to nestle in with a cuppa, grab a notebook and pen to jot down your favourite ideas you see here, as I am serving up a botanical bundle of delights you will just love. I'm Rea, a countryside lass that lives for nature, and I love digging into the topic of all things botanical. I am going to be sharing lots of ideas that will help you bring a botanical style to life. From colour schemes that work well together, to the perfect decor to set the scene. First let's start at the beginning, and let's chat about why you  might choose this look for your event.

Photo credit: 166 Photography

Why do I love the botanical look?

I have cherished memories from my childhood of being at my nanny pegs house. She loved plants, her windowsills were literally full of them. Her front porch was the hot spot for all her cactus's finds which I found fascinating at the time, she loved creating glass terrariums and I loved going down to her green house which was at the bottom of her garden. It was like stepping into a secret part of the garden. My mum has also loved her gardening and had plants in every room, so I guess along the the way it was sure to rub off on me in time. It's only since I have got older and my interests have evolved, I have discovered it for myself. I love growing vegetables, sowing seeds, drying flowers and I have recently brought my very own greenhouse to enjoy. I would say I was highly influenced as a child, and now that interest has seeped into my work. When I am among nature I feel at home, relaxed and inspired. 

Why should you choose a Botanical inspired event/wedding?

Botanicals are literally the hottest trend in weddings and events for 2024 and beyond. This is a trend that grew fast when we were in the pandemic, as being among nature made us feel connected to the world again. Plant sales soared! This has played a massive role in this trend growing and our love for all things nature has since seeped into our celebrations now as well. We are seeing more couples in weddings steer away from tradition and instead they are choosing an alternative look that feels more in line with their style and personalities. And lots more of us are bringing nature into our home in some way. As well as us being more mindful of the impact our choices have on the planet. Choosing a botanical event to help you celebrate is far kinder, more sustainable and cheaper, as I will dive deeper into with this write up. A sure way to confirm this trend is fast growing, is with the Pinterest predicts report for 2024, as tropical decor is up by +110%, which is what their audience have clearly been craving. A great sign if you ask me. I think this is a sign that we are craving an oasis vibe when we want to celebrate. Getting outside in the fresh air and away from daily technology that we are with all the time. You can check out the rest of the pinterest trends here >>

 What is a Botanical inspired Wedding/Event?

A botanical style can mean anything from vintage romance to an edgy industrial vibe. Basically if you adore greenery, the botanical style is suited to you. This style just happens to be my favourite style to create, so you are in great company! I just love anything to do with plants, my home is literally over flowing with them! and pairing them to create different looks is part of what I find so fascinating. During 2023 I made it my mission to explore the 5 main botanical styles in greater detail. They consist of Natural, Tropical, Vintage, Boho and Industrial. This means there is something suited to everyone, depending on your personality, so that is amazing news. If you are interested in finding out more about them, you can take a look at them individually here >>

What type of space|venue suits a botanical style?

The most obvious answer here is a garden setting, if you are hosting your event outside, even better as most of the work has already been done for you, unless you need to do some pruning! You will already have a botanical surrounding as your backdrop. Another venue perfect to pull off this style is a large green house, or an orangery. Just imagine a glass building filled with plants to set the scene. A botanical dream if you ask me! It could be in a woodland, near a lake, or it could be in a barn, tipi or yurt. You are looking for something that has a little bit of rustic character, and which is connected to the outdoors in someway. 

Photo taken by Real Life by Robyn

 What colours are suited to the botanical look?

When we think botanicals, we immediately think lots of greenery. And we would be right to, but mixing up the shades of green makes things really interesting. Sage green is fantastic for creating a relaxed garden vibe, perhaps more suited in the spring and summer time. And a dark green is perfect for an autumn and winter event, to add a moody vibe. There are so many shades of green, from olive to jade, to teal to sage, the list goes on, so it's worth exploring what shades and tones you prefer the look of. Colour schemes that work perfectly with the botanical look are earthy shades, so think rust oranges, chocolate brown, taupe, grey and terracotta. The addition of black makes the look striking and adds drama, and the addition of white makes it feel fresh and minimalist. As you can see with the contrasting looks below. 

Photo Credit: Photography by Roberta

Photo credit: 166 Photography

Is it limiting when choosing a botanical style?

I would say it is the complete opposite to limited. When it comes to botanicals there is so much scope. As well as there being five main styles within this catagory you also have sub styles you can tap into. Let me explain, say you love the vintage style, this could mean romantic vintage, it could mean retro, fresh vintage or urban. Each giving you a different feel. As well as this you also have a large variety of plants and greenery to choose from that achieves different looks. As well being spoiled for choice with the containers you put them in. From bottles to jars, to vases to flower pots. This type of style allows you to create an eclectic mix of everything you love and merge it together, to make something unique to you. You can absolutely create a relaxed rustic style or a classic minimal look depending on what plants you choose and how you choose to present them.

What is the quickest way to achieving the botanical look?

The quickest way to create a botanical look for your event is to add lots of plants and greenery. Now, depending on what type of vibe you are going for overall will determine the type of greenery or plants you choose. There are many varieties to choose from and each will create a different look. If you want some help deciding what plants to use, you will find more helpful information here  on that. This will help get your creative juices flowing.

Photo credit: 166 Photography

Photo credit: 166 Photography

What decor suits a botanical look?

Choosing a botanical style usually means you love nature and the outdoors so choosing decorations that compliment these factors is your key to amazing styling. Using decor that is made from natural materials such as wood and metal will work alongside the botanical theme really well. If you are wanting to create a whimsical vintage garden style, I would say wooden ladders, wooden crates, moss lampshades, terracotta flower pots and milk churns work wonders, as they are decor pieces that would naturally be outside anyway as gardenalia. If you are after an industrial theme, using black metal decor and concrete elements will give your look an edge. My portfolio is a great source of inspiration on what these looks are like, you can check it out here >>

Mix & Match

In my own experience I find that mix and match decor is the key to styling this look well. It just fits perfectly, unlike other styles that are more formal where everything has to look uniform and crisp. This is definately a growing trend with relaxed events as it enables you to get more creative, experiment and find your individuality. A great example of this is with old vintage bottles. All the ones I have collected over time are all different, yet they work so well together for the botanical style, adding more interest to a design.

Photo Credit: Photography by Roberta

 Moss Decor

Moss creates a fantastic botanical look as it looks very natural and it's a great way of bringing the outside in. I have used it here to bring some vintage lampshades to life. It is an ideal decoration for creating a woodland style or garden setting. You could also add it on the tables among other decor, or cover vintage frames.

Photo credit: 166 Photography

Branches 

Fallen branches are fantastic for using as decor, either use them to hang from the ceiling with foliage on, get creative and make a table plan to hang table plan tags from or you could use them to create a wishing tree.

Photo credit: 166 Photography

Greenery Wall

A cool way to add the botanical look is to add a greenery wall to your event. A wall of foliage will really make an impact in your space, whether you use it as a photo booth background, a sweetheart table focal point or a dessert table backdrop. I think they are so versatile that's why I invested in a botanical wall myself. You can add more decor to it, such as wild wording to make it more personal and other decor depending on the use. 

Photo Credit: Sophie Hayward

How else can I add a botanical touch to my decor?

I live for the little details so I have some amazing extra ideas for you now, to add those extra little botanical touches. This is the kind of thing that takes a design to the next level. And it makes a botanical event feel cohesive and all the details have been considered. I am sharing some of my personal favourite ideas I have used in designs I have styled.

Patterned Napkins

Photo Credit: Sophie Hayward

If you don't have pattern napkins to play with, you could always turn a plain one into something botanical. Just choose a botanical colour such as green or terracotta and add a fun paper napkin wrap around it to add a botanical touch like below. You can find a nice selection of nature designs here >> to help you achieve this neat idea.

Stationery

Botanical design can also be included in your stationery pieces. I mean I love creating stationery so I think it's a must, even if it is just some name cards to indicate where your guests are sitting, it just adds that special touch, that won't go un-noticed by your guests trust me! You can include botanical designs to indicate the theme in your invitations. If you're sending an invite why not seal it with a botanical wax seal. Or it could be to complete the look on your tables with menus and name cards with fun leaf designs or delicate floral patterns. Helping you tie everything in together, so that it makes sense why it's all there.

With this fun fold out invitation, pine trees and the colour scheme are the perfect choice for complimenting a woodland wedding. This helps set the scene to guests that it is an outdoor event. This can immediately reveal the tone of your day to your guests just with one touch point. Invitations are the first glimpse your guests will have so be sure to start to build the picture for them. Subtle clues like this will start to build the excitement!

Woodland Invitation

There's all sorts of botanical stationery designs you can add to your event, from delicate floral illustrations to bold tropical leaves. It all depends what your overall vibe is and what you are planning. My stationery collections are highly inspired by nature and add that botanical vibe you are looking for.

Botanical Bridal Shower Invitations >>

Using nature in small ways will help bring all the details together and keep a cohesive theme throughout. Wax seals add the perfect finishing touch to stationery pieces, such as envelopes, vellum wraps, place cards and gift wrapping. You can find my botanical wax seal designs here >>

Another fun way of adding in botanical touches with stationery is to add paper straws to your drinks or your place settings. I love these tropical straws, personalised with guests names on them, great for a drinks station, cocktail bar or served as drinks on arrival. You can find them here >>

Favours

Giving flower seeds or a mini plant as favours to your guests makes the perfect botanical gift as one thing is for sure, they will use them. All they have to do is sprinkle them on their garden or put them on a window sill, water them, and they will grow, meaning little effort for maximum reward for the guests. I think this is a fantastic way to include more botanicals into your event.

Nature Table Names

Another botanical touch is naming your tables something to compliment the theme. It could be birds, insects, trees, woodland creatures, or flower names. It's great for unifying everything and really personalises your event. It could even be after botanical gardens you have visited. I love these below as you can easily incorporate them into your table decor to continue the botanical vibes. You can change them to names really easily here >>

Dried Florals

Dried florals look very effective paired with the botanical look. Again it is all about bringing the outside in, and what better way than drying flowers, grasses and foliage to include in your decor. Drying the florals gives an alternative vibe with different textures and colours, and will work for all arrangements, whether it's for table vessels, attached to stationery or larger displays.

Photo credit: 166 Photography

How can you get some help with bringing a botanical style to life?

 If you have enjoyed what you have seen here and you would love more help bringing a botanical style to life for your own event, you may love to work with me. Botanicals are my signature style, they surround me everyday, so I can advise you what looks good and what will suit you best depending on your venue and personality. These are the design briefs that light me up, so I can do my best work for clients. If you would like to read more information about how you can work with me, you can check out my styling services page here >>

Photo credit: 166 Photography