Modern Organic Wedding Florals in the Mendocino Redwoods
Modern Luxury Wedding Florals in Northern California
Hilary & Arnaud’s wedding weekend unfolded in the heart of Anderson Valley, in the small town of Philo, just north of San Francisco in Mendocino County. Surrounded by vineyards, rolling hillsides, and towering redwoods, the setting offered guests a quintessential Northern California wedding experience: immersive, relaxed, and intimately connected to the landscape and their story.
Set in July, with warm summer weather and an abundance of seasonal flowers at their peak, the weekend was the perfect canvas for a design-forward, modern luxury wedding floral design rooted in color, texture, and intentionality.
Planned by Harlene Events, the creative brief was: fresh, colorful, and textural. Designing florals across an entire weekend of celebrations — each moment distinct yet cohesive — was truly such an honor!
The Welcome Party & Rehearsal Dinner at The Madrones
The wedding weekend began with a welcome party and rehearsal dinner at The Madrones, a Mediterranean-style property nestled between sun-drenched vineyards and majestic redwood forests. The setting was ideal for an al fresco paella dinner and apero —elevated yet effortlessly social.
This first evening set the tone for the weekend: bold, playful, and artful. The floral design leaned modern and lively, featuring sculptural forms, unexpected vignettes, and a color-blocked palette of reds, oranges, pinks, and greens.
Seasonal, locally sourced ingredients played a big role, reinforcing our approach as a sustainable wedding florist in Northern California. Premium ingredients included locally grown martagon lilies, hanging amaranthus, garden roses, dahlias, marigolds, ranunculus, and poppies, paired with textural foliages and vegetable-forward styling moments like tomatoes, garlic scapes, and love-in-a-puff vine.
The result was a warm, editorial introduction to the weekend: bold and colorful wedding flowers that felt celebratory without feeling over-styled.
The Ceremony at The Brambles
Hilary & Arnaud’s ceremony and reception were held at sister property The Brambles, a magical venue tucked beneath a grove of redwoods just minutes from The Madrones.
The design challenge: counterbalance the natural masculinity of towering redwoods and a deeply green environment without competing with it. The solution was an elevated European garden–inspired ceremony, featuring a soft pastel palette, romantic blooms, and lush cascading foliages — with a fresh, modern, and slightly unexpected twist!
A color-blocked ceremony arch anchored the space, layered with ethereal foliages and sculptural movement. Complementary aisle markers welcomed guests, grounding the ceremony in structure while maintaining a sense of playfulness.
For Hilary’s bouquet, we designed a petite, sculptural arrangement — delicate and refined to fit her vibe. Bridesmaids carried custom mono-floral bouquets, each intentionally selected to complement their individual dresses while remaining cohesive as a group.
The overall tone was elegant, modern, and completely at ease. Artful wedding florals that felt organic rather than overdone.
A Candlelit Redwood Reception
For the reception, the goal was to soften the dining space and infuse it with warmth, color, and moments of surprise. The result was an intimate, candlelit dinner beneath the Mendocino redwoods — romantic, immersive, and unmistakably Northern California.
Texture-forward bar and welcome arrangements felt wildly alive. At dinner, tables were layered with curated collections of whimsical centerpieces, petite Ikebana-inspired arrangements, and abundant taper and votive candlelight. Each floral composition was unique (no two designs were the same!) yet together they created a cohesive visual rhythm.
Overhead, a canopy of loose, flowing green vines and delicate lighting softened the existing structure, while statement installations featuring dripping orchids and amaranthus anchored the space.
Standout ingredients included locally grown hydrangeas, foxglove, phlox, cosmos, allium, aster, and garden roses, paired with orchids and calla lilies — the bride’s favorites. The balance of local, seasonal ingredients with premium blooms reflected our philosophy as a luxury wedding floral designer serving the San Francisco Bay Area and Northern California.
Let’s Create An Unforgettable Floral Design
If you’re dreaming of modern luxury wedding florals that are bold, artful, and anything but expected, I’d love to collaborate. As a San Francisco-based wedding florist specializing in Northern California weddings, my studio offers a high-touch, design-forward experience tailored to couples who see floristry as an art form.
→ Inquire here to begin exploring your floral vision.