THE WEDDING
A Sicilian Spring at Hyde House
For Holly and Mick's April wedding at Hyde House, the brief was to bring the warmth and abundance of Sicily into a Cotswold barn setting.
Fresh lemons and oranges met a layered spring palette of apricot, peach, coral, soft pink and yellow. Olive foliage ran throughout the day, tying together the ceremony entrance, aisle, personal flowers and reception tables.
The finished look was bright and generous without becoming overly saturated: colourful seasonal flowers, loose greenery and citrus against the pale timber and stone of Hyde House.
THE DESIGN
A Design That Evolved with the Couple
Holly and Mick began with a Sicilian-inspired moodboard and a clear love of citrus and olive. Through a collaborative planning process, the colour balance was refined from brighter pink accents towards softer peach, coral and yellow tones.
Seasonal availability was built into the proposal from the start. Daffodils, scabiosa, daisies and delphiniums were explored as additions or substitutes, while venue measurements helped us increase the entrance and altar flowers so they felt properly proportioned in the space.
The flowers still felt spontaneous and abundant, but every element had been considered in relation to the venue, the palette and how it would be used later in the day.
THE FLOWERS
The Floral Palette
The floral recipe centred on spring flowers with plenty of shape and movement: ranunculus, tulips, matthiola, tanacetum, ammi, sweet peas, peonies and antirrhinum, supported by olive, eucalyptus and asparagus foliage.
Rounded ranunculus and peonies sat amongst airy white umbels, small daisy-like flowers and taller spires. Colours moved from lemon yellow and orange through peach and coral into fresh pink, with creams and greens keeping everything balanced.
Fresh citrus became another design material. Lemons, oranges and grapefruit appeared through the tables and aisle styling, reinforcing the Sicilian influence without making the wedding feel too literal.
PERSONAL FLOWERS
Thoughtful Details
Holly's bridal bouquet was wild, full and slightly trailing, using the same spring palette as the venue flowers and finished with peach chiffon around the stems. Her family brooch was secured to the bouquet so it became part of the flowers she carried.
The five bridesmaids carried smaller versions in the same loose, seasonal style. The flower girl wore a delicate crown of olive and tanacetum, while ranunculus and olive buttonholes continued the softer pink and peach tones. Corsages on adjustable gold bangles felt part floral arrangement, part jewellery.
THE ENTRANCE
A Statement Entrance to The Grange
A dense garland of olive and eucalyptus ran across the timber doorway, with two large wild arrangements at floor level. Grey-green foliage sat against the weathered timber while pink, orange, yellow and cream flowers brought the full palette into the design.
The scale mattered. Once the venue measurements were confirmed, we enlarged the arrangements so they would hold their own against the wide barn doors. The result felt generous and welcoming while leaving the architecture of Hyde House visible.
THE CEREMONY
Citrus and Olive Down the Aisle
Inside the ceremony room, the Sicilian influence became more understated. Olive branches tied to alternate aisle chairs were finished with fresh citrus, bringing colour into the room and creating a path towards the ceremony table without traditional floral pew ends.
At the front, a long-and-low altar arrangement brought the full palette together. Holly asked for it to be lengthened so it would have more impact during the ceremony and work later in a second location.
SECOND-LIFE FLOWERS
Designed to Move Through the Day
The long altar arrangement was designed to move behind the top table for the wedding breakfast and speeches, giving one of the largest floral pieces a second focal moment.
Holly's bouquet was planned for the top table, while the bridesmaids' bouquets could be placed in vases around the photo table, welcome table and beside the cricket bat guests signed in place of a traditional guest book.
Repurposing the designs allowed the same flowers to add colour and atmosphere throughout the reception, making better use of both the flowers and the couple's budget.
THE RECEPTION
Flowers, Foliage and Fruit
Groups of individual bud vases allowed colour and height to move naturally across the reception tables. Six were planned for each round guest table and ten for the top table, accompanied by olive foliage and fresh citrus.
Pink, peach, orange and yellow stems rose at different heights from small glass vases, with loose olive branches and whole or halved citrus between the flowers and candles. The tables felt abundant while remaining light enough for guests to see and talk across them.
Citrus around lanterns on the stairs and fresh olive foliage for the wedding cake carried the floral story into smaller details around the venue.
THE INSTALLATION
Bringing a Large Floral Brief Together
The brief included a large entrance installation, two statement floor arrangements, aisle styling, an altar piece, twelve reception tables and all the bridal-party flowers.
We planned it as a team installation, with additional florists helping with preparation and setup. Alex coordinated with Hyde House around access, fixings and measurements, then supported the wider decorative setup on the wedding morning.
Designing the flowers was one part of the job; ensuring each installation could be built safely, installed on time, moved when required and remain cohesive across several spaces was just as important.
THE RESULT
A Sicilian-Inspired Wedding in the Cotswolds
Holly and Mick's flowers brought together the warmth and colour of a Mediterranean celebration with the understated rural character of Hyde House.
Olive foliage and citrus gave the day its Sicilian identity, while seasonal spring flowers kept the arrangements soft, natural and right for an April wedding in the Cotswolds. From the greenery-framed barn entrance to the citrus-filled tables, the same ideas were repeated in different ways across the day.
Planning a destination-inspired wedding, or looking for flowers at Hyde House? Fashioned Flowers creates bespoke wedding flowers around your venue, season and the details that make the celebration feel personal to you.
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