Bold Blooms and Blue Toile: A Colorful Garden-Style Wedding at Water's Edge Resort and Spa
s + h
“Emma is the absolute best!!! From start to finish it was such a pleasure working with her and getting to know her. Not only did she handle our floral but was our coordinator leading up to the wedding. No detail was missed with Emma. Emma took my vision for my wedding and not only brought it to life but made it better. The entire process was incredible and people are still talking about our flowers and disco balls!!”
Some weddings are soft and romantic. Some are classic and understated. And then there are the weddings that walk in the door knowing exactly who they are — bold, joyful, and completely unapologetic about it. This one? Definitely the latter.
When this couple first reached out to us, they knew they wanted color. Not a whisper of it tucked into a boutonniere, but full, saturated, garden-party color that filled every corner of the room and made their guests feel like they'd walked into somewhere truly special. As their Connecticut wedding florist and event management team, we were absolutely here for it.
The setting was Water's Edge Resort and Spa in Westbrook, Connecticut — a stunning coastal venue perched right on Long Island Sound. With its sweeping water views, elegant ballroom, and lush outdoor ceremony space down by the shoreline, it's one of our favorite venues to work with in the state. It offers that rare combination of natural beauty and refined interior space that gives a floral designer real room to play.
This was also one of our full event management clients, which means we didn't just show up on wedding day with flowers — we were with them every step of the way. But more on that in a moment.
Photography: Morgan Wynne Photography | Catering + Venue: Water’s Edge Resort & Spa | Band: Silver Arrow Band | Videography: Clear Vision Videography | Hair + Makeup: Salon A | Dress: Anne Barge from Belle Bianca Bridal Couture | Floral Design: + Event Management: First Blush Weddings + Events
event management
What It Looks Like When We're With You the Whole Way
This wedding holds a special place for us because it was a full event management engagement — and if you've been on the fence about what that actually means, this one is a good example.
We came on board eight weeks before the wedding date. Over those two months, we worked closely with the couple and their family to sort every detail of the timeline — not just the floral install schedule, but the full arc of the day. Arrival times, vendor coordination, the flow from ceremony to cocktail hour to reception. We were the person with the clipboard and the calm voice, making sure nothing fell through the cracks.
Beyond the wedding day itself, we also helped them plan and execute their Friday night Shabbat dinner and rehearsal — a multi-event weekend that required its own logistical choreography. On the wedding day, we ran the timeline from start to finish, troubleshooting in real time and making sure the couple and their family could actually be present for the moments that mattered.
By the time the wedding day arrived, we genuinely knew this family. That relationship — built over weeks of calls, decisions, and shared excitement — is what makes event management different from day-of coordination. You're not handing off to a stranger at the finish line. You're celebrating with someone who has been in it with you.
If you're planning a wedding in Connecticut and looking for a florist who can also take the logistics off your plate, our event management add-on might be exactly what you need. We work with planners from all over the state, but for the couples who want one team, one point of contact, and one person who knows every detail inside and out — this is what we built it for.
fashion + our take
The bride was radiant in her Bella Bianca Bridal Couture gown — a strapless sweetheart ballgown with a white base and watercolor blue floral print throughout. It was the kind of dress that stops a room, and it moved beautifully against the coastal backdrop during portraits by the water. The groom was equally sharp in a navy tuxedo with a bow tie, and the wedding party carried the navy theme beautifully — bridesmaids in deep navy dresses, groomsmen in navy suits with light blue ties. The whole group photographed like a dream.
A few things worth noting about this particular wedding that made it stand out even among our favorite projects:
The locally sourced blooms were a genuine highlight. Working with the CT Flower Collective to incorporate Connecticut-grown zinnias and seasonal texture is something we prioritize as an eco-friendly wedding florist, and the difference in quality is visible in every photograph. There's a vibrancy to locally grown flowers that imported stems simply don't have.
The copper chuppah with the generational tallis was one of the most meaningful ceremony installations we've had the privilege of designing around. It's a reminder that the best floral design doesn't exist in isolation — it serves the story the couple is telling.
And the disco balls. Always the disco balls.
bouquets + personal flowers
When it came to personal flowers, the bride's gown set the tone for everything. She wore a breathtaking floral ballgown from Bella Bianca Bridal Couture — a strapless sweetheart neckline with a voluminous skirt in white with watercolor blue florals printed throughout. It was bold, romantic, and completely one of a kind. A dress like that doesn't need competing with — it needs a bouquet that lets it breathe.
So that's exactly what we gave her. Her bouquet was soft and intentionally understated: blush and peach garden roses, delicate ranunculus, and airy cosmos in the palest tones. Lush and romantic without a single loud moment. Against that printed gown, the effect was stunning — the softness of the flowers letting the dress do exactly what it was designed to do.
The bridesmaids were the opposite, and that was entirely by design. Dressed in deep navy, they carried bold, saturated posies — hot pink garden roses, coral ranunculus, orange blooms, and pops of yellow sourced from local Connecticut farms through the CT Flower Collective. The contrast was intentional: where the bride was soft, the wedding party was vibrant. Together they created a visual story that felt layered and considered rather than matching and expected. As an eco-conscious wedding florist in Connecticut, sourcing locally is always our first move when the season allows, and the locally grown blooms had a quality and vibrancy that showed in every photograph.
The groomsmen were sharp in navy suits with light blue ties, finished with colorful garden-style boutonnieres that picked up the bridesmaid palette — a cohesive thread that tied the whole wedding party together without a single thing feeling overdone. The groom wore a navy tuxedo with a bow tie, his boutonniere a colorful nod to the day without competing with his bride.
ceremony
The ceremony took place down by the water — which, at Water's Edge, is about as good as it gets for a Connecticut wedding. The sound of the waves, the late afternoon light, the sense of occasion. It sets itself up.
As the focal point, we designed a stunning copper chuppah adorned with a generational tallis — a deeply meaningful detail that grounded the whole ceremony in family and tradition. Flanking it were two large sprays of colorful garden blooms: bold anthurium, roses, cosmos, and butterfly ranunculus in shades that felt abundant and celebratory without overwhelming the natural beauty of the waterfront setting.
At the aisle opening, two garden boxes greeted the couple as they walked with their parents — a beautiful nod to tradition and a moment that framed the processional perfectly. It's one of those details that guests might not be able to name, but they absolutely feel. The whole ceremony space had an energy that was at once intimate and expansive, deeply personal and visually breathtaking.
centerpiece + reception details
If the ceremony was about meaning and intention, the reception was about pure joy.
Guests moved from the waterfront into the ballroom, where the design shifted into high gear. We created a striking alternating centerpiece scheme — elevated arrangements on tall clear cylinder vases that drew the eye upward, cascading with bold coral garden roses, orange dahlias, hot pink blooms, and generous trailing greenery — set against low compote arrangements in silver vessels absolutely packed with color. The combination created movement and depth throughout the room, with something beautiful to discover at every sightline.
The linens were blue and white toile — a classic, preppy pattern that could have felt safe in other hands, but here became the perfect foil for the saturated florals. The contrast was striking. Bold flowers against a graphic print, candlelight glowing between, the whole room feeling like a garden party that had been invited inside.
To finish the look, we incorporated disco ball towers throughout the space — playful, unexpected, and completely on-brand for this couple. They caught the light and added a sense of celebration that carried through the entire evening.
Every flower was chosen with intention. The anthurium brought a modern, sculptural edge. The roses and cosmos offered romance. The butterfly ranunculus, with its layered, almost ruffled petals, added texture and whimsy. Together they told a story that was unmistakably this couple's.
This wedding was a reminder of why we do what we do. When a couple walks in knowing exactly who they are and trusts you to bring that vision to life — the bold colors, the meaningful details, the full weekend of celebration — the result is something genuinely special.
Water's Edge Resort and Spa is one of Connecticut's most beautiful wedding venues, and it was the perfect canvas for a celebration this vibrant and intentional. From the copper chuppah by the water to the disco balls glowing in the ballroom, every detail was designed to feel like them.
We're so proud of this one.
If you're planning a wedding at Water's Edge or anywhere along the Connecticut shoreline — or if you're looking for a Connecticut wedding florist and event management team who will be with you every step of the way — we'd love to connect.
Browse our portfolio, check out our event management add-on, or reach out directly to start the conversation. Your flowers should tell your story. Let's make sure they do.