Secret Garden Wedding Inspiration at a Private Estate

ft. in munaluchi magazine no. 28

When walking through the gates of the private and historic Havens Estate, you’re immediately greeted by the warmth of the sun, the smell of fresh blooms, and a view of rich colors and textures. A design inspired by the owner’s favorite book, “The Secret Garden” by Frances Hodgson.

Together with Berlyn Events, who shares the same love for the classic tale, a vision of an English secret garden, through the lens of a modern couple, was created. The response of the scenes were to delight the senses with handcrafted, tactile details incorporated throughout.

To do this, romantic garden roses, fragrant sweet pea blooms, and trailing vines cascaded down the gates and stairs in a vibrant palette of grapefruit, lavender, apricot, and honey. Bold ranunculus and delicate lisianthus created contrast in the installations, mirroring the purple hues that grew naturally around the estate. A timeless, yet whimsical design to highlight the bold architectural features of the property and its sprawling gardens. All intentionally and perfectly placed by Prema Designs.

A tablescape exploding with color, with those same blooms, sat beneath a custom pergola, draped in airy mink chiffon. Glistening crystal chandeliers from Aiden & Grace cast prisms over each place setting, featuring Italian cut-crystal glassware sourced by PRRentals, accompanied by custom flatware designed to mimic the sapling branches of the surrounding trees.

These delicate details and lush blooms were hand-selected to complement the bride’s gown by Barbara Kavchok Couture, featuring intricate ruching on the illusion bodice and accented by individual floral appliques and voluminous sleeves.

Having just celebrated their own wedding a few weeks before, models Alyssa and Nitai, reveled in reliving those precious moments. It’s one of the reasons having a real-life couple was so important to the vision. There’s an authenticity you simply cannot replicate between a couple that is truly in love. Immersed in the beauty of the gardens, the two had a glow that felt infectious and genuine.

In that spirit, telling a story for a couple with rich cultural backgrounds necessitates the inclusion of those communities. It was key that the vendor team reflected that. This was a true labor of love from a diverse group of creative professionals - joining different perspectives and life experiences to create a cohesive vision celebrating cultural love.

To toast to the occasion, a tower of champagne coupes sat atop a French provincial pedestal table, with the setting sun glimmering through the glasses. Nearby, in the middle of a Victorian water feature, a three-tier buttercream wedding cake, adorned with sculpted sugar flowers and hand-painted butterflies appeared suspended in mid-air. Mirrored pedestals reflecting the glimmers of the water, created a sense of boundlessness. As children you’d often sneak desserts so placing the cake by Lavender and Honey Cakery as the focal point to the small garden maze illustrated fun and excitement.

From the light mauve tones of the invitation suite, to the romantic late-night lighting by Luminary Productions, the desire was to create something that inspired every scene of a wedding day.